Philippines high court upholds removal of chief justice News
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Philippines high court upholds removal of chief justice

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld [text, PDF] the removal of its chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno after her May 30 motion for reconsideration.

In an 8-6 vote the 15-member high court confirmed their May 11 ruling [text, PDF] that ousted Sereno for failing to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as a law professor at the University of Philippines. The court stated that Sereno “lacked proven integrity” at the time of her application to the Supreme Court.

In a 205-page appeal, Sereno denied [CNN report] the charges and stated the court was biased in its ruling.

“With due respect, contrary to the findings in the Decision, there is clear and convincing evidence that the six Justices sought to be disqualified harbor actual bias, or worse, hostile feelings, against the Respondent. … The existence of an impartial tribunal is an indispensable prerequisite of due process.”

The new ruling maintained that Sereno lacked integrity for her Supreme Court position and stated “the respondent [Sereno] has not presented any convincing ground that would merit a modification or reversal of our May 11, 2018 decision.”

The court declared Sereno’s position vacant with immediate effect and ordered the judicial and bar council to begin a new selection process.

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