Alvarez vows to fulfill Duterte’s wish to impeach Sereno soon

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday said he would heed the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to speed up the impeachment process against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

"Yes it will be done once we resume sessions," Alvarez said in a text message to GMA News.

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

"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 [ay sa] Supreme Court, ang impeachment ay Congress," he said.

"So that I would like to ask Speaker [Pantaleon] Alvarez, kindly fast track the impeachment. She is bad for the Philippines," he added.

The House Committee on Justice has already found probable cause on the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

Six articles of impeachment have also been prepared against her, consisting of the grounds of culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.

Before Congress adjourned its session on March 21, the House Committee on Rules has referred for plenary consideration the committee report and articles of impeachment against Sereno.

At least one-third of all members of the House of Representatives are needed to approve the articles of impeachment and be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

Progressive lawmakers, however, denounced Duterte's call.

Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate, for one, said that Duterte's order may just be a "smokescreen" for Sereno's pending removal through the quo warranto proceedings.

"Some information are now being floated  that majority of the Supreme Court justices might give due course and remove Sereno via the quo warranto proceeding," he said.

"We are calling on the Filipino people to stand up for what is right and just, and, guard against unwarranted developments in the quo warranto and the impeachment proceedings," he added.

For Gabriela Women's Party Representatives Arlene Brosas and Emmi De Jesus, on the other hand, Duterte's order is simply an affirmation that he is the "driving force" behind the impeachment case.

"This further erodes any semblance of decency or democracy that this regime hopes to project as it consolidates power by eliminating critics in order to complete its dictatorial designs," they said.

Sereno, on the other hand, is already "eagerly awaiting" for the articles of impeachment be transmitted to the Senate, according to her spokesperson lawyer Josa Deinla.

"She is actually eagerly awaiting the transmittal of the articles of impeachment sa Senate. She's been asked on this before, and she said she is actually at the advanced stage of preparation. She is very prepared," Deinla told reporters in an earlier ambush interview. —NB/RSJ, GMA News