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Robredo: Liberal Party, former ruling party, open to include Sereno in Senate slate

June 29, 2018 | 4:17pm

Robredo: Liberal Party, former ruling party, open to include Sereno in Senate slate

Vice President Leni Robredo paid a visit to Yakan Village in Zamboanga City, where she met the junior weavers of the tribe, ages 8 to 12, who have learned the craft that is passed down from generation to generation. Last year, OVP's Angat Buhay partner, BEAGIVER, provided looms and thread for 10 of these junior weavers, and they have since taken on the traditional art, producing coasters which they sell in order to buy school supplies.

Office of the Vice President

MANILA, Philippines — The Liberal Party is yet to talk to former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno about her possible inclusion in the party's senatorial candidates, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Friday.

In an interview following her visit to Yakan weavers of Lamitan, Basilan, Robredo said the former ruling party was open to including Sereno for as long as she was interested in seeking an elective post.

"We haven't talked to her yet. Some are nominating her, but we are yet to talk to her," Robredo told reporters in Filipino.

"If she's interested, why not?" the vice president added.

READ: Sereno welcome to join Liberal Party Senate slate – Pangilinan

Sereno was ousted as chief justice by her colleagues at the High Court after they found that she supposedly failed the "integrity test" of her office because of her failure to consistently submit a declaration of her assets and liabilities required of government employees.

Critics of the decision said that it undermined the independence of the judiciary and opened other impeachable officers, including the president and the vice president, to such lawsuits.

Aside from the ouster petition, Sereno was also subjected to an impeachment hearing at the House justice panel where some of the justices who voted for her removal testified against her.

Since her ouster, Sereno has since declared that she will lead a coalition that would hold President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she accused of being behind her ouster, accountable.

In his latest attack on Sereno, Duterte said that the former top judge wasted the opportunity given to her.

READ: LP to form 'resistance' coalition in 2019 polls

Robredo said that Sereno would be a big addition to the former party's slate as she could help usher in reforms in the judiciary.

The Liberal Party has not yet finalized its list of senatorial candidates and is still in the process of consultations, said Robredo, who is the party's chairperson.

The only certain candidate, she said, was Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, who is seeking a second term.

Robredo also called for a reform of the country's politics especially its party system as she rued the usual exodus of politicians and transfer to the party of the winning president.

"Don't we have a party because we want to push forward its ideals? Right now, it's very personality oriented. Every election this happens," she rued.

The Liberal Party was the ruling party under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.

However, many of its members, especially in Congress and local governments, switched allegiance to the party of Duterte, PDP-Laban, when it became clear that he won the 2016 presidential elections.

Experts attribute this to the country's weak party system and the fact that the president controls funding for many of the government's projects.