The ousted chief justice of the Philippines’ Supreme Court yesterday lashed out at President Rodrigo Duterte, calling him a “self-styled saviour who is willing to kill.”
Maria Lourdes Sereno, the first woman to head the judiciary, vowed to fight against alleged abuses and “viciousness” of the Duterte administration after losing her appeal against her removal on May 11.
Sereno accused Duterte and his allies of crushing the morale of Filipinos and “verbally and physically brutalising” the Filipino spirit.
“The propagandists would have us pin our hopes on one man: a blasphemous, self-styled saviour who is willing to kill, someone who has unabashedly said he can replace Satan in might and monstrosity,” she said.
“We are fighting against the viciousness the president has unleashed against the poor, the women, the religious, the (indigenous peoples), the workers, whom he has directly or indirectly branded as his enemies,” she added.
Sereno issued the tirade after the high tribunal denied her motion for reconsideration of its decision that she was unqualified to be chief justice because she failed to declare all her financial assets when she was appointed in August 2010.
The Supreme Court voted 8-6 yesterday to deny her appeal, making her removal final, said Attorney Theodore Te, the tribunal’s spokesman.
Te said the 90-day period for Duterte to appoint a new chief justice started yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte would have to wait for the nominees of the Judicial and Bar Council to appoint Sereno’s replacement.
Roque urged Sereno and her supporters to respect the decision.
“We know that there are many who do not agree with the decision,” Roque said. “But in our democratic system, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of all legal controversies.””
“So like it or hate it, we have to succumb to the decision of the Supreme Court,” he added.”The time for Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice is over. We wish her good luck in her everyday life as a private citizen.”
Sereno was the first chief justice to be removed through a vote by her colleagues.
In 2012, late chief justice Renato Corona was removed by lawmakers on similar charges in an impeachment trial.
She drew the ire of Duterte for criticising his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and opposing its extended declaration of martial law in the southern region of Mindanao.
Duterte has insisted he was not behind the moves against Sereno but admitted that he wanted her out and had vowed to work for her removal.
The political opposition, including activist groups and lawmakers, have lamented that the judiciary had lost its independence with the landmark ruling removing Sereno.
Justices take part in an en-banc session at the Supreme Court in Manila, yesterday.
