By Rubelyn Gernale
Supreme Court Chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno declared that she has no intention of stepping down from office and expressed her readiness to face the impeachment court, March 2 last Friday.
In the forum “Road to Judicial Reform” attended by students, faculty, and court officials in the University of Baguio, Sereno discussed the current judicial situation in the country. Sereno also strongly addressed her ongoing impeachment case.
“I ask only one thing from the political leaders, only one thing. Give me my day in a senate impeachment court or admit that there is no probable cause. No, I will not resign. I do not owe anyone the duty to resign. I owe the people the duty to tell my story,” Sereno said.
The ongoing hearing for the impeachment complaint against Sereno sparked a heavy public discussion. Supporters of Sereno see the ouster move as a political tactic of the Duterte administration removing voices of dissent from their posts. On the other hand, some take this impeachment case as a fitting process for a public official guilty of charges.
For this issue, The Millennial Beat compiled comments of netizens on news stories posted on the social media platform Facebook.
Witch Hunt on the opposition
Some of the netizens expressed their dismay over the Duterte administration’s alleged witch hunt on the opposition. They see the impeachment complaint against Sereno as one of the means of getting rid of the members of the opposing party sitting on government posts, thereby monopolizing control and power.
Also, some netizens pointed out that this impeachment complaint against Sereno shows how deliberately the current administration undermine the checks and balance of power.
The Public is on the losing end
Amidst the impeachment controversy, some netizens posted how fed up they are with this issue which seems to be just another political clash. One netizen said that even false accusations become acceptable grounds for impeachment as long as the majority deems and tags one official as disagreeable. Another netizen expressed her frustration on the agonizingly long impeachment case, saying that it is wasting the time and money of the taxpayers.
Guilty and unqualified
Some netizens also posted their anti-Sereno sentiments, expressing their support for the impeachment case. Some of them said that Sereno is guilty of the charges filed against her while some even cited her psychological assessment to argue their point.
Expression of support
Meanwhile, some supporters from Sereno’s side posted words of encouragement for the chief justice. Some netizens expressed their confidence on Sereno, claiming that she is only a victim of political power play.
With the impeachment case far from being over, the online community debate on the validity of Sereno’s ouster charges will continue as a controversial and important topic of discussion in the online space. Netizens will pick and defend their sides, hopefully while learning to evolve into informed and respectful citizens of the virtual world.
The Millennial Beat 