Sereno told to respond to Sol-Gen

THE SUPREME COURT (SC) en banc on Tuesday ordered its Chief Justice to comment on a petition effectively calling for her ouster as filed by the government on Monday.

In a statement, the SC said it “required respondent Chief Justice ( Maria Lourdes P. A.) Sereno to submit her comment on the petition (for quo warranto) within a period of ten ( 10) days from receipt of notice.” The petition was filed last Monday by the government’s lawyer, Jose C. Calida.

According to the statement, Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen “dissent(ed) on the ground that...the petition should be dismissed outright.”

On the other hand, the SC dismissed lawyer Oliver O. Lozano’s petition to have the high court void Ms. Sereno’s appointment in 2012.

The petition was dismissed for “failing to provide substantial allegations to justify a cause of action.”

Meanwhile, House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas on Tuesday said the House of Representatives will tackle Ms. Sereno’s possible impeachment by May instead of this month before the congressional break, as earlier anticipated.

“Ang natitirang session days namin as of today seven na lang. We only have seven. So granting na isasama ko sa order of business iyan, pagbalik na namin ng May 14. Pag maisama man sa order of business iyan, plenary has 60 session days also, so plenary has until Oct. 31,” Mr. Fariñas told reporters. ( We only have seven session days. So granting that I include this in the order of business, it will be when we return on May 14. If that’s included in the order of business, (the House) plenary has 60 session days also, so...until Oct. 31.”

Asked about the quo warranto petition facing Ms. Sereno, Mr. Fariñas said: “(T)his is my view as chairman of the (House) committee on rules. Pag nakikita ko na may (If I see there is a) serious challenge (to) the legitimacy of the officer in question, hintayin ko muna ’yun dahil hindi naman....naman magtatagal iyan (I’ll wait for that because that won’t take long)....”

For his part, House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said of the House proceedings: “Tuloy pa rin yun kasi magkahiwalay yun. Kami naman i-aassume namin na valid yung appointment niya.” (This will continue because it’s a separate [proceeding]. We’re assuming that [Ms. Sereno’s] appointment is valid [unless the SC rules otherwise].)