Sereno rejects call to quit as chief justice: spokesperson

November 6, 2017

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno rejected the call from Malacanang to resign, her spokesman said Monday. Carlo Cruz,  Sereno's spokesperson, said resignation has never an option for the chief justice. "The Chief Justice needs to face the impeachment proceeding precisely to preserve the dignity and independence of both the Supreme Court and the Office of the Chief Justice," Cruz said in a statement in response to the resignation call made by presidential spokesman Harry Roque. "She has done nothing to damage the institution, and she has been doing everything to strengthen it," Cruz added. In a speech at the opening of the 8th International Conference on the Training of the Judiciary (IOJT) in Taguig City, Sereno noted the “resurgence of political forces threatening and harassing the independence of the judiciary.” Sereno said it is important to strengthen the judiciary to discharge its mandate. “The delicate balance required to properly evaluate conflicting positions and competing interests can only be sustained by a wise and mature judiciary that is unafraid to face the challenges of increasingly changing landscapes,” she said. DMS