Sereno amid pressure, impeachment threat: I will not resign

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday said she would not resign amid pressure from some of her colleagues in the Supreme Court.

In a speech, Sereno said she was taking a leave of absence to prepare for her impeachment trial.

“Four words. I will not resign,” Sereno told GMA News after attending the national convention of the Regional Trial Court Clerks of Court Association of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel.

Sereno refused to clarify whether she filed an indefinite leave as forced by her fellow magistrates or a wellness leave as announced by her lawyer.

But her camp today issued a clarification saying it was indeed an indefinite leave, the first two weeks of which will be charged against her wellness leave credits from March 1 to 15, 2018.

“I want to give you the assurance, that while I’m taking a leave of absence, the ship of the judiciary remains on course," Sereno said before the clerks of court.

"I need to prepare to fight the accusations against me, fairly and squarely, with honor, dignity and grace,” she added.

Sereno gamely posed for selfies with the clerks of court and even those who recognized her outside the hotel.

Some were seen giving messages of support while holding her hands.

Sereno is the country's first female Chief Justice.

She is the second to face impeachment after then Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached in 2012.

If the Senate impeachment court acquits Sereno, she will sit as the top magistrate until 2030.

The House Committee on Justice is scheduled to vote on whether the allegations against Sereno have probable cause on March 7.

The hearings on the impeachment complaints against Sereno wrapped up late Tuesday night. —NB, GMA News