"I call upon you to be at your bravest when hope is at its deemest."
This line is part of the speech of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno at St. Scholastica's College in Manila today.
She told the students, "you are all witnesses to the injustice happening around us."
Sereno is subject of an impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives.
Her impeachment may be forthcoming as the House Committee on Justice is set to vote on Thursday to determine whether or not there is probable cause to remove her from the helm of the judiciary.
In her speech, she called on Filipinos to defend themselves against what she sees as a regime of authoritarianism.
She stressed that people must uphold "inclusiveness and not exclusiveness, democracy and not authoritarianism."
"Anything that diminishes the society's humanity is anti-constitutional," she added.
She also pleaded that she be given a chance to be heard.
"Hindi naman pwedeng padalos dalos ang galaw. Hindi naman po maaaring ang aksyon ay puro bira lamang (We cannot be too hasty. Actions cannot be all about criticisms)," she stressed.
Sereno is urging the people to strengthen the institutions that fight for accountability and transparency among government officials.
The chief justice is on indefinite leave after 13 justices signed a resolution telling her to go through it while the impeachment hearings are ongoing.
