The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday dismissed the alleged manifesto of Supreme Court (SC) officials calling for her resignation.
The fact that no one, not even the union of SC employees, owned up to the manifesto means it was but a mere part of efforts to besmirch Sereno鈥檚 reputation as she faces attempts to impeach her from office, Sereno鈥檚 spokesperson Jojo Lacanilao said.
Lacanilao and Josa Deinla, another Sereno spokesperson revealed this during a press conference a day after debates on whether or not Sereno鈥檚 fellow justices forced her to take a leave from office surfaced.
鈥淯nang una, 鈥榶ung manifesto walang signature. Walang mga taong humaharap na sila 鈥榶ung naglabas ng manifesto. Walang tumtitindig na tao na behind it,鈥� Lacanilao said.
鈥淏alita namin wala sa union ng SC ang sumusuporta doon at umaamin na sila 鈥檡un. Talagang 鈥榶ung genesis ng manifesto na 鈥榶un kaduda duda sa amin,鈥� he said.
But if there really was a manifesto from employees of the SC, Deinla said Sereno鈥檚 camp would respect their stand.
鈥淚gagalang namin 鈥榶ung karapatan nila na magapahayag na saloobin nila,鈥� Deinla said.
鈥淧ero mananatili kami na matiyagang magpapaliwanag sila at kukumbinsihin sila na nagkakamali sila sa kanilang paniwala,鈥� she added.
In a three-page alleged manifesto of 鈥渃oncerned officials and personnel鈥� of SC, five employees called for Sereno鈥檚 resignation.
The five employees were SC鈥檚 deputy court administrators Raul Villanueva and Thelma Bahia, deputy clerk of court en banc Anna-Li Papa-Gombio, fiscal management office chief Corazon Ferrer-Flores and office of administrative service assistant chief Carina Cunanan.
鈥淲e can and will no longer remain silent as the institution falls deeper into disrepute with each passing day and our officers and personnel pitted against one another, as a consequence of Your Honor鈥檚 actions and indiscretions,鈥� they wrote in the manifesto
鈥淲e hereby manifest our loss of trust, faith and confidence in Your Honor, Chief Justice Sereno, and call on Your Honor to RESIGN NOW from Your Honor鈥檚 position as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,鈥� the manifesto read.
Although they were 鈥渁shamed鈥� to admit, the employees thanked lawyer Lorenzo Gadon for 鈥渃ourageously鈥� revealing the supposed truth on Sereno鈥檚 anomalies within the High Tribunal.
鈥淣akakahiya man pong aminin, ngunit nagpapasalamat din po kami kay Atty. Lorenzo Gadon na siyang mag-isa at buong tapat na nagsisiwalat ng mga kamalian na nagaganap sa Korte Suprema,鈥� the employees said in the manifesto.
The SC has not confirmed the authenticity of the manifesto.聽聽 /muf