MANILA — Chief Justice-on leave Maria Lourdes Sereno shrugged off anew calls for her resignation, stressing that such gesture is an act of cowardice.
“Walang katuturan yang resignation na yan. Yan ay para sa mga duwag. Kailangan natin sa isang bayan ng may magigiting na bayani, hindi isa kundi milyon milyong bayani (The resignation has no sense. That’s only for cowards. We need to have brave heroes, not just one, but millions of them),” Sereno said in a forum in Manila Tuesday.
Sereno made the statement in response to fresh calls from Supreme Court officials and employees for her to step down from the judiciary’s top post.
The top magistrate, meanwhile, said she is not closing her doors to serving the country regardless of the decision of the SC on the quo warranto petition seeking to oust her from office.
Asked if she has plans running for the Senate in next year’s mid-term election, Sereno replied “Wala pa akong mga ganon plano (I have no plans regarding that matter yet).”
The Chief Justice also said that the decision over the quo warranto will be based from the Constitution, the law, and the right process that is clearly stated in the Constitution itself.
The Chief Justice is currently on an indefinite leave to prepare for her defense once the impeachment complaint against her reaches the Senate. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan with reports from Red Andador and Elijah Mendoza, OJT/PNA)
