THE Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) Friday, April 20, a memorandum relative to the quo warranto petition filed against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
In the memorandum, the OSG said it is now up to the magistrates whether to apply law with a "firm hand" or accord the Chief Justice a special treatment.
"The Court is now called upon to decide the quo warranto petition. It should now choose between placing respondent on equal footing with the other public servants and applying the law with a firm hand or placing her on a pedestal and giving her a special treatment," said the OSG, acting as the petitioner in the ouster case against Sereno.
Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said on Thursday, April 19, that the SC en banc will resolve the quo warranto petition against Sereno in May.
Last April 10, the SC held oral arguments on the case. Before it concluded the session, it ordered both camps to submit their respective memoranda not later than April 20.
In the memorandum filed by the OSG, it maintained that Sereno is unlawfully holding her office and prayed that she be stripped of her position on the ground that she does not possess the qualification of proven integrity under Article VIII Section 5 (1) of the 1987 Constitution over her alleged failure to file her Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
It also maintained that the SC has jurisdiction over the petition and that the quo warranto is the proper remedy to question Sereno's eligibility as chief magistrate and oust her from office.
The camp of Sereno has yet to file its memorandum. (SunStar Philippines)