Chief Justice Sereno warns of threat to democracy

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno warned on Monday that an attempt by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte to impeach her could threaten the country's democracy.

Sereno gave the warning as legislators in the House of Representatives prepared to begin impeachment hearings against her following a threat by Duterte that Sereno would be forced out.

Sereno has been one of the few voices who has criticized Duterte for allegedly disregarding due process and attacking other branches of government as part of his anti-crime campaign.

Duterte in turn vowed last month to impeach Sereno for alleged corruption. His allies in Congress will begin hearings on the impeachment complaint this week.

"This is getting to be larger than myself. This is no longer just about me. It is about democracy," Sereno told ANC television.

She said the charges against her were fabricated and warned that the judiciary would be under threat if the Duterte government was allowed to pursue her.

"Is the judiciary safe? And if the judiciary is not safe, is democracy safe? Are the constitutional rights of people still assured?" she asked.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a staunch Duterte ally, chastised Sereno for alleging in a television interview that he might have been behind the impeachment case she is facing at the House of Representatives.

Sereno said her lawyers are determining whether Alvarez had a role in the impeachment case against her, considering that she testified against him in the alleged anomalous deal involving the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (PIATCO).

"Alam ninyo, ang hirap naman sa kanya, kung saan-saan niya dinadala yung usapan. Tapos na yung issue sa akin, nanalo na ako sa lahat ng korte. Harapin niya yung reklamo sa kanya ngayon," Alvarez said.

"And please, argue on the basis of merits, hindi yung kung anu-ano yung mga issues, side issues na wala namang kinalaman, dito sa impeachment complaint niya," he added.

Earlier this year, Duterte's arch-critic, Senator Leila De Lima, was arrested on charges of drug trafficking and is behind bars awaiting trial.

De Lima insists the charges were trumped up to silence her. Rights groups and European lawmakers call her a political prisoner.

Duterte has also called for the impeachment of government Ombudsman Conchita Morales after her office began investigating allegations that Duterte had secret bank accounts containing millions in embezzled funds.

Elected last year on a promise to wage a bloody war on drugs, Duterte has been accused of tolerating human rights abuses and ignoring the rule of law as he pursues suspected drug users.

The government says almost 4,000 "drug personalities" have been killed by authorities as part of Duterte's campaign but critics say thousands more have died at the hands of government-backed vigilantes.

Duterte enjoys widespread support and his allies control both houses of Congress. — Agence France-Presse with Erwin Colcol/NB, GMA News