Zubiri: Senate now ready to tackle resolution on Sereno’s ouster

The Senate is now ready to tackle on the floor a resolution, urging the Supreme Court to review its decision to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through a quo warranto petition.

On Monday, the Senate committee on rules, chaired by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, met and agreed to calendar the resolution for plenary debates.

“The rules committee meeting was short and sweet. Wala naman kaming pinagdebatehan kundi ilabas yung resolution sa plenaryo, pagdebatehan at kung anong agreed upon by the body will be adopted by the body,” Zubiri told reporters.

“We agreed to calendar the resolution for plenary debates,” he added.

The decision of the panel coincided with Solicitor General Jose Calida’s visit to the offices of Zubiri, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and Senator Panfilo Lacson at the Senate. It was Calida, who filed the quo warranto petition against Sereno.

Zubiri was quick to clarify though that Calida’s visit had nothing to do with the resolution, which was signed by 14 senators.

READ: 14 senators file resolution urging SC review of Sereno ouster

Sotto, Zubiri and Lacson were among the nine senators who did not sign the resolution.

“Nothing secretive. We discussed only the issue on the SolGen bill,” Zubiri said of his meeting with Calida.

“He (Calida) never mentioned about the quo warranto,” he added.

Asked about the timing of Calida’s visit, Zubiri explained that the SolGen thought the bill had already been filed. /vvp