MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte was “playing god” when he ordered Congress to speed up the impeachment process against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, an opposition lawmaker said.
Duterte on Tuesday asked his ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, to expedite the impeachment proceedings of the chief magistrate, whom he described as “bad” for the country.
Alvarez, secretary general of the administration PDP-Laban and leader of an independent branch of government, said that would be done once Congress comes back from recess.
READ: Duterte consolidating power by ordering House to rush impeachment, analyst says
Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan party-list) said that the chief executive is claiming power over Congress and Speaker Alvarez is “merely submitting to his whims.”
“It clearly manifests his totalitarian nature and abhorrence [of] democratic values. The rationale of Chief Justice Sereno in asking to explain why the solicitor general, an alter ego of the president, filed a quo warranto case against her is a valid legal argument” he said.
Calida on Tuesday denied that the president had instructed him to file the petition, which he said the rules of court allow him to file on his own.
Villarin added that if the chief executive did not have a hand in any move to oust Sereno, as he repeatedly claimed, he should let solicitor general Jose Calida to do the explaining in the proper forum.
“As a lawyer, the president should know better than burst in a fit of rage,” he said.
'Duterte order shows he is driving force of ouster'
For their part, Reps. Arlene Brosas and Emmi De Jesus (Gabriela Women’s Party) said that Duterte’s order to the lower house shows that he is the “driving force” behind the move to oust Sereno.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday explained that as the chairman of PDP-Laban, the president's order was directed to the members of the lower house affiliated with the ruling party.
Duterte’s statement against Sereno came after he repeatedly denied that he was behind any effort to unseat her. He reacted to Sereno's insinuation that there is a "hand moving behind" the moves to remove her from her post.
“That is why I am asking for an answer: Is that the way it is, President Duterte—I should be removed either through quo warranto or impeachment?” the chief justice also said.
The Supreme Court is currently holding oral arguments on the quo warranto petition at the high court's session hall in Baguio City.
READ: Duterte tells Sereno: I am now your enemy
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