Sereno will preside over Friday's full court session, lawyer says

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will preside over the full court session on May 11, when the Supreme Court will reportedly rule on the ouster petition against her.

“This Friday, she will preside, she will preside,” Jojo Lacanilao, Sereno’s spokesperson, said on Wednesday.

Sereno ended her indefinite leave on Wednesday morning, May 9, two months since she said that she opted to focus on her looming impeachment trial at the Senate.

READ: Sereno: Not a voting by 'friends' at SC can oust me

The justices of the SC, however, said that they reached a “consensus”  during the full court session on February 27 that Sereno should take a leave from office.

The SC Public Information Office also announced that the high court will have a special en banc session on Friday, 10:00 a.m.

Although the agenda for Friday’s full court session is kept under wraps, reports citing unnamed insiders said that the SC will rule on Solicitor General Jose Calida’s quo warranto petition on May 11.

If the high court will tackle Calida’s ouster petition, the chief justice will inhibit, said Lacanilao.

“She will recuse, she will inhibit herself when the quo warranto petition starts,” the spokesman said.

The chief justice has asked six justices she accused of being biased against her to inhibit from the quo warranto case: Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires.

The six justices have appeared as resource speakers at the House of Representatives impeachment proceeding against her.

De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin and Tijam refused to take their hands off the case. Sereno's supporters have since called for their resignation.

RELATED: How the quo warranto petition vs Sereno could affect the judiciary