Hundreds of supporters of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno hold a prayer vigil and “Jericho march” at the Supreme Court on Friday, May 11, 2018, hours before the high court decides on the fate of the country’s top magistrate. In a special en banc session this Friday, the SC is set to tackle the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against Sereno. (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Krixia Subingsubing)
Hours before embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno would face her colleagues in a special en banc session that would tackle the quo warranto petition against her, hundreds of her supporters trooped to the Supreme Court (SC) in Manila early Friday for a “Jericho march” and prayer vigil to enlighten justices to heed the rule of law and not succumb to so-called authoritarian whim.
Clad in white shirts and purple shawls, members of the 30-organization strong Coalition for Justice (C4J) prayed in front of the SC building and marched slowly around the SC complex.
A Jericho march was a Biblical event where the Israelites, led by Joshua and Caleb, walked and marched around the walls of Jericho seven times. The walls eventually crumbled and signified victory for the army of God.
In the same way, C4J convener Caloy Diño said, they hoped to also bring down the proverbial walls surrounding the SC – only this time, made not of concrete but of a “spiritual evil.”
“Spiritually, there is a wall preventing (the SC justices) from doing the right thing and upholding what is constitutional. We want to break down those walls, we want the rule of Christ to come to this institution,” Diño said.
Reportedly, at least eight justices were already “decided” to grant the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida – the Duterte administration’s principal lawyer – against Sereno.
Should the quo warranto petition be favored, Sereno, who has been at loggerheads with President Rodrigo Duterte, would become the first constitutional officer to be removed sans an impeachment trial.
Critics of Calida’s quo warranto petition have repeatedly argued that granting it would create a “constitutional crisis” as the Chief Justice can only be removed through impeachment as stated in the Constitution – the fundamental law of the land.
This is why, according to activist-priest Robert Reyes, it seemed only appropriate to invoke a miracle of biblical proportions against the “foregone conclusion” of ousting Sereno.
“What we are praying for today (Friday) is for whatever evils has taken possession of the SC will be driven away…the evil of ambition, power, compromise and pettiness,” he said.
“The quo warranto is unconstitutional, illegal and illogical and yet (the SC) defies its constitutional mandate to uphold the rule of law…(Should they grant the petition), they would have sacrificed and betrayed their independence by allowing the President to throw a monkey wrench against their pursuit for due process,” Reyes added.
Fellow priest Flavie Villanueva echoed Reyes’ sentiment, saying that granting the petition “only cements the seeming culture of tyranny” under the Duterte administration.
“If you have an SC that acts like a puppet of the Palace, then who can the people depend on to uphold the rule of law?” he asked.
Though “hoping against all odds” that Sereno’s colleagues at the SC would quash the quo warranto petition, Diño said they were ready to contest such unfavorable decision.
“We are hoping they would change their minds but if not, we will declare that this group of people, who claim to be the SC have made a bogus decision (and move forward) from there,” he said. /kga