Kiko Pangilinan: Isang huwad na Kataastaasang Hukuman

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Sunday said the Supreme Court (SC) has become a bogus and subservient court after majority of its members voted for the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

"Wala [nang] independence ang Korte Supreme... Isang sunud sunuran na korte na lamang ang SC. Huwad na Kataastaasang Hukuman," Pangilinan, also a lawyer, said in a statement on his Facebook account.

He said that with Sereno's ouster, government officials who will vote or support petitions against Malacañang can be ousted through a quo warranto petition.

Voting 8-6, the SC approved the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida against Sereno, who had argued that she can only be removed from office through impeachment proceedings.

The camp of Sereno had said that they will file a motion for reconsideration before the SC.

In a separate post on Friday, Pangilinan called for support to the planned appeal of Sereno's camp.

He also urged for support to calls for inhibition on six justices in heraing the yet to be filed appeal.

In his post on Sunday, Pangilinan said that the quo warranto petition will be deemed dismissed if only one of the eight justices who voted in favor of Calida's petition would have a change of heart.

However, he feared that a justice who will cast a different vote on the motion for reconsideration may also be threatened with a quo warranto action.

"Kapag tied ang resulta sa MR (motion for reconsideration) dismissed ang nasabing petisyon laban kay Sereno... Ang problema lang dito baka yung nagbago ng isip na Justice ang susunod na ma Quo Warranto, hanapan ng anumang paratang kahit gawa gawa pa ito (tulad ng pekeng kaso laban kay Senator de Lima) at tanggalin," he said. —ALG, GMA News