The Supreme Court (SC) may decide on the quo warranto petition against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s appointment next month, according to Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Thursday, April 19.
“We hope to decide as soon as we can. I cannot talk on that yet but we hope to finish it by end of May. By next month we should be able to decide it,” Carpio told reporters at the sidelines of the launching of Find Justice PH app in Quezon City.
The quo warranto petition was filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida last March.
Calida’s petition seeks to nullify Sereno’s appointment as the chief justice due to lack of integrity for her alleged failure to completely file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN.
Carpio is currently the acting chief justice, as Sereno is on leave since March 1 to prepare for a possible impeachment trial.
Sereno’s camp, meanwhile, questioned Carpio’s remark as they noted that the entire month of May is the high court’s writing break.
“We cannot help but ask, why the rush?” said lawyer Josalee Deinla, Sereno’s spokesperson.
She pointed out that the SC “is supposed to be on break after its last en banc session on April 24 in Baguio. They are on recess in May and are supposed to resume session on June 5.”
“The quo warranto petition is an important case which if granted will upend our justice system as we know it. The SC has not even heard the side of any of the intervenors,” she added.
and Calida are set to submit their memoranda on the quo warranto petition today, April 20. Once these are filed, the case is deemed submitted for resolution.
But should the SC ruled in granting the quo warranto petition, Sereno’s camp said they will not be surprised.
Asked to comment on reports that ponente of the case Associate Justice Noel Tijam had already drafted a resolution in favor of Calida’s petition, Deinla said: “If true, the report… comes as no surprise, considering that the Justice has exhibited manifest bias and prejudice against the Chief Justice and even refused to recuse himself from the proceedings.”
On April 10, the SC held a one-day oral argument hearing on Sereno’s case at the SC Session Hall in Baguio.
