Calida: Quo warranto petition vs Sereno 'not Duterte's style'

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Solicitor General Jose Calida on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte is not involved in the ouster petition that the government's top lawyer filed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Calida, before entering the Supreme Court Session Hall in Baguio City, told reporters that Duterte “never instructed” him to file the petition.

He added: “It is not his style.”

READ: Sereno: Someone is behind bids to oust me

The government’s chief legal counsel stressed that under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, he has the “power to file a quo warranto on [his] own without the president’s instruction.”

The chief justice, in an impassioned speech on Monday, said that it cannot be denied that the chief executive had a hand in the ouster moves against her.

Sereno said: “Mr. President, if you said that you are in no way involved in this, please explain why Solicitor General Calida filed this (quo warranto petition), who is reporting to you?”

She added that her impeachment accuser, Larry Gadon, reportedly met with Duterte. The private lawyer has long had strong ties with Duterte and has been photographed with the president at an even in Mindoro.

Gadon has also denied that the president was involved in the impeachment complaint that a committee of the House of Representatives has held hearings on. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary general of the administration PDP-Laban party, said Monday that Sereno would be impeached when Congress comes back from recess in May.  

RELATED: Duterte seen with Sereno impeachment accuser

A fuming Duterte responded to Sereno’s accusations with: “I am putting on notice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court.”

The chief executive added that he would ask Alvarez to hasten the impeachment process. 

Gadon’s impeachment complaint is due for voting on the House floor. Congress is currently on break, and will resume its sessions on May 15.

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