GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 18 May) – “If there’s one congresswoman or congressman or a single justice who will say I talked to them, I can guarantee you I will resign,” INQUIRER.net, May 16, quoted President Rodrigo R. Duterte as stating to Malacañang reporters his denial of involvement in the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.[]
This was immediately preceded by the paragraph: “He vowed to resign if anyone could prove that he was behind the removal of the chief magistrate from office.”
Well, Mr. President, kinsay, unsay imong gihulat (… who, what are you waiting for)? Resign now! NO “one congresswoman or congressman or a single justice” will say you talked to them; but YOUR OWN statements proved you were “behind the removal of the chief magistrate from office”.
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INQUIRER.net (April 09, 2018: If Duterte doesn’t know, why is ouster petitioner SolGen? – Sereno), quoted Chief Justice Sereno’s challenging statement also last April 9:
“Mr. President, kung sinabi mong wala kang kinalaman dito, pakipaliwanag po bakit si SolGen Calida (Solicitor General Jose Calida) na nagre-report sa’yo ang nagfile ng quo warranto?” [Mr. President, if as you said you have no hand in this [ouster move], please explain why SolGen Calida, who reports to you, filed the quo warranto?]
The same was also reported in other national media.
On the very same day, Mr. Duterte angrily lashed back at Sereno and given more space by the national media than Sereno’s statement.
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Inquirer Mindanao, INQUIRER.net / 02:08 PM April 09, 2018 quoted in its report, “Duterte declares war vs Sereno”, the most telling statements from Mr. Duterte in his response to Sereno’s challenging question.
Vowing angrily to take the necessary steps to boot Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno out of the Supreme Court, he said: “I’m putting you on notice that I’m your enemy and you have to be out of the Supreme Court. I will see to it and after that, I will request the Congress go into the impeachment right away.”
“I would ask Speaker Alvarez now, kindly fast-track the impeachment. She is bad for the Philippines. Now this time, I’m asking the congressmen and the Speaker, ‘Do it now.[]