(Eagle News)—-President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday denied he was behind moves to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
“Sabihin n’yo ako na naman nag-ano sa kanya. You can ask anybody. I never initiated (itong kay) Sereno,” Duterte said during the oath-taking ceremony of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission officials in Malacañang.
He said he only “called her attention because of the so many cases pending tapos pa-iba ang decision niya.”
“‘Yung the very complaint now of the Justices. ‘Yun man ‘yon. O kita mo, ‘di lumabas rin,” he said.
“Congress, you be the judge. Hindi ako pwede, executive department ako. Co-equal kami eh so hindi ako pwedeng mag-(decide). Executive department lang ako,” Duterte said.
The House justice panel is expected to vote on whether there is probable cause for the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Larry Gadon against Sereno on Thursday.
She has also been asked to comment within ten days on the quo warranto petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General against her before the Supreme Court.
Sereno has been on indefinite leave since last week.
