Sereno to attend oral arguments on her ouster petition

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will personally answer her peers’ question on the petition seeking the nullification of her appointment as head magistrate.

Lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, one of her spokespersons, confirmed in a message to reporters that Sereno will attend the oral arguments set in the Supreme Court in Baguio City.

This will be the first time that Sereno will personally address the allegations against her. She will be grilled by the 14 SC justices, currently headed by Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio.

READ: SC orders Sereno to answer quo warranto petition at oral arguments

The SC en banc, on April 3, directed Sereno to appear before the 14-member court to directly answer questions regarding the petition for quo warranto filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Calida sought the removal of Sereno as chief justice through a petition for quo warranto.

The solicitor general said that the SC should nullify Sereno’s appointment in 2012 for her alleged failure to meet the Judicial and Bar Council’s requirement on Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Lacanilao, however, stressed that Sereno’s appearance “is without the prejudice to our jurisdiction challenge.”

Sereno’s legal team asserted that she can only be ousted through an impeachment proceeding, as provided by the 1987 Constitution.

The impeachment process lies with the two houses of the Congress, and Sereno is already facing an impeachment proceeding that is pending before the lower House plenary.

The case was filed by lawyer Larry Gadon, who was seen with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday. The chief executive, with whom Sereno has had an exchange of words in 2016, has denied that he has a hand with the ouster petitions against Sereno.

READ: Duterte seen with Sereno impeachment accuser

The chief justice has been on indefinite leave since March 1. She said that this is in preparation for her looming impeachment trial at the Senate.