OUSTED Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno on Thursday called on President Rodrigo R. Duterte to resign in fulfillment of his promise to step down should his involvement in her ouster be proven.
Also on Thursday, 14 senators formally filed Senate Resolution No. 738 urging the Supreme Court to review its decision on the quo warranto petition against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno.
Speaking at a forum organized by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the country’s mandatory bar organization, Ms. Sereno said, “Ginoong Pangulo, mag-resign ka na. (Mr. President, resign now).”
She recalled: “Hinamon ko po nang tapatan ang ating Pangulo noong Abril. Ang sinabi ko, Ginoong Pangulo sabihin mo na sa taongbayan na ang iyong tauhan na si SolGen (Jose C.) Calida ay hindi gagawa ng desisyon na mag-file ng napakabigat na petition sa Korte Suprema hangga’t hindi ikaw ang nagaapruba nito.” (Last April, I challenged the President when I asked, ‘Mr. President, tell the people that [Solicitor-General] Calida, who is under your command, would never make the decision to file a petition this significant to the Supreme Court without your approval.)
Mr. Duterte had earlier said he was ordering Congress to speed up the impeachment case against Ms. Sereno, whom he declared his “enemy,” after she implied Solicitor General Jose C. Calida filed the quo warranto petition in his behalf.
The SC voted 8-6 last May 11 granting Solicitor General Jose C. Calida’s quo warranto petition, which voided Ms. Sereno’s appointment as chief magistrate.
Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said, “Hayaan na po natin siya at hayaan na nating siyang manahimik bilang pribadong indibidwal. (Let her be and leave her in peace as a private individual).”
Mr. Roque also defended Mr. Calida’s ties with the Marcos family, saying there is a sense of “professionalism” among lawyers in the Office of the Solicitor-General.
At the Senate, the resolution filed by the 14 senators read in part: “Now therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved to express the sense of the Senate of the Philippines to uphold the Constitution on the matter of removing a Chief Justice from office, and respectfully urge the Supreme Court to review its decision to nullify the appointment of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.”
The resolution was signed by Senate President Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto, and Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon. Senators from the majority bloc who also signed were Senators Francis G. Escudero, Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva, Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, Loren B. Legarda, and Juan Edgardo M. Angara.
Senators from the minority bloc, which included Senators Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Francis N. Pangilinan, Antonio F. Trillanes IV, Leila M. De Lima, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, also signed as well.
In a statement, Mr. Aquino called on the public to support the Senate in its stand on the quo warranto ruling, saying the SC violated the Constitution with their decision to oust Ms. Sereno.
“The Senate is being challenged to take a stand for the public and democracy. This resolution accepts the challenge,” he said.
The resolution maintained that the House of Representatives has the “exclusive powers” to initiate impeachment cases while the Senate has the “sole power” to try impeachable officials, citing Section 3, Article 11 of the 1987 Constitution.
It also warned that the SC decision on the quo warranto petition has set a “dangerous precedent” that undermined Congress’ exclusive powers on impeachment cases.
Nine senators — Vicente C. Sotto III, Nancy S. Binay-Angeles, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Richard J. Gordon, Gregorio B. Honasan II, Panfilo M. Lacson, Emmanuel D. Pacquiao, Cynthia A. Villar and Juan Miguel F. Zubiri — did not sign the resolution.
Mr. Honasan explained that he was not inclined to sign the resolution, saying this would pit one branch of government against the other.
“It’s not good. It will not serve the public interest,” he told reporters on Thursday.
For his part, Mr. Lacson earlier said the Senate has no jurisdiction over the SC decision since the articles of impeachment have not yet been transmitted to them.
“It would depend on the House of Representatives to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. That’s another matter we have to discuss as a collegial body. We should not discuss this now because where are the articles (of impeachment)? We cannot question the SC because we are not authorized,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Retired Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., for his part, addressing a forum on Thursday, said justices who voted in favor of the quo warranto petition may now be subject to impeachment.
“They know very well there is only one mode and that is by impeachment. If they remove on other grounds, that is a culpable violation of the Constitution. So all of them could be subjected to impeachment,” he said .
“Those who voted against the Chief Justice by granting quo warranto have not decided… within the period prescribed by the Constitution itself,” he also said. — Camille A. Aguinaldo with Charmaine A. Tadalan, Arjay L. Balinbin, and Dane Angelo M. Enerio

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