MANILA - Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday said the calls for the resignation of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno set a bad precedent.
“Masamang precedent ito, masamang precedent kasi merong attempt na naman na i-shortcut itong proseso na labas sa Konstitusyon,” Robredo said.
“Meron nang impeachment proceedings na ongoing sa House. Respetuhin natin ang proseso,” she added.
Judges, officials and rank-and-file employees of the judiciary in different parts of the country on Monday backed calls for Sereno to resign from her post amid impeachment proceedings against her in the House of Representatives.
Lawmakers as well as Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque have also called on Sereno to resign.
Refusing to step down, Sereno vowed to answer all the issues thrown against her at the Senate.
She is accused of misdeclaring her wealth, insisting on the purchase of a P5.1-million bullet-proof vehicle, and delaying the benefits of retired Supreme Court personnel, which amounted to culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes. She has denied the charges.
A quo warranto petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General before the Supreme Court also questioned her qualifications for the top magistrate post because she supposedly failed to fully disclose her wealth as required by the Judicial and Bar Council.
- report from Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News
Leni Robredo, Maria Lourdes Sereno, Sereno impeachment, resignation, Supreme Court