By
Perfecto T. Raymundo Jr.
MANILA,
Aug. 12 (PNA) -- Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno accepted on
Friday the apology made by President Rodrigo R. Duterte during a press
conference after meeting with first Filipina Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn
Diaz in Panacan, Davao City Thursday night.
”The
Chief Justice appreciates the President’s latest remarks. As previously
announced, she will no longer say anything on this matter,” Sereno said in a
statement on Friday read for her by SC Public Information Office (PIO) Chief
and Spokesman Atty. Theodore O. Te.
This
was the reaction of the SC on the apology of President Duterte saying that the
harsh words he has uttered against the Chief Justice were only brought about by
the big problems of the country that he is currently dealing with.
In
his speech on Tuesday, President Duterte said that the Chief Justice should not
create a constitutional crisis which may prompt the President to order
everybody in the Executive Department not to honor the orders of the Chief
Justice to the Executive Department.
President
Duterte also warned the Chief Justice not to impede on the government’s all-out
war against illegal drugs, otherwise, he would rather declare Martial Law.
Sereno
on Monday advised the judges who were named by President Duterte as purportedly
involved in illegal drugs not to surrender.
In
her four-page letter to President Duterte sent through Department of Justice
(DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, the Chief Magistrate advised the
judges who were included in the list not to surrender to any police officer
without a warrant of arrest.
Sereno
said that this was to protect the judges as the protectors of the rights of the
citizens under the Constitution.
Sereno
also asked President Duterte to allow those judges who were named to continue
to carry their licensed firearms for as long as charges are not yet filed
against them.
This
as Sereno expressed her apprehension that the said judges will also be the
“target” of incidents of extra-judicial killings and that they may also become
“collateral damage” in the war against illegal drugs.
The
SC had previously asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to allow the
judges to carry firearm since the SC has no sufficient personnel to provide
protection to the judges.
Sereno
added that although the judiciary appreciates the intention of the President to
help in the clean-up of the ranks of the judiciary, the informal report from
the President or the members of his Cabinet would be sufficient enough for the
SC to take action and conduct an investigation without the need of ordering the
judges to report to any office and thereby not impede in their scheduled court
activities. (PNA)
SCS/PTR/RSM
