Makabayan solons see politics taking over ouster move vs Sereno

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. INQUIRER / Richard A. Reyes

The issues hounding the Supreme Court (SC) in the midst of ouster plots against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno are attempts of other government branches to “take advantage” of the judiciary, the House “Makabayan” opposition bloc said on Wednesday.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said in a media briefing that the alleged moves of some SC justices to compel Sereno to go on an indefinite leave, as well as their decision to testify against her during the House hearings, were signs that the institution was “politicized” and has been “divided under the influence of other branches.”

In the same news conference, Gabriela party list Rep. Arlene Brosas lamented how the SC apparently “succumbed” to these attempts, instead of asserting their independence as a co-equal branch of the government.

“Simple lang yung gusto nilang mangyari, kopohin yung kapangyarihan ng judiciary. Lahat ito desperate attempts para kopohin yon. Yung nangyari naman sa judiciary, imbes na pangalagaan nila yung kanilang independence as a co-equal body ng gobyerno, mas nauna yung mga motibo ng mga tao even sa loob nila,” she said.

(What they want is very simple, to conquer power in the judiciary. All of these are desperate attempts to conquer all. What happens to the judiciary, instead of taking care of their independence as a co-equal body of government, the motive of the people even those inside became their priority.)

ACT-Teachers party list Rep. Antonio Tinio said these “internal divisions” may have arose from some justices’ grudge that they were “bypassed” when Sereno was appointed ahead of SC’s senior members.

“Clearly (internal divisions came from) naunsyameng personal na ambisyon, supposedly yung mga more senior daw sumama ang loob dahil na-bypass sila ni CJ Sereno,” Tinio said.

(Clearly internal divisions came from bungled personal ambition, supposedly coming from the senior magistrates who were disgruntled when they were bypassed by Sereno.)

Zarate said the alleged attempts of the executive and legislative government branches to take advantage of the judiciary were also evident even in past administrations.

“Napagsamantalahan ng political branches including in the past kaya may political antecedents ito. The damaged caused by these political antecedents nangyayari ngayon,” he said.

(These political branches, including those in the past, have taken advantage and there had been political antecedents here. The damaged caused by these political antecedents is happening now.)

“We cannot divorce the individual from kung sino nag-aapoint sa kanila at sa (whoever appointed them and the) economic forces sa country. What is happening in the SC is symptomatic of what’s happening in the country,” he added.

Last Monday, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto case to invalidate Sereno’s appointment, accusing her of failing to disclose in full her wealth.

Apart from this, lawyer-complainant Lorenzo Gadon is also accusing the top magistrate of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption and other high crimes, which have been the subjects of an impeachment complaint being deliberated by the House of Representatives’ justice committee.

The committee is set to vote on the complaint against Sereno this Thursday.

The beleaguered Chief Justice is currently on an indefinite leave to prepare for her impending impeachment trial at the Senate. /jpv

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