FIGHTING WORDS. Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno clenches her fist as she emphasizes judicial independence from political pressure. CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza
Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno said she is ready to face the impeachment trial in the Senate and that she cannot afford to waver, let alone compromise judicial independence.
“You can stand and not compromise with this politician, with this big businessman. You can resist the pressure. I cannot afford to lose that ability to look at people in the eye and say ‘we can fight’ if I compromise,” Sereno told the students and academe at the University of the Philippines Cebu College yesterday afternoon.
During the Road to Judicial Reform forum, Sereno said she only wants due process to be afforded to her.
“What are they afraid of? The truth? The day will break and the dawn of truth shall rise in our land again,” she said.
Sereno said the gains made to reform the country’s judicial system will all be in vain if she cannot receive due process.
“If they can do this to me, the chief justice, who else is safe in this country?” she said.
Sereno said real judicial reform can only be achieved by “authentic” independence of the judiciary.