Sereno not offended by PNoy’s tirades

Despite what seemed to be a clash between the executive and the judiciary, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said she is not offended by President Benigno Aquino III's tirades.

“Everything is a matter of duty talaga sa atin,” she said in a chance interview Monday after Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa. “If you have a court that is so emotional or reflective, that doesn't bode well.”

Days before his fifth SONA, Aquino, during a televised speech, lashed at the Supreme Court for declaring parts of his administration's Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as unconstitutional.
He even warned that the issue may cause a head-on collision between the executive and the judiciary.

The government has appealed the decision.

Despite Aquino's tirades, the Supreme Court has remained silent, although its employees last week held a silent protest against a bill pending in the House of Representatives seeking to slash the Judiciary Development Fund. The employees said they see Malacañang's hand in the bill.

The Supreme Court's decision has prompted several critics of the administration to file an impeachment complaint against Aquino. —KBK, GMA News