Sereno claims Duterte, Alvarez behind her impeachment as chief justice

November 20, 2017

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday claims President Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez have a hand in the impeachment against her.

Sereno said she thinks Duterte wants her out as shown in earlier public pronouncements, citing recent events where Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque advises her to resign to spare the judiciary from more damage.

"The last statement that we had from the presidential spokesperson is that I should leave my office, so I think I understand," Sereno said, in an interview with Karen Davila on ANC’s Headstart.

She also cited what Duterte said about her.

"Of course everybody knows what he said during those moments and the I think at one time, he thought that the Atty. (Lorenzo) Gadon's complaints regarding my extravagant lifestyle had some basis and then he kept quiet about it. So let us just say that I understand that he has also asked me and the Ombudsman to resign at the same time," Sereno noted.

"So does he have a hand in this impeachment? Well I go by his official pronouncement and I wish him success as a president but I hope he understands that checks and balances are very very important for any democracy," she said.

In September, Duterte challenged Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to resign with him. Just last month, Duterte revealed plans to file an impeachment complaint against Sereno for alleged corruption.

Sereno said she doesn't know Duterte is doing this.

"We have had no personal skirmish at all. The only time I remember that he made a remark against me was in connection with the letter I wrote to him in August of 2016, requesting that due process be afforded the judges," she recalled.

"Basically I was really emphasizing the need to defend the institutions and to allow the institutions to conduct their own investigations of their errant members because the moment you announce the names of judges, you basically take them out of their functions," she stressed.

Sereno believes Alvarez also wants her ousted as she appealed to top elected officials not to abuse the impeachment process for "vengeance or personal agenda.”

“I hope everybody involved rises to the requirements of the Constitution that this (impeachment) should not be done for personal vengeance or for personal agenda, but this is only a mechanism for accountability,” she said, adding that the impeachment process should be done to “preserve, not destroy democratic institutions.” DMS