A SEASONED POLITICIAN

THE NEW SENATE PRESIDENT, SENATOR VICENTE "TITO" SOTTO IS A SEASONED POLITICIAN. HE IS THE MOST SENIOR AMONG THE SITTING SENATOR TODAY IN THE SENATE.

ACCORDING TO HIM, HE WANTS TO BE HONEST AND NEUTRAL. THE VERY REASON WHY HE DOES NOT SIGN THE SENATE RESOLUTION AGAINST QUO WARRANTO BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THAT THE SUPREME COURT DECISION ON QUO WARRANTO PETITION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IMPEACHMENT COMPLAIN AGAINST CHIEF JUSTICE MARIA LOURDES SERENO.

HE ADDED THAT WHEN YOU STUDY IT FURTHER, YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT THE PETITION TO OUST CHIEF JUSTICE SERENO BY WAY OF QUO WARRANTO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IMPEACHMENT. IT WAS ONLY LINK BY PEOPLE IN FAVOR OF IMPEACHMENT.

TO PROVE THAT HIS ASSERTION IS RIGHT, HE CITED TO EXAMPLES. FIRST, HE CITED THE ELECTORAL PROTEST AGAINST VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBLEDO, WHICH CAN BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE IF THE ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL DECIDES IN FAVOR OF FORMER SENATOR FERDINAND MARCOS JR.

YES, THE SEASONED POLITICIAN IS RIGHT THAT VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBLEDO, AN IMPEACHABLE OFFICIAL CAN BE REMOVED FROM HER POST. BUT THE CASE OF VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBLEDO IS DIFFERENT FROM THE CASE OF CHIEF JUSTICE LOURDES SERENO AND THEREFORE THEY CAN NOT BE COMPARED OF.

IF FORMER SENATOR FERDINAND MARCOS JR WON THE ELECTION, THEN, VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBLEDO HAS NO AUTHORITY AT ALL TO HOLD THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT.

HOW ABOUT IF YOU FOUND OUT THAT PRESIDENT DUTERTE IS NOT A FILIPINO CITIZEN? WHAT DO YOU DO? IMPEACH HIM? NO! HIS INSINUATION IS QUO WARRANTO,

IN HIS TWO EXAMPLES, THE VICE PRESIDENT AND THE PRESIDENT THOUGH AN IMPEACHABLE OFFICIALS CAN BE REMOVED BY QUO WARRANTO AND ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL DECISION BECAUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE BOTH OF THEM HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO HOLD OFFICE. IN THE EXAMPLE GIVEN, VICE PRESIDENT LENI ROBLEDO LOST TO SENATOR FERDINAND MARCOS AND PRESIDENT DUTERTE'S DISQUALIFICATION BECAUSE OF HIS CITIZENSHIP.

IN WHAT AUTHORITY MARIA LOURDES SERENO HOLD HER POST AS THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE OF THE LAND? 

FIRST, THE POSITION WAS DECLARED VACANT. 

SECOND, THE JBC CONVENES.

THIRD, APPLICATIONS ARE FILLED. 

FOURTH, LIST OF APPLICANTS IS PUBLISHED. 

FIFTH, APPLICANTS ARE SCREENED BY THE JBC BASED ON SET OF QUALIFICATIONS INCLUDING BACKGROUND CHECK.

SIXTH, THEY SHALL ALSO EVALUATED ACCORDING TO:

1. COMETENCE - EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION, EXPERIENCE, PERFORMANCE AND OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

2. INTEGRITY - EVIDENCE OF INTEGRITY, BACKGROUND CHECK, TESTIMONIES OF PARTIES, ANONYMOUS TESTIMONIES,

3. PROBITY AND INDEPENDENCE.

4. SOUND PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL CONDITION - MEDICAL DOCUMENTS, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC TESTS.

CHIEF JUSTICE SERENO PASSED ALL OF THESE. NOW TELL US, CAN THE CHIEF JUSTICE BE REMOVED FROM HER POST THROUGH QUO WARRANTO?