Sereno ouster was lowest point of SC in recent years: Carpio

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MANILA - The ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice was the lowest point of the Supreme Court in recent years, according to retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

In May 2018, Sereno was removed as top magistrate after the high court granted a quo warranto petition seeking to nullify her appointment.

• Supreme Court ousts Chief Justice Sereno

Carpio described the case as a "very novel approach" which he said he did not agree with. "I said the only way you can remove a sitting justice of the Supreme Court is through impeachment," he said.

• LOOK: Who voted for, against Sereno ouster

Sereno, the first woman who became top magistrate, was the country's second chief magistrate to be removed from office under the 1987 Constitution.

In 2012, the Senate sitting as an impeachment court ousted her predecessor, Renato Corona for failure to fully disclose his wealth.

• Chief Justice Corona impeached

When asked which was a lower point for the Supreme Court between Sereno's removal and Corona's impeachment, Carpio chose the former.

"The impeachment of CJ Corona was done by the Senate and that is in accordance with the law. It was an exercise of the constitutional power of the Senate, they are the disciplining authority when it comes to the justices of the court. It was not our decision, it was the decision of the political body entrusted by the constitution to make that decision," he said.

"Between the two, it’s the Sereno case because the Corona case was done by the proper body entrusted by the Constitution."