Sereno says she will not resign, will fight impeachment complaint

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday reiterated she will not resign from her post.

"I will not resign," Sereno said in a statement given at a press conference at the University of the Philippines - Diliman.

"I am determined to wage, 'til the logical end, this battle started by those who seek to undermine the Constitution and the judiciary. I am resolute in carrying on the good and noble fight for judicial independence," she continued.

The chief justice affirmed her decision following calls from the Regional Trial Court Judges Association (RTCJA), the Philippine Judges Association (PJA), and Supreme Court Employee Association (SCEA)—who Sereno said were pressured—for her resignation.

Erwin Ocson, SCEA president, said Sereno should make the "sacrifice" of stepping down from the post she held since 2012 to restore the "honor and integrity" of the entire judiciary, which the impeachment proceedings have supposedly thrown in doubt.

"Anong kapayapaan ang tinatawag niyo kung walang katarungan? At walang katarungang makakamit hangga’t hindi mapahahayag ang bawat panig," Sereno said, later adding, "Hangga’t ako ay may lakas at sa awa ng Diyos, lalabanan ko ito, kasama ninyong lahat, at malalagpasan natin ang unos na ito na nagbabantang lumamon sa ating demokrasya."

Sereno said although resignation is the easier option, it is her duty to do the right thing and fight the impeachment complaint filed against her.

"Resigning from my post as chief justice will only serve to erode the independence of the Supreme Court and embolden those who demand a subservient judiciary," she said.

"To do so would invite the kind of extraconstitutional adventurism that treats legal rights and procedures as mere inconveniences that should be set aside when it suits the powers-that-be," Sereno added.

Sereno said resignation is the easier option, but that it is her duty to do the "right thing" and fight the impeachment complaint against her.

"I will not resign." pic.twitter.com/6OcWkrOvki

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) March 12, 2018

Resignation would also signal to Filipinos that it would be easier to give up on their principles than fight for them.

"Kung susuko po ako, sinasabi ko na rin sa bawat Pilipino na sumuko sa hirap ng paninindigan sa buhay, lalong-lalo na sa pagtatanggol ng ating mga karapatan at ang demokrasya," Sereno said.

Later, she added, "Kung nagawa nila sa akin ito na Punong Mahistrado, magagawa nila ito sa inyong lahat, lalung-lalo na kung wala kayong padrino o kapit sa poder."

Sereno added that the truth will come out in the Senate impeachment trial.

Sereno addresses the calls for her resignation. https://t.co/glliu1vdod

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) March 12, 2018

"Hayaan lamang na lumabas ang katotohanan. 'Wag pigilan ang pakikilahok ng taongbayan sa demokrasya. 'Wag pigilan ang karapatan nila sa impormasyong mahahalaga," said Sereno, who previously asked that she be given her day in Senate impeachment court.

The chief justice said she is determined to fight for judicial freedom against extralegal adventurism that seeks to bend rules when convenient. In a later interview, she added that "there is no other option for the Filipino people."

Sereno said "This is a struggle for the very life of our democracy." pic.twitter.com/LILLdfXYDD

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) March 12, 2018

"This is a struggle for the very life of our democracy. We must pursue this struggle to the end," Sereno said. "We must fight for our beloved institutions of democracy, for the rule of law, for the due process, for the right of every Filipino to be heard."

The House Committee on Justice found probable cause in the impeachment complaint raised against Sereno by lawyer Larry Gadon.

Gadon accused Sereno of allegedly violating the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes and acts which supposedly serve as ground for her impeachment.

Sereno remained mum when she was asked about the petition for quo warranto filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida over the validity of her appointment.

During her speech, the chief justice said, "Sinimulan nila ito. Bakit ayaw nilang tapusin? Tandaan po natin na hindi pa nga ako nakapagsisimulang magbigay ng aking panig." —KG, GMA News