Setting aside their differences with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, members of the Supreme Court on Tuesday tossed out one of the two petitions aimed at banishing her from office. Theodore Te, the tribunal’s spokesperson, said the justices unanimously decided to junk the pleading filed by lawyer Oliver Lozano, a known loyalist of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, during their weekly full-court deliberations. “The court resolved to dismiss the petition … for failing to provide substantial allegations to justify a cause of action,” Te said in a press conference. ADVERTISEMENTA court insider said all the 14 magistrates believed that Lozano’s petition “lacked substance” to stand legal scrutiny. As if on cue, Solicitor General Jose Calida did exactly what Alvarez wanted to do when he filed a quo warranto petition in the high court on Monday.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 06, 2018 23:26 UTC