President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, May 16, said he has no involvement in the Supreme Court’s decision on the quo warranto petition against former Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno.

“If there’s one Congresswoman or Congressman, or Justice, single Justice who can say I approached [for that], I can guarantee you, I will resign,”Mr. Duterte said in a chance interview with reporters at the Palace on Wednesday evening following his meeting with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

The President stressed that it is not his habit to run after his critics. 

“Sinabi ko na (I have already said it’s not my habit… It’s out of my character to do that,” he said.

He likewise denied that he asked Solicitor-General Jose C. Calida to file the quo warranto petition against Ms. Sereno.  “It was his job to find faults. Whatever he thinks that it is his duty to perform, hindi ako nakikialam (I do not interfere),” he also said.

The SC en banc, in a landmark ruling made on May 11, voted 8-6 favoring Mr. Calida’s quo warranto petition against the appointment of Ms. Sereno as Chief Justice. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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