SC junks Sereno’s bid to have 5 justices out of quo warranto case

BAGUIO CITY — The five Supreme Court justices whom Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno wanted to recuse themselves from hearing and resolving the ouster plea against her on Tuesday will stay on the case.

This was after the high court junked Sereno's motions for inhibition against Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Noel Tijam, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Francis Jardeleza for "lack of merit."

The decision was announced by Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio on Tuesday.

Sereno had asked her five colleagues not to participate in proceedings in connection with Solicitor General Jose Calida's petition for quo warranto because they allegedly showed "bias" and "animosity" toward her when they testified at the House justice committee's impeachment hearings.

Calida's petition wants the SC to void Sereno's appointment as chief justice in 2012 and remove her from office for allegedly failing to fully disclose her wealth in compliance with the law.

The top magistrate, who also faces possible impeachment at the House of Representatives on grounds that include issues on wealth declarations, has sought the dismissal of Calida's petition for lack of jurisdiction and merit.

The SC started oral arguments on the quo warranto petition on Tuesday afternoon, where Calida and Sereno will defend their positions on 12 issues ranging from whether or not the Court can assume jurisdiction over the case to whether or not the alleged non-filing of statements of assets and liabilities will invalidate her appointment as chief justice. —KBK, GMA News