The chair of the House justice committee said on Monday that the quo warranto petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno would not affect the impeachment proceedings against her. ADVERTISEMENTShould the high court grant the OSG petition to invalidate Sereno’s appointment, the impeachment proceedings will be rendered “functus officio,” Umali said. Until that happens, he said, the quo warranto case and the impeachment proceedings in Congress “can proceed simultaneously.”Separate actions“These are separate and independent actions based on different grounds,” Umali said. Still, the three lawmakers said Sereno should make the “supreme sacrifice” of resigning to save the Supreme Court from further conflict. The quo warranto petition is “another offensive against the Chief Justice and the system of checks and balances in the government,” said Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 05, 2018 23:15 UTC