By Canadian Press

Philippine chief justice returns to office amid ouster moves

May 9, 2018 | 12:42 AM

MANILA, Philippines — The embattled Philippine chief justice returned to office Wednesday after taking two months of leave amid efforts by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to oust her from the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno “is determined to see this through to the bitter end. No backing out,” her spokesman and lawyer Jojo Lacanilao told The Associated Press as Sereno returned to work in defiance of calls for her to step down.

Sereno is facing an impeachment bid in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Duterte’s allies, but Solicitor-General Jose Calida has separately petitioned the Supreme Court to remove Sereno for allegedly failing to file statements of assets and liabilities in past years, a charge she denies.

Sereno has warned that the efforts by the Duterte administration to oust her are a threat to constitutional democracy. She said Calida’s petition, called a quo warranto, violates the country’s constitution, which stipulates that top officials, including her, can only be removed by impeachment.

Supreme Court justices may vote on the petition to remove Sereno as early as Friday in a special meeting of the 15-member tribunal. Pro-Sereno groups plan to march and hold a rally Friday.

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Critics warn approving the petition would set a dangerous precedent and give the Duterte administration a legal weapon to threaten critics.

Duterte has sought the removal of Sereno and a top anti-graft prosecutor, Conchita Carpio-Morales, accusing them of allowing themselves to be used to discredit his administration.

Morales told reporters Tuesday night that her anti-graft office was investigating the president’s son Paolo Duterte, a former vice mayor of southern Davao city, although she did not provide details. The younger Duterte, who resigned in December, has denied any wrongdoing.

Duterte, a 73-year-old former Davao city mayor and state prosecutor, has promised to step down if critics can show evidence of his or his family’s involvement in corruption.

Sereno angered Duterte after she disagreed with his efforts to take action against some judges authorities linked to illegal drugs in 2016, saying the Supreme Court should be the one to take disciplinary actions against erring judges.

In recent speeches, Sereno has urged Filipinos to stand up to authoritarianism and threats to human rights under Duterte’s rule.

Duterte said he had avoided getting involved in efforts to remove Sereno but got fed up.

“So I’m putting you on notice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court,” Duterte said in a speech last month. “I will see to it that after that, then I’ll request the Congress, ‘Go into the impeachment right away.’”

The House Justice committee voted in March that there was “probable cause” to impeach Sereno based on 27 alleged acts, which a lawyer claimed amounted to “culpable violations” of the constitution, corruption, breach of public trust and other serious crimes. Six of Sereno’s fellow justices testified against her in the hearings that started in September, exposing rifts in the high court.

Sereno has denied any wrongdoing. She said she was ready to defend herself in the Senate, which would become the impeachment court if the House votes to impeach her and send its complaints to the Senate.

International rights groups and local critics have accused Duterte of drifting toward authoritarianism after declaring martial law in the south amid a major attack by pro-Islamic State group militants last year. The five-month siege has been quelled but martial law has been extended. The brash-talking Duterte has overseen a drug war marked by thousands of killings of mostly poor suspects but denies condoning extrajudicial killings.

Jim Gomez, The Associated Press