MANILA – Malacañang on Friday advised former chief justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno to look “closely” at the mirror to see who is really behind the quo warranto petition that sent her out of the Supreme Court.
“We consider this unfortunate, for the truth is, four other fingers point to her. Ex-CJ Sereno should closely look at the mirror to see who is behind the Supreme Court ruling,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement in reaction to Sereno’s call for President Rodrigo Duterte to resign, as she insisted that the President was behind her ouster.
Roque said Sereno herself violated the Constitution by not filing her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), a ground which Solicitor General Jose Calida used to file a quo warranto petition before the SC.
“She herself managed to alienate her own colleagues at the High Court,” he said.
Malacañang has refrained from commenting on Sereno’s call but Roque said “the former top magistrate has been engaged in grandstanding and seeking media coverage, pointing an accusing finger at President Duterte for the result of the quo warranto petition filed against her.”
“Nobody should be blamed but herself,” he said in a media interview via Skype.
Roque said there is no reason for the President to step down since he did not violate any provision of the Constitution.
“Unlike the former chief justice, PRRD enjoys high satisfaction, approval, performance, and trust ratings from the Filipino people,” he said. “I think the opposition is desperate. They are looking for (a) rallying figure and they chose chief justice (Sereno).”
Roque said making Sereno as a leader of the opposition is a big mistake since she has a very low approval rating, based on the latest surveys.
“If she is the rallying figure of the opposition, then you’re doomed,” Roque said.
Last May 11, the SC voted 8-6 to grant Calida’s quo warranto petition, making Sereno the second top magistrate to be ousted.
Former Chief Justice Renato Corona was the first after he was impeached on Dec. 12, 2011 for not declaring some of his properties in his SALN.
Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, appointed Sereno as chief justice in 2012. (Jelly Musico/PNA)
