Sereno decries ‘selective targeting,’ warns vs. one-man rule

MANILA - Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday slammed what she said was "selective targeting" against her, amid a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court and an impeachment complaint in Congress.

At the center of both cases was her supposed failure to submit her complete records of her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) when she vied for the top magistrate post in 2012.

“Of my colleagues, I know that several of them, have had their qualifications, their inability to submit documentary requirements, waived, several of them. If the JBC was correct in saying that an attempt to submit requirements, that good faith should be accorded to the 14, including those against me, why am I the only one being singled out?,” she told law students at the Ateneo Law School during a forum on judicial independence.

CJ-on leave Sereno receives warm welcome, standing ovation and applause from law students upon her arrival at a forum on judicial independence at the Ateneo Law School in Rockwell, Makati. pic.twitter.com/wqejZFVYMY

— Mike Navallo (@mikenavallo) April 25, 2018

Sereno said the JBC waived some documentary requirements in the cases of 14 out of 20 of the applicants for the position of chief justice in 2012. The JBC also did the same to 6 of the 8 who were shortlisted for the post.

“So it will appear this is selected targeting. Selected targeting like trying to kill a rat by burning the whole house. They want to dispose of a certain person that has proved to be an inconvenience so they burn the whole institution,” she said.

“No Chief Justice has ever undergone what I have undergone and what I am going to undergo--to be examined like a fish in a transparent bowl where every movement was examined and measured against every standard of accountability,” she added.

Sereno said she was willing to go through an impeachment trial in the Senate and not through the quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court.

“If I am convicted by Senate impeachment, I will leave because I understand that is the process.

“It is not the matter of hanging on to a position, or defense of a person. It is in defense of democratic institutions,” she said.

THOUGHTS ABOUT QUO WARRANTO PROCEEDINGS

Sereno also recalled her feelings when she appeared before her colleagues during the oral arguments in the quo warranto petition at an en banc session in Baguio recently.

“The questions propounded by Supreme Court itself, they wanted to examine everything I did in the past in the hope they would find something scandalous in my life. I was just preparing myself for the question, ‘ilang boyfriend mo na?,’” Sereno said, which elicited laughter from the crowd.

“That is why asked the fair question, ‘Justice, my colleagues, do you want to go into my high school records?,’” she explained.

Sereno also hit what she called were the biases of some justices.

“Basic sa justice, ang huwes dapat kayang magdesisyon nang patas…Ang nagtestigo laban sa akin sa House, ang nagsabi na unjust ang pagka-appoint sa akin at injustice sa kanila na ako ay na-consider sa shortlist, ay sila mismo magsasabi kung ako mananatili. Nasabi na nila hindi ako pwede manatili. Ano pa po ba pag-upo nila? Ano pa ba proseso?,” she asked.

“Hindi ko naman po minanipula ni konti ang JBC...14 kaming pare-parehong sitwasyon. Bakit nagreklamo kung kayo nalagay sa listahan at ako nalagay sa listahan. Ang masama ay hindi kayo ang nalagay at ako ang nalagay,” she added.

CONSEQUENCES

Sereno warned about the consequences should the quo warranto petition succeed.

“The unfairness of it all is grating to the soul of this nation. Because not only does it affect my particular position, all of you who want, one day, to take a public position, your security of tenure, even if you had been performing your job well, will not be assured,” she said.

“Millions of government employees, even 5 months before their retirement, can face a quo warranto petition because according to the SolGen, 1-year prescriptive period cannot apply against government,” she explained.

Sereno said a sword of Damocles would always hang on the head of judges and justices because the Office of the Solicitor General can always threaten them with a quo warranto petition. This will, in effect, affect the cases lawyers will be handling.

“Gusto nyo po ba, kapag lawyer na kayo, kailangan laging sumipsip sa SolGen at hindi maipaglaban ang karapatan ng inyong kliyente kasi deilkado kayo matalo kasi pwede manakot sa huwes?,” she told law students.

EFFECTIVE DICTATORSHIP

Sereno said that setup was "effectively dictatorship because the future of so many is being held in the hands of the SolGen and his boss."

"This concoction of theirs came out of a brew that had been mixed in dark places and is the gravest wound they can ever inflict on constitution, rule of law and of justice,” she said.

“Nanganganib po ang ating democratic way of life, ang ating constitutional form of government. We will really turn into one-man rule. We make no bones about it. We don’t pretend. We don’t mince words,” she added.

“The exercise of the will by one man or his government is not the law, it is not the Constitution, it is not authorized under any legal or moral foundation."

INFIGHTING AT SC

Sereno said her ordeal at the Supreme Court was due to internal matters.

“Hindi po impeachable ang magkaroon ng kaaway. Hindi impeachable kung naiinis sila sa’yo kasi hindi ka raw mahusay makinig. Ang dapat siguro, mag-group dynamics kami,” she said, drawing laughter from the audience.

“Hihilingin ko po siguro na mag-retreat kami, kasama ang mga kaparian, mga obispo, mga pastor natin at mag-exorcise kung ano pa man pong kademonyohan ang nakapasok sa aming paligid,” she said in jest.

But the Chief Justice promised to reach out to her colleagues once issues are resolved.

“I am determined to humble myself to my colleagues. At the end of the day, kailangan ng healing. After all issues are resolved, relations na lang natira. The only way to address relationship problems is to walk with humility,” she said.

“Hindi ako perpekto. Bukas po ako sa pagbabago,” she added.