Chief Justice Sereno to face other justices in Tuesday's en banc meet

Sparks are expected to fly at the Supreme Court Tuesday next week as several justices will have a chance to bring up the issue on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's controversial order reopening a judicial office in Cebu without the en banc's approval. The en banc was supposed to tackle Sereno's Administrative Order 175-2012 in this week's meeting but had to defer it because the top judge called in sick after being down with flu. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio presided over the meeting instead. Sereno is expected to be back from Malaysia on Monday to catch up with the Tuesday en banc meeting. SC spokesperson Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra said Friday that while Sereno is "still recovering from flu," she still decided to push through with her trip to Melaka, Malaysia, for the 2nd Roundtable for ASEAN chief justices on Environmental Law and Enforcement. Joining Sereno for the event are Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr, Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva, and Assistant Court Administrator Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino. Guerra said her attendance to the ASEAN event was a "longstanding commitment since she assumed office as chief justice" in August this year. But Guerra also assured the public: "CJ Sereno will be back for the SC Christmas party on the 10th (Monday) and the en banc session on the 11th (TUesday)." Next week's en banc would be the last this year as the 15 magistrates are scheduled to take a Christmas and New Year's break. Session will resume January 7 next year. Letter for Sereno In a letter-memorandum addressed to Sereno last Monday, Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro asked the top judge to recall the order reopening the Cebu judicial office, saying it did not reflect what was discussed during a November 27 en banc meeting.   De Castro said Sereno's Administrative Order reviving the Regional Court Administration Office-7 (RCAO-7) "transgressed" the en banc's constitutional authority to decide on administrative matters concerning the judiciary. De Castro admitted she "regretted having to write" the letter-memorandum, but said she had to raise her concern about Sereno's order. De Castro stressed that only the court en banc can decide on the reopening of the RCAO-7, and with assistance of the Office of the Court Administrator, currently headed by Midas Marquez. She said the en banc in a full court session last November 27 tackled the plan to reopen the RCAO-7 but did not reach a decision because several justices opposed the idea. She added they were under the impression that Sereno, as she had expressed during the session, would make necessary amendments based on the other justices' concerns. "The resolution dated November 27 ratifying AO 175-2012... must be recalled or amended to faithfully reflect the deliberation of the court en banc, particularly the objections raised against said AO," De Castro said. Moreover, De Castro said that before RCAO-7 gets reopened, further study and assessment should be made to determine why the judicial office "failed." — LBG, GMA News