MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has ordered Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to appear at next week's oral arguments and “expressly acknowledge” its jurisdiction over a petition that it is not “necessarily giving due course to.”
A copy of the order on the court’s en banc session on April 3 and an advisory on the forthcoming oral arguments were sent to reporters on Thursday afternoon.
According to the en banc notice, the SC said it is “requiring” Sereno to personally appear and testify under oath...and expressly acknowledge the court’s jurisdiction to act upon the relief prayed for, if any.”
READ: Sereno to attend oral arguments on her ouster petition
The court also said that Sereno’s failure or refusal to appear on the set oral arguments on April 10 will cancel the oral debates.
The high court was acting on Solicitor General Jose Calida’s petition for quo warranto that seeks the nullification of Sereno’s appointment as chief justice in 2012.
Sereno’s spokesperson, Jojo Lacanilao, earlier confirmed that the chief justice will attend the oral arguments and personally answer her colleague’s questions.
But he stressed that the chief justice's appearance “is without the prejudice to our jurisdiction.”
On Thursday morning, Sereno has also filed four separate motions for inhibition, asking Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza and Noel Tijam to recuse themselves from the petition.
Sereno said that given the four magistrates’ testimonies during the House justice panel hearing on the impeachment case against her, she believes that they “cannot decide the quo warranto petition objectively and impartially.”
READ: Sereno asks 4 justices to recuse from ouster petition against her
‘Sereno reply unverified’
The advisory noted that the SC also acted on Sereno’s Ad Cautelam Motion for Set for Oral Arguments where she stated that “the Filipino people are eager to see how the Court will resolve this case of first impression.”
The chief justice also stressed in her motion that conducting oral arguments “in full public view” will serve the public interest.
But the SC said that Sereno’s argument is “baseless and without merit.”
The high court cited its internal rules that the conduct of oral arguments “is not a matter of right, but a matter of discretion.”
The high court also noted that the oral arguments will give Sereno “a final opportunity to answer specific questions, under oath, needed for the judicious resolution of the instant case.
According to the SC PIO’s advisory, Sereno’s comment dated March 6 was also “unverified.”
Sereno argued in her comment that following the 1987 Constitution, only an impeachment case can oust her.