PCCI, Makati Business Club raise concerns about Sereno’s ouster

The country’s largest business groups expressed on Friday their concerns about the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno by the Supreme Court.

The process of removing the top magistrate would have been better if it adhered to the rule of law, which is through an impeachment process, the Makati Business Club (MBC) said.

“We believe the impeachment process would have better exhibited the adherence to rule of law that gives confidence to investors and all citizens, but the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of all constitutional issues,” MBC executive director Coco Alcuaz said in a text message to reporters.

“We call on the President to maintain high standards in upcoming and future appointments in the judiciary,” Alcuaz noted.

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ousted on Friday its chief justice for allegedly failing to meet the integrity required of members of the judiciary.

Voting 8-6 in a special en banc session, the high court granted Solicitor General Jose Calida’s pleading for quo warranto, which seeks to invalidate Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s appointment to the country’s highest judiciary post in 2012.

A quo warranto is a legal action requiring a person to show by what warrant he or she has to an office.

Alegria Sibal-Limjoco, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted Sereno’s ouster was “highly politicized.”

During a pre-departure press conference in Davao City before flying to China last April, Duterte said the House of Representatives can proceed with the impeachment process against Sereno while the Supreme Court was hearing the quo warranto petition against her.

“I will request the Congress, go into the impeachment right away because the two entities can hear it simultaneously, they can proceed with the quo warranto, ang quo warranto ... Supreme Court, ang impeachment ay Congress,” Duterte said.

Later on, he said that his call for impeachment of the Chief Justice was an appeal to his partymates and not Congress as a whole.

The PCCI official noted the Supreme Court decision will have an adverse impact on the business chamber.

“Among our members, it will cause divisiveness as some are pro while others are not,” Limjoco said.

She said, however, this political development would not necessarily reduce the positive sentiment among foreign investors towards the country.

“For them what is important is we have a good leader,” she said.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez also said the Sereno’s ouster has no impact on business sentiment which has not been discussed nor raised so far by investors. —VDS, GMA News