The fight for democracy must continue.
This is what ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said hours after she was unseated on Friday.
“But beyond that decision I am firmly of the belief that God is in control of everything. So this only tells us that there is a bigger picture here and the fight for democracy, truth and accountability must continue and there must not be let up, there must not be any hesitation on anybody’s part to fight for the rights of the people,” Sereno said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
Voting 8-6, the SC granted on Friday the quo warranto petition of Solicitor General Jose Calida, the principal lawyer of the government, questioning Sereno’s qualification as the chief magistrate.
The High Court said the decision immediately executory and declared the position of the Chief Justice vacant.
READ: ‘We won!’ – Sereno
Sereno insisted that she had fought for the Judiciary’s independence and promised to keep fighting for justice.
“Ipinaglaban ko ang karapatan ng Hudikatura para maging independent ngayon hindi nakuha ang tamang boto kasi may mga hindi nag-inhibit so hanapin naman natin ngayon ang tamang landas,” she said.
(I fought for the right of the Judiciary to remain independent but was unable to get the right number of votes because some of them did not inhibit so now I will seek for the right way.) /vvp