MANILA, Philippines — The quo warranto petition that seeks to remove Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from office by questioning the legality of her appointment is “outside” the 1987 Constitution and cannot be allowed, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the P&G Philippines Women Symposium 2018, Robredo said Sereno’s case should go through the impeachment process, which is provided for by the Constitution.
“The quo warranto (petition) is outside the Constitution. According to the law, impeachable officers can only be removed through impeachment,” Robredo said in Filipino.
“Whatever process outside of impeachment, it’s not allowed,” the vice president, who is a lawyer, said.
Solicitor General Jose Calida this week filed a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of Sereno’s appointment to the country’s top judicial post in 2012.
According to the solicitor general, Sereno failed the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth requirement set by the Judicial and Bar Council, the body tasked to submit a list of nominees for judicial posts to the president.
The House Committee on Justice on Thursday voted 38-2 to declare that there was probable cause in the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, who has close ties to the allies of President Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: House panel votes to impeach Sereno
Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro), the chairman of the justice panel, defended the conduct of the proceedings and said that his committee “faithfully performed” its constitutional mandate.
He said that the committee had gathered enough evidence to provide it with “ammunition to prosecute the case towards victory.”
The panel will now draft the articles of impeachment to be voted upon by the full House of Representatives, which is dominated by allies of the chief executive, who has expressed his desire to remove the chief justice following her critical comments on his flagship war on drugs.
Once approved, the articles will then be sent to the Senate which will sit as an impeachment court.
According to Robredo, the justices of the High Court themselves have ruled that removing an impeachable officer through other means is not allowed, citing the cases former Chief Justice Marcelo Fernan and former Ombudsman Merciditas Gutierrez.
Robredo herself is facing legal challenges as former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos has filed an electoral protest against her for allegations of electoral fraud during the 2016 national and local elections. The vice president has denied the charges and filed a counter-protest against Marcos.
In moving for Sereno’s impeachment, Gadon is accusing the chief magistrate of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.