WITH the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from office, how can the country be assured of judicial independence when there’s a super majority in the Congress?
The three branches of the government – executive, legislative, and judicial – have now become one following Sereno’s ouster.
On Friday, the Supreme Court granted the quo warranto petition seeking to invalidate Sereno's appointment in 2012 through 8-6 votes.
How can the people be assured of check and balance in the government when the administration won’t tolerate those who have a dissenting opinion?
Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon led a prayer rally Friday night in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral to condemn the ouster of Sereno.
He said the move of the Supreme Court (SC) was unconstitutional.
“It was very pathetic and very ironical,” Buzon said, adding that the SC was supposed to be “intelligent than us.”
He said the SC made themselves ready minions of the administration that doesn’t tolerate any opposition, whether individual or institution, that stand its way in the pursuit of a total, absolute power to control.
And yes, this is scary.
An impeachable officer like Sereno should be removed from office through impeachment proceedings. Removing the sitting justice chief through quo warranto petition only circumvented the Constitution.
Would this be a precedent of other impeachable officials, especially the opposition?
The question is not what’s next, but who’s next?
We have a sitting vice president who’s with the opposition.