Sereno: SC colleagues will come around

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday seemed confident that her colleagues in the Supreme Court will come around after issues have been threshed out.

"In any organization, there will be occasions when these kinds of problems will arise, but I am sure that in time, when the dust settles, we will all come around again and move forward for the delivery of justice to our people," she told reporters at a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

She said such problems are a "common phenomenon among human organizations."

"I've seen so many institutions go through very great difficulties for charges being hurled against each other even in public come around and rally around the institution once again. It can happen," she said.

"The important thing is at the right time, there is a call to unity, the call to unity is accepted, and enough goodwill accompanies the effort to come to terms with the need to really unite and push forward the agenda of reform," she added.

Thirteen out of 15 Supreme Court justices recently reached a consensus that compelled Sereno -- who also agreed -- to go on an indefinite leave of absence as she prepares for a possible Senate trial.

Some of them have also attended hearings of the House justice committee on the impeachment complaint against her to shed light on some of the allegations hurled against Sereno, the first among equals.

For one, Associate Justice Teresita de Castro said she has called out Sereno for various alleged offenses, including deciding on some actions without clearance from the court en banc.

More recently, the more senior magistrate, whom Sereno had bypassed when she was appointed, publicly chided the top judge for discussing matters that she said were under judicial consideration.

Some Supreme Court justices and employees also gathered on Monday's flag rites sporting clothing with touches of red, a move that is widely perceived as protest against Sereno and that they support the magistrates who asked that Chief Justice go on leave.

"If it has happened, that influence has been applied, then that's very, very sad. It does not respect the freedom of conscience of our judges and employees. You know they fight very hard to appear independent and impartial to the community. Please respect that part of them. Respect their space. Do not push them, if that is indeed true," she said.

Seen by some as an unpopular chief justice, Sereno earlier claimed she is "unaffected" by "political noise" inside the Supreme Court. — BAP, GMA News