President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday stepped up pressure on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, telling her to resign, The Manila Times Online reported on Saturday(Apr 14).
Speaking to reporters upon his arrival from Hong Kong at Davao international airport, Duterte said he would fight Sereno because she was “ignorant” and “dumb” as he recalled the time when the chief justice urged the public not to submit to warrantless arrests.
Duterte said that if the chief justice was smart, no one would go against her and she would not make mistakes in her declarations. If he were the chief justice, he said he would quit.
“If you are that ignorant, you better go. You are just risking the country into chaos,” said the President.
On Monday, he ordered Congress to fast-track the impeachment of Sereno in response to Sereno’s remark asking him if he was involved in the move to nullify her appointment.
Congress is on recess and will resume its session on May 15. Appointed in 2012, Sereno has been holding the chief justice’s position for five years and eight months. She is poised to hold that position for 18 years or until 2030 when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.