(Eagle News) – Vice President Leni Robredo came out with a statement on Friday, May 11 claiming that the Supreme Court had already been “compromised” when it ousted Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice based on the quo warranto petition filed against her by the Office of the Solicitor General.
Reading her statement before the press, Robredo said that she was worried with the Supreme Court’s decision as it “raised questions” about its integrity.
“Lubos po tayong nababahala sa desisyon pong ito. Sa hindi pagbasura sa quo warranto petition, maraming tanong na kailangang harapin (We are truly worried with this decision. With the (SC) not throwing out this quo warranto petition, there are many questions that needed to be faced),” she said.
“Ngayong nakumpromiso na ang pinakapundasyon ng ating hudikatura, kanina na tatakbo ang mga Pilipino para sa patas na laban at kahit na kapiraso man lang na katarungan? (Now that the foundation of our judiciary had been compromised, where then will Filipinos go to for a fair fight and even for just a bit of justice?” she told reporters.
The Vice-President, whose victory in the May 2016 elections is being questioned by her main rival, former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., before the SC sitting as the Philippine Electoral Tribunal, said the high court’s integrity had been tainted with its decision ousting Sereno.
“Saan na tayo dudulog kung ang pinaka-integridad ng institusyon na ating sinasandigan ay siya nang nadungisan? (Where do we go to now that the very integrity of the institution that we rely on has been tainted?)” Robredo asked.
“Sa araw na ito, dinala tayo sa isang hangganan na walang tiyak na kahihinatnan (On this day, we are brought to a conclusion that has no definite outcome).”
-Robredo calls for public vigilance –
Like Sereno, Robredo, in her press conference, said she was relying on the people to be vigilant and to “push for what is right”
Speaking in Filipino, Robredo said that “this error should be corrected,” apparently referring to the SC decision on the quo warranto case.
“Bilang Pangalawang Pangulo, tinitiyak ko sa inyo, hindi pa tapos ang laban, lalo na’t naging malapit ang botohan, sa isang mabigat na desisyon tulad nito. ( As Vice-President, I assure you that the fight is not yet finished, especially because the voting was tight in this major decision)” Robredo said referring to Friday’s 8-6 voting of the high court in its decision to oust Sereno.
Robredo said that in the end, that “true power” still resides in the people.
“Sa mga panahong tulad nito, paghugutan po natin ng lakas at tapang ang isa’t isa. Sa kabila ng lahat, nananatili ang isang katotohanan na hinding hindi matitinag. Ang ating huling pag-asa ay ang bawat isa. Ang tunay na kapangyarihan ay nasa taong bayan,” she said.
She called on the people to together move forward with the “proper steps” to correct what she said was the high court’s “big mistake.”
-Robredo pushes Filipinos to “write this wrong” –
She also encouraged the “Filipino nation” to unite and defend the judiciary, the Philippine Constitution, and “our democracy.”
“Hinihikayat natin ang sambayanang Pilipino na patuloy na bantayan ang mga susunod na pangyayari, at pag-isahin natin ang ating boses para ipagtanggol ang institusyon ng ating hudikatura, ang Saligang Batas, at higit sa lahat ang ating demokrasya,” she said in her statement.
“Sama-sama nating isulong ang lahat ng nararapat na hakbang para itama ang pagkakamaling ito. Ito ang tanging paraan para manumbalik ang tiwala ng taong bayan. (Together, we should push for the right steps to take so we can right this wrong. This is the only way that the trust of the nation’s people can be regained),” Robredo said.
“Tuloy ang laban (The fight continues),” she added.
The Supreme Court in its decision ousting Sereno as chief justice had already declared her position as vacant.
It “disqualified” Sereno because of her failure to file the required Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) when she applied for the Chief Justice position in 2012.
In granting the OSG’s petition for quo warranto, it said that Sereno was “guilty of unlawfully holding and exercising the office of the Chief Justice.”
“Accordingly, respondent Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno is ousted and excluded therefrom,” it said.
Robredo maintains she won the May 2016 vice-presidency, amid the electoral protest case filed by former Senator Marcos before the SC sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal,
(Eagle News Service)
