MANILA – Ousted chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said that Supreme Court must not sanction her for supposedly violating the Code of Judicial Conduct when she badmouthed her former colleagues.
Asked by the SC why she must not be sanctioned for “casting aspersions and ill motives” on the magistrates, Sereno said she was merely defending herself.
“I cannot reasonably be expected to keep my silence despite vigorous assaults on my integrity,” Sereno said. “It would certainly be unjust to punish respondent for speaking publicly under the circumstances.”
The former chief justice added, “I am directly affected by the outcome of the case and cannot be expected to be as circumspect or as detached as a usual legal counsel.”
Sereno also reiterated her request for the inhibition of six magistrates – associate justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires – from her case.
She said the six justices are biased and had animosity toward her not only in the quo warranto case but also in the impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives.
“It would be the height of injustice if my calls for fairness would be the basis to remove me from the rolls,” Sereno said. “The disqualification of the six SC justices will be pursuant to my right to be heard by an objective and impartial tribunal.”
In an 8-6 vote on May 11, the SC justices has granted the quo warranto petition as they believed that Sereno’s appointment as Chief Magistrate was void from the start because of her failure to file her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth./PN
