Escudero, Sotto reject call for Senate to act on Sereno quo warranto
Senator Francis Escudero and Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTOS
Two senators have rejected a group’s call for the Senate to pass a resolution, asking the Supreme Court to suspend its quo warranto proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
The call was made by the Coalition for Justice (CFJ) in a letter sent to senators on Wednesday. Some of its members also went to the Senate to personally deliver the letter to the offices of senators.
READ: Senators urged to act on Sereno quo warranto
Asked in a text message on Thursday if he would support such measure, Senator Francis Escudero said gave a categorical no answer.
“No. The House has not yet even impeached her. There is no impeachment case before the Senate to even speak of. It would be presumptuous, to say the least, for the Senate to assume that one will indeed be filed sometime in the future against CJ Sereno,” said Escudero.
“So what so-called “right” will the Senate, as an Institution, be asserting and fighting for? Our putative right to try a non-existent impeachment case?”
While the House of Representatives’ committee on justice had already approved the articles of impeachment against Sereno, the chamber has yet to vote on it. Once adopted by the chamber, the articles of impeachment will be transmitted to the Senate for trial.
“If indeed, as these groups claim, CJ Sereno’s rights to due process are being violated, the proper forum to ventilate this issue would be at the Supreme Court – which they already have – without having to drag the Senate, as an institution, into it,” Escudero added.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he was not inclined to support such resolution, citing the principle of separation of powers.
“Firstly, it would be best that we take a hard look at the separation of powers embodied in the Constitution. We cannot interfere in the work of the SC in the same way that they cannot interfere with ours,” Sotto said in a separate text message.
Asked then if he was not inclined to support such move, the Majority Leader answered yes.
Meanwhile, the CFJ’s call got the backing of the minority bloc in the Senate.
“That is the stand of the Senate Minority. But there are only six of us. The appeal, and the challenge, should be addressed to the leadership and the Majority coalition in the Senate,” Drilon said in another text.
Aside from Drilon, the five other members of the minority are Senators Francis Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes IV , Risa Hontiveros and detained Senator Leila de Lima. /muf
