(Eagle News) — “This is not the end. It is only the beginning.”
Maria Lourdes Sereno had this to say as she spoke for the first time after she was ousted by her peers in the Supreme Court with a vote of 8-6 on Friday, May 11.
Sereno was smiling as she emerged from her office in the High Court, where she presided over an en banc session but inhibited from deliberations on the quo warranto case filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against her.
“Tipunin natin ang ating tapang at iparinig ang ating kakaisang tinig. Di na tayo maaring manatiling tahimik. Dahil ang nananahimik ay katumbas ng pagiging kasabwat sa kanilang pang-aabuso,” she said, amid cheers from her supporters.
According to Sereno, in the first place, based on the vote, she actually won.
She said this was because at the first instance, she already asked for the inhibition of several of the justices who voted in favor of the quo warranto petition.
The six who voted in favor were Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo and Francis Jardeleza.
Of the six, Sereno asked for the recusal of De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza, Tijam and Martires, who she said exhibited “bias” and “animosity” toward her.
“Dalawa lamang po ang bumoto na ako ay dapat alisin,” she said, apparently referring to Reyes and Gesmundo.
“Ngunit dahil ayaw mag-inhibit ang dapat mag-inhibit ganyan na lamang po ang nangyari. Inaalis ako sa pwesto ngunit ang anim na boto na ako ay dapat na manatili ay patunay na tama ang aking paninindigan,” she said, referring to Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Marvic Leonen, Estela Perlas Bernabe, Alfredo Caguioa, Mariano del Castillo and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who voted against the petition.
According to Sereno, “hindi kayang tanggalin ng barkadahan ang sinoman sa anomang rason basta’t asa kanila ang sapat na bato.”
She did not say, however, if she would file a motion for reconsideration of the decision, which the en banc said was “final and immediately executory.”
Her spokesperson, Josa Deinla, however, said Sereno was “seriously considering” filing the same.
“Ang araw na ito ay tungkol sa mga may power na nagpasya na di sila nasasakop ng batas at kung saan tayong lahat ang biktima. Sa makatuwid ang araw na ito ay tungkol sa atin lahat, mula sa mga nakakarananas ng panggigipit,” Sereno said.
“Ito ay tungkol sa lahat na naghahanap ng patas na batas na walang pinapanigan at di umiindak sa tugtog ng pamumulitika at pamumuwersa. Ito ay tungkol sa bawat isa sa atin na naghahangad ng pamahalaan na inuuna ang sariling interes ng bayan kaysa sa sariling agenda,” she added.
