Judges, court employees urge Sereno to resign

Groups of judges and court employees on Monday morning urged the embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to resign as she faces impeachment proceedings in the legislature and an ouster plea in her own Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Employee Association (SCEA) President Erwin Ocson read a statement that he said was signed by the leaders of the Philippine Judges Association, the SCEA, Supreme Court Assembly of Lawyer Employees, the Philippine Association of Court Employees, and the Sandiganbayan Employees Association.

Ocson, reading the statement, said it was "timely" and "proper" for Sereno to make the "sacrifice" of stepping down from the top judge post, which has held since 2012 and clung to amid calls for her to resign.

Two Supreme Court employees show their red shirts printed with the words "Resign now!" as they gather at the SC grounds prior to the start of the flag raising ceremony on Monday, March 12, 2018. Danny Pata

"The pending impeachment proceedings in recent months have put the entire judiciary in disrepute, thereby affecting the honor and integrity of its justices, judges, officials have pitted against each other resulting in a distressing atmosphere," said Ocson, also mentioning the ouster plea that Sereno is facing.

"The Court can no longer endure a prolonged environment of this kind. Its officials and personnel, truly dedicated and conscientious public servants, cannot go through another set of hearings and go against each other again in the Senate," he added.

Ocson read the statement after the Monday flag raising ceremony, where some court employees wore red for the second Monday in a row. Nine Supreme Court justices were in attendance.

He denied the judges and court employees were "pressured" to call for Sereno's resignation.

"Sa katunayan po, ito po ay inisyatibo at sariling palo ng aming mga asosasyon. Noon pa mang September 11, 2017, wala nang suportang makikita mula sa empleyado," he said.

The House justice committee has found probable cause in the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon. If the complaint hurdles the House plenary, the articles of impeachment will be transmitted to the Senate, and Sereno would be facing the same proceeding that eventually convicted her predecessor Renato Corona in 2012.

"Dahil po dito, masakit at mabigat sa aming kalooban, kami po na iyong nasasakupan ay mayroong nag-iisang panawagan. Panawagan na alam namin na hindi lamang para sa inyong kabutihan, kung hindi sa kabutihan ng ating pinakamamahal na Institusyon, ang Hudikatura," the statement said.

"Kaya po buong kababaan ng loob ay sama-sama kaming nanawagan sa inyo, mahal naming Punong Mahistrado, na kaagad ninyong lisanin ang inyong puwesto, magparaya sa susunod na mamumuno at bigyan ang kabuuan ng Hudikatura ng pagkakataon na patuloy na sumulong at maibalik ang katahimikan at kaayusan dito," it added. —KG, GMA News