President Duterte Challenged CJ Sereno

The President on Tuesday piercingly censured Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for threatening the judges not to follow orders regarding police officers to explain their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade, which even led him to say he might be pulling off a martial law if Sereno continues. This happened after CJ Sereno send a letter to Duterte stating that the Supreme Court should be given a chance to have to discipline its members whose names were mentioned by the president as part of narco-politics list the other day. 

This has created a stir especially on the president which has irate him to the point he lectured CJ Sereno. He said that, he is merely doing his job and he does not want Sereno to be on his way in dealing with the drug problems the country is facing. He added that if she continues to dictate the president he might declare martial law instead. Sereno gave orders to the judges who were part of the “narcolist” not to surrender unless a warrant is issued against them.

The president said that the list was not “accusational” but he just was just merely telling the public because it his job to do so. He said that his purpose in letting this out to the public is because it is the people’s right to know who are behind this illegal drugs trade that has been a perennial problem to the country. He further added that, he will explain to CJ Sereno how the president came up with the list and how the names of the judges were included in the narcolist.

Moreover, the president said, that the list is not a form of harassment of any sort and said that the list is 5 years old already. He added that even the dead were listed because there was no update on the intelligence as death normally is a private family affair and is not proclaimed to the world, except on obituaries. He further added that he was a prosecutor before having to seat as mayor of Davao City that makes him knowledgeable of how the justice system works.

The president’s expose’ was just in connection with the recent passing of the executive order for freedom of information. He said that the media asked for the list and he just obliged. However, the president acknowledged that the information was “raw intelligence” buts despite of this flaw, he said no one has the right to tell him how to run the county.

The palace spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the president was not meddling with the judicial functions because it’s not a judicial process; it is just letting the list out for information of the public as this is the president’s moral responsibility to forewarn the people.  The president is just acting plainly as the parens patriae, as the father of the nation. He further stipulated that it is just to let the country know of the danger of illegal drugs can do to a country.