Manila: The opposition accused President Rodrigo Duterte of intervention after his spokesman shamed Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, telling her to resign instead of undergoing impeachment trial at the House of Representatives on November 20, because of the strength of evidence against her.

The statements released by newly appointed presidential spokesmen Harry Roque have implied “powerful intervention from the presidential palace” and ”naked influence” imposed on the lower house of Congress where Duterte has majority of allies, Congressman Tom Villarin of Akbayan, a sectoral party at the House of Representatives told Gulf News.

The Chief Justice will not resign. She will face impeachment proceedings to preserve the dignity and independence of the Supreme Court and the Office of the Chief Justice, said Sereno’s camp.

They were responses to spokesman Roque who warned Sereno earlier, “I call upon Chief Justice Sereno to really consider resigning if only to spare the institution from any further damage.” He added, “It will be very difficult for the judiciary to recover from a second Senate decision to remove a sitting Chief Justice. I don’t think the [Apex] Court can afford that so soon, after the removal of former Chief Justice Renato Corona [in 2012].”

Noting that his statements were not about intervention, Roque, a former Congressman of Kabayan, also a sectoral party at the House of Representatives, said, “I’m commenting about an impeachment proceeding. It’s about personal liability for an impeachable officer. The issue is whether or not she committed impeachable offences. It’s not undermining judiciary. I’m not intervening with the affairs of the judiciary.”

“The president wants her removed altogether, by all means,” Roque admitted. He referred to Duterte who claimed earlier that Sereno allowed herself to be used by groups that want to destabilise the government.

Six incumbent justices are expected to testify against her, warned House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a Duterte ally.

Congressman Reynaldo Umali, of the House Committee on Justice said if his committee finds probable cause to impeach Sereno on November 20, the case will be elevated to the senate which will serve as an impeachment court.

The impeachment complaint stemmed from lawyer Lorenzo Gadon — he claimed that Sereno failed to declare the P37 million (Dh 3.083 million) in professional fees that she received as private lawyer when she represented the government in the case against Philippine International Air Terminals Co Inc (Piatco), builder of terminal three of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Complex in Pasay City.

Gadon also accused Sereno of ordering a P5 million (Dh 416,666) Land Cruiser vehicle for her personal use; using government money for expensive hotel accommodations; ordering judges in suburban Muntinglupa not to issue warrant of arrest versus Senator Leila de Lima in early 2017; and delaying release of retirement benefits of justices, judges, and surviving spouses.

Sereno was 52 when appointed former president Benigno Aquino appointed her Supreme Court head. At the time, critics said she would be chief justice for 18 years, almost for life, until 2030 when she reaches 70, the retirement age for magistrates.