Sereno: I turned down favors from presidents

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is not the one to approach for judicial favors as she had turned down such requests several times in the past.

“I turned down President A when he wanted this kind of appointment to be endorsed in the (Judicial and Bar Council). I turned down Senator Y when he wanted his candidate to be pushed,” Sereno told ABSCBN website. “I turned down a former president who wanted a kind of decision to be in favor of that person. I made enemies with a former president because I did not yield to the legal theory that person wanted,” she said.

Sereno issued these statements without revealing the names of the officials.

Since she did not facilitate these requests, she told fellow members of the Born Again Christian sect Wednesday evening that she failed to get on the good side of some people in powerful places.

“So, I do not have many friends in powerful places. Who would be friendly to a chief justice who keeps on saying ‘No’?” the Chief Justice said.

Sereno also mentioned that her enemies have been monitoring her movements since she joined the SC seven years ago.

“For seven years, my enemies have been tailing me; surveillance money being poured on me to try to destroy me. And this is what they have come up with: a hodge-podge of silly administrative complaints,” she said.

Sereno is the subject of an impeachment case that is pending before the House of Representatives.