Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno maintains she did not commit any impeachable offense and has no plans to resign, her spokesperson says. (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The Philippine Judges Association (PJA) and various employees organizations in the judiciary want Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign.
In a joint statement, which will be read on Monday’s flag ceremony at the Supreme Court in Manila, the groups urged Sereno to resign to save the judiciary from “disrepute that affects the honor and integrity of justices, judges, and court employees.”
“Chief, it is time to let go,” the statement reads. “Please. let the Judiciary move on. Mabuhay ang ating Hudikatura! Sulong Korte Suprema.”
Joining the PJA are the Supreme Court Assembly of Lawyer Employees (SCALE), Philippine Association of Court Employees (PACE), the Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA), and the Sandiganbayan Employees Association (SBEA).
PJA is an organization of regional trial court (RTC) with about 1,200 incumbent members nationwide while PACE is a nationwide organization of court employees.
“We, the entire force of the judiciary, which includes judges, officials and court employees under your leadership, are pleading you, our beloved Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, to do the timely and necessary sacrifice for the institution that you gave so much time and love in these past years,” reads the statement, which is in Filipino.
“Court officials have been pitted against each other resulting in a distressing atmosphere,” the statement goes on. “This is aggravated by the fact that the Court en banc has taken cognizance of the petition for quo warranto and ordered her (Sereno) to file her comment thereto, instead of dismissing it outright.”
“The Court can no longer endure a prolonged environment of this kind. Its officials and personnel, truly dedicated and conscientious public servants, cannot go through another set of hearings and go against each other again at the Senate.”
Earlier, an anonymous statement circulated alleging that the judges and organization of court employees were pressured to issue such call.
A senior PJA member, however, denied that the group members were pressured to issue the statement.
The member declined to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter. /atm