Supreme Court En Banc
Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justices will hold a “separate proceeding” to deal with the confusion created by the spokespersons of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on the real nature of the top magistrate’s leave from office.
On Thursday, 13 justices of the high court issued a statement clarifying that the SC en banc deems Sereno “to be on an indefinite leave” starting March 1, disputing the statements of the Chief Justice’s spokespersons that she is merely on a “wellness leave.”
The justices have expected Sereno to make a clear announcement of what has been agreed upon during Tuesday’s en banc session but apparently got disappointed on the resulting pronouncements of Sereno’s spokespersons regarding the issue.
READ: Sources say Sereno to go on ‘indefinite’ leave but CJ’s camp refutes it
Court insiders claimed that following a heated argument during the en banc session, Sereno agreed to go on an indefinite leave. But Sereno’s spokespersons later announced the Chief Justice was to go on a wellness leave, adjusting the period to March 1 to 15 instead of March 12 to 23.
On Wednesday, however, Sereno’s spokespersons said the Chief Justice was to take an “indefinite/wellness leave.”
“The Court en banc regrets the confusion that the announcements and media releases of the spokespersons of the Chief Justice have caused, which seriously damaged the integrity of the Judiciary in general and the Supreme Court in particular,” the high court justices’ statement noted as read in a press conference by Information Chief Atty. Theodore Te.
“In the ordinary course of events, the Court expected the Chief Justice to cause the announcement only of what was really agreed upon without any modification or embellishment. This matter shall be dealt with in a separate proceeding,” the high court justices also said.
Te refused to explain further than what was stated in the statement of the SC associate justices.
Thirteen justices of the SC signed the statement, namely: Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio; and Associate Justices Presbitero J. Velasco Jr., Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado M. Peralta, Lucas P. Bersamin, Mariano C. Del Castillo, Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, Marvic M.V.F Leonen, Francis H. Jardeleza, Samuel R. Martires, Noel Gimenez Tijam, Andres B. Reyes Jr., and Alexander G. Gesmundo.
Only Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa was not able to sign the statement because he is currently on leave. /kga
Statement of the Supreme Court Associate Justices on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s leave from office.
Signatures of the Supreme Court Associate Justices on their statement regarding Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s leave from office.