Opposition courting Sereno

“It’s an option I’m considering. My gut tells me I need more time.”

Ousted Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno will likely be included in the shortlist of the opposition’s senatorial slate in next year’s mid-term elections.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said yesterday that he personally talked with Sereno regarding the opposition’s inclination to include her in their slate.

“CJ Sereno has become one of the opposition voices…I personally talked to her but Senator (Francis) Pangilinan will still talk to her,” said Trillanes, a member of the screening committee of the opposition for their slate.

Trillanes said Sereno asked for more time before deciding on entering politics.

“She did not say she’s open but she is listening. I presented to her the political environment, we presented to her the need for the opposition to have her,” said Trillanes.

“It’s an option I’m considering. My gut tells me I need more time,” said Sereno on TV.

So far, Trillanes said that six individuals are already included in the shortlist, namely, Sen.

Bam Aquino, former Rep. Barry Gutierrez, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Rep. Erin Tanada, lawyer Chel Diokno and actress Agot Isidro.

Trillanes said that there are also several personalities being considered by the opposition, namely, former Sen. Mar Roxas, singer composer Jim Paredes, singer Leah Navarro, Manolo Quezon, Semira Gutoc and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.

Trillanes said that Roxas expressed no interest in returning to the Senate but the opposition is still considering the defeated presidential contender of the Liberal Party in 2016.

“There are other names but I am not at liberty to divulge,” said Trillanes.

Trillanes said that former President Noynoy Aquino is not running in any elective post next year but expressed hopes that the former Chief Executive would campaign for the opposition party under the banner Tindig Pilipinas.

“He (Aquino) will not run…we are hoping that he would campaign for the opposition slate,” said Trillanes.

Trillanes said Sereno is now “similarly situated” as he was in 2007.

Trillanes said he was detained for rebellion charges and eventually won a Senate seat during the Aquino administration.

Sereno, on the other hand, has been ousted by her fellow SC justices via the quo warranto filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida for her failure to submit complete statements of Assets, Liability and net worth, said Trillanes.

Sereno yesterday blasted her former colleagues at the SC, saying that those who voted against her should decline nominations for the post of CJ.

“It was wrong, it was unjust for them to accuse, to be witnesses, to be the ponente even, taking investigative steps, to add to the ponencia, to judge and to benefit,” Sereno said.

Five of the high court’s most senior justices — Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Mariano Del Castillo — have been nominated as CJ.

Of the five, only Carpio did not vote to remove Sereno from her post through the quo warranto petition.

Sereno maintained she was not beholden to then President Aquino who appointed her CJ.

She said some of the measures pushed by Aquino which she voted against were the implementation of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), as well as the rescheduling of elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).