Aquino: Sereno should be given a day in an impeachment court

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Former president Benigno Aquino III said embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should be given a day in an “impeachment court.”

Aside from an impeachment complaint lodged in the House of Representatives, a quo warranto petition was also filed against Sereno at the Supreme Court, seeking her ouster for her failure to submit all her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

READ: SolGen asks SC: Kick out Sereno 

Aquino, who appointed Sereno in 2012 based on the JBC’s shortlist, pointed out that the Constitution was clear that the Chief Justice and all other justices of the Supreme Court, should be subject to impeachment.

“So pwede ka lang marinig through an impeachment kung impeachable officer ka so parang napaka-plain naman yata ng sinasabi ng Konstitusyon,” he said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Besides, the former leader said an impeachment process would be an opportunity for all sides to be heard and also for the people, who would watch the proceedings, to be educated.

“Perhaps, she (Sereno) should be given her day, like any other citizen, a day in court. In this case, the court is an impeachment court, in the Senate,” Aquino said.

The House of Representatives’ justice committee had already approved the articles of impeachment against Sereno but it has yet to be adopted in the plenary before it could be transmitted to the Senate for trial .

Aquino had nothing but admiration for Sereno for not giving up amid ouster moves against her.

“I really admire her,” he said. “Her actions reaffirmed my choice of her—who will stand up for her beliefs, who will not be pressured to do things that she doesn’t believe in.”

READ: JBC should answer why Sereno qualified as chief justice, says Aquino

The former leader insisted that Sereno was the right person for the job as she was not only in the “right direction” but she also has enough time to effect changes in the judiciary.

“Si Sereno, bata pa, mahaba ang time. She has a lot of time to address the problems in the judiciary,” Aquino added.