‘I knew Chief Justice post came with challenges’

MANILA, Philippines — Offering a rare glimpse of her personal life, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday said she was aware there would be challenges to her leadership when she decided to accept the nomination as the country’s top magistrate at a relatively young age.

Speaking at a forum of foreign media organizations, Sereno also expressed gratitude for the support of her family, especially her husband Mario who “makes every day a Valentine’s Day.”

Currently facing challenges in Congress through an impeachment proceeding and in the Supreme Court (SC), which she leads, Sereno said a chief justice mandated to stay in office for 18 years is an attractive magnet to leadership challenges.

“From the moment that it is decided that I will be a fully independent Chief Justice, I was keenly made aware that it would be very difficult. I would face challenges of this kind,” Sereno said at the forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

“The difficulty always is that the long term itself attracts a lot of difficulties,” she added.

Sereno was 52 years old when she applied for the vacancy left by impeached chief justice Renato Corona, who was convicted by the Senate impeachment court in 2012. She is expected to remain in office until 2030 when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Her appointment by then president Benigno Aquino III had raised eyebrows, including reportedly from some senior magistrates whose own bid for the top SC post would unlikely be realized due to the length of her term.

Sereno said her long term would help her implement a lot of changes in the judiciary.

“For example, automation alone will take perhaps a generation to fully realize our dream of a fully automated court from beginning of a dispute all the way to its final disposition, including the archiving portion,” she said.

“When you want a culture change, it requires a generation... If we are going to have a new brand – a new kind of judges who are fully committed to their jobs; staff and employees who understand that every day of delay is a deadly problem – then people will welcome a strong and long-term leadership,” she added.

Sereno said her family is doing well amid the challenges, emphasizing that she and her husband are aware of the consequences of her fighting for judicial independence.

“Every night is a Valentine’s night for us. The best part of the day is when we come together at night and then we chat about the goings on of the day and then we strengthen each other, saying stay the course,” she said.

The Chief Justice said her travails have not made her resentful and that she has a lot to be thankful for.

“We consider it as a really fulfilling life, simple as it is. I think that is what makes for us a good life,” she said.

“Our family, my husband and I, made a commitment to serve this country. We really have nothing much to ask for except the opportunity to serve, with what little time we have. It’s a privilege to be able to serve in a position that can be as critical as mine,” she added.

Sereno also shrugged off questions on her wealth, noting that their way of life would show that they have nothing to hide.