Ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said the Supreme Court (SC) en banc decision to unseat her from office on Friday was “unacceptable” and she questioned the legality of the move.
“On so many levels, talagang masyadong hindi katanggap-tanggap ang decision na ito nguni’t kailangan nating hintayin at basahin ko muna,” Sereno said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel hours after the SC issued the controversial decision.
(On so many levels this decision is unacceptable but I have to wait for and read the decision first.)
Sereno said law experts and constitutionalists believe that granting quo warranto against an impeachable official is unconstitutional.
“Hindi ka pwedeng mag-quo warranto para mag remove ng impeachable official at lalong lalo nang hindi pwede na yung sistema ang maghuhusga sayo ang mag-aakusa sa ‘yo,” she added.
(You cannot issue a quo warranto to remove an impeachable official and the system that judges you should not be the one who accuses you.)
Voting 8-6 on Friday, the SC granted Solicitor General Jose Calida’s petition for quo warranto questioning Sereno’s qualification as the chief magistrate.
The High Court said the decision is immediately executory and declared the position of the Chief Justice vacant.
READ: ‘We won!’ – Sereno
Sereno said there must be a “strong force” that compelled the magistrates to come up with their votes.
“Yung ibang tao doon hindi ko alam kung bakit ganun ang kanilang boto. Napakahusay ng pakikipagsamahan ko sa marami sa kanila, hindi mo maiisip kung ano talagang pwersa ang nangyari, anong klaseng napakalakas na pwersa ang maaaring naapply,” the former chief magistrate said.
(I do not know why some of them voted that way. I treated many of them well, you really can’t think of the force that happened, what kind of strong force that was applied.)“Nakakalungkot talaga, sana hindi na nangyari itong malungkot na kasaysayan ng ating lipunan ngunit baka naman ang gusto ng Panginoon na magkaalaman na ang katotohanan ng ating hustisya,” she added.
(It is really sad, I wished that this sad chapter of our history did not happen but maybe the Lord wanted the people to know the truth in the status of justice in our country.)
Sereno also told her colleagues in the SC that power and position are not everything, and what is more important is standing up for truth and justice. /vvp
