SUPREME Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno yesterday asked President Duterte what his basis was for alleging that several judges are involved in illegal drug operations.
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“The President merely asked a rhetorical question and said it under the context that his anti-drug campaign can not wait for the slow wheels of justice – PH style”, Communications secretary Martin Andanar said on a statement.
Four out of seven active judges were given seven days to respond to the allegations.
Atty. Theodore Te, the high court’s Information Chief said: “The Chief Justice appreciates the President’s latest remarks”.
Associate Justice Roberto Abad was appointed by the Court to conduct the investigation and submit his recommendation to the SC en banc within 30 days.
In a four-page letter to the President, Chief Justice Ma.
“The principle finds no more cogent application than in the case of our judges who are sworn to be impartial and must resolve cases based only on the facts and the applicable law”, it added.
Sereno cautioned the judges named by Duterte against “surrendering’ to the police in the absence of any warrant of arrest issued by the court”.
“I think CJ Sereno has misconstrued the statement as well as the announcement of President Duterte when he mentioned the list in public”, he told reporters in an interview.
Sereno, the head of the Philippine Judiciary, told Duterte to follow the constitutional order and let the Supreme Court do its duty of cleaning its own ranks.
“Mopas” is Lorenda Mupas who was dismissed in 2007 as Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Judge of Dasmariñas, Cavite for gross ignorance of the law and misconduct.
Judge Rene Gonzales of Iloilo City MTCt retired last June and had not handled any drug case.
In response to the President’s public naming of 158 local government officials, judges, police and congressmen almost a week ago, Sereno wrote a letter expressing her concern for the “premature” announcement and its possible implications on the persons in the list. She also said, pointedly: “We are now investigating a report on a judge who may be so involved”.
In the Philippines, as a democratic State, the basic state authority is delegated to three branches of government-the Executive, which is headed by President Duterte, the Judiciary, headed by Sereno, and the Legislative or the Upper and Lower Houses.
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De Lima said being targeted by vigilante groups after being implicated by no less than the President in the illegal drug trade is one of the dangers of such pronouncements.
