Palace says Sereno 'created own problems'

MALACAÑANG lectured on Friday, June 1, a United Nations (UN) special rapporteur for being "misinformed" over ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's case, telling him that it was the unseated top magistrate who "created her own problems" that led to her removal from office.

Earlier Friday, Diego García-Sayán, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, raised concern over the judiciary's independence, as he alluded that President Rodrigo Duterte's "threats" against Sereno might have influenced the Supreme Court's ruling against her.

"The decision of the Supreme Court was issued two days after the President of the Philippines publicly threatened the Chief Justice by saying that she was his enemy and that she should be removed from her job or resign," García-Sayán said in a statament.

"The unprecedented decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines seems directly related ro the threats made against the Chief Justice in relation to her professional activities in ddfence od the independence of the judiciary," he added.

On April 9, the President declared that Sereno is now his "enemy" who must be stripped of her role as the country's top magistrate.

On May 11, or nearly a month after Duterte's pronouncement, the Supreme Court voted 8-6 in favor of the government's top lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida, who filed the quo warranto plea seeking the impeachment of Sereno, who was appointed as Chief Justice in 2010.

García-Sayán claimed that Duterte's "derogatory statements and threats" against Sereno "constitute a vicious attack on the independece of the judiciary."

Reacting to García-Sayán's remark, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. maintained that Duterte had no role in Sereno's ouster.

"We find it unfortunate that Mr. Diego Garcia-Sayan, UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, has been misinformed on the case surrounding the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines," Duterte's mouthpiece said.

"We reiterate that the President’s dislike of the ousted Chief Justice is not an attack to the judiciary or an affront to judicial independence. It is a reaction to the allegations made by former CJ Sereno against the Chief Executive in many public fora saying the latter is behind her impeachment oe quo warranto petition," he added.

Roque stressed that the executive branch recognizes the high court's independence and respects the separation of powers vested among the three branches of government.

He also noted that it was Sereno's colleagues, who are "known for their independence and unassailable integrity," who voted for her to be ousted.

"The Supreme Court is an independent branch of the government.. The High Court granted the quo warranto petition against the [Sereno] after allowing the oral arguments, which found the former top magistrate disqualified for the position," he said.

"It is therefore obvious that former Chief Justice Sereno created her own problems and was removed by her colleagues in the Supreme Court." (SunStar Philippines)