CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has turned down President Duterte’s challenge for her to resign with him, and said the impeachment case filed against her by his allies was weak, her spokesperson said Monday.
“The chief justice will not resign because she has done nothing unlawful, illegal and impeachable,” lawyer Josa Deinla said, in an interview.
“What she wants is to continue performing her duties as chief justice of Supreme Court,” Deinla added.
Sereno’s camp issued the statement in response to Duterte’s call for her and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to resign with him in his speech during the oathtaking of new members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Davao last Saturday.
President Duterte accused the chief justice of being corrupt, while he said the Ombudsman was practicing selective justice.
But Sereno’s camp did not address the President’s allegation that she is corrupt and that she was part of a plot to oust him.
It was the second time the chief justice rejected a call for her resignation. Lawyer Larry Gadon earlier also called for her resignation while facing impeachment charges.
Sereno is currently on a month-long wellness leave from the Court. She is set to report back to work on Oct. 23.
The chief justice is facing an impeachment complaint before the House.
Gadon’s impeachment complaint accused Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over alleged undisclosed assets in her statement of asset, liabilities and net worth and extravagant spending of judicial funds by purchasing a P5-million Toyota Land Cruiser and traveling on first-class flights.
The complainant also cited as basis Sereno’s order in 2012 to reopen a regional constitutional administrative office in Cebu without the collegial approval of the Court, which was later on revoked by the Court.
In a statement, Sereno said the complaint against her was weak.
“While clearly intended as a smokescreen to hide the weakness of his case, complainant’s side comments only served to highlight one crucial fact—the complainant does not have ‘sufficient grounds for impeachment against the Chief Justice,” it said in a rejoinder to lawyer Larry Gadon’s recent reply on his impeachment complaint against Sereno filed at the House of Representatives Monday.
At the same time, Sereno will not resign as her counsels said the chief justice will answer all the allegations leveled against her by Gadon. The Sereno camp said Gadon’s allegations “may not be impeachable offenses.”
Sereno’s predecessor, Renato Corona, was ousted by impeachment because he failed to list all his assets in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth in a move instigated by then President Benigo Aquino III.