“Madame Chief Justice, you must be joking”. I have work to do, unlike you. “I’m the president. I have a job, it’s not yours”, said President Duterte.
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“Leave it”, he said of the names he mentioned on Sunday that are still being verified and vetted in government and among the media.
In the meantime, “I have the mandate to protect the constitution”, Duterte said.
“Not just because you’re the Supreme Court, you can order me”.
“We have an Action Man for a President who believes justice delayed is justice denied”, added Communications Secretary Martin Andanar in a statement quoted by GMA television.
With all due respect, Mr. President, we were caught unprepared by the announcement. Now you’re asking for warrant of arrest for 600,000 Filipinos? “Do not order me kay dili ko gago (I am not an imbecile)”.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to impose “martial law” if the country’s judiciary interferes with his ongoing anti-crime campaign, which has led to the death of hundreds since he took office. You do not see judges patrolling the streets or your sheriffs arresting [drug lords].
The four incumbent judges are: Judge Exequil Dagala of MPC Dapa Socorro Surigao, Judge Adriano Savillo of RTC branch 30 Iloilo, Judge Domingo Casiple of RTC branch 7 Kalibo Aklan, and Judge Antonio Reyes of RTC Branch 61 Baguio City Benguet.
Sereno told Duterte on Monday that Lorenda Mupas was dismissed in 2007 as MTC judge of Dasmariñas, Cavite for gross ignorance of the law and misconduct.
If Sereno insists, she risks a constitutional crisis as the Executive department will not follow all judicial orders, Duterte said. She also sought an explanation on how three of the four active judges – Messrs.
He said he plans to “purge” the government of erring officials especially those involved in illegal drugs. Only Mr. Reyes now presides over a designated drug court.
“To safeguard the role of the judges as the protector of constitutional rights, I would caution them very strongly against “surrendering” or making themselves physically accountable to any police officer in the absence of any. warrant of arrest”, Sereno added.
On Tuesday, the President promised to make public a second list containing the names of more narco-officials.
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The President defended the list of narco-officials he read last Sunday as “well-grounded”, after it turned out that some people on the list had always been dead or dismissed from the government. In 1972, the then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, paving the way to a dictatorship that lasted until he was ousted in a popular revolt in 1986.
