Sereno assails killings in imaginary talk with Pepe Diokno

Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

If he were alive today, human rights lawyer Jose Diokno would stress to her the importance of due process and criticize how shortcuts would result to the loss of lives, according to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The Chief Justice attended the unveiling of Diokno’s bronze-cast statue in front of the Commission on Human Rights on Thursday evening.

In her speech, Sereno imagined a dialogue with Diokno where he would stress the need for citizens and authorities to abide by the Constitution and uphold human rights.

Sereno echoed the frustration of many who expected  peace and progress after dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted in 1986.

Diokno would remind people to keep in mind the preamble of the Constitution — which reflected the aspiration for a “just and humane society” — and recall the power of unity.

“Enlighten them, that if only the Constitution was [kept] alive and sustained in the hearts of every citizen and public servant, there would be no worries,” Sereno said Diokno would say.

“Tell the OFW (overseas Filipino worker) mothers, if the authorities would only follow the rules, it would address the concerns of the youth accused of violating the law. That way, every mother and father would not fear when it gets dark,” the Diokno of Sereno’s imagination would add.