Sereno: The Challenge SC is Always to Look at the Constitution Intently

(PNA) — Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno on Friday said that “when we talk of freedom, the challenge for the SC (Supreme Court) is always to look at the Constitution intently.”

”You know our deep concern is that sometimes our Constitution is not being considered very seriously in the discussions that are going on may be in other branches of government, may be even by some sectors so our duty is to ensure that everything that comes out is always in accordance with the Constitution so that is the key message for this day I think on the part of the Judiciary,” Sereno said during the observance of the 117th Philippine Independence Day.

Likewise, Sereno said that as early as 2012 “we have already been grappling it (to release the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) is important.

”I think on my part personally, we have a positive duty and I don’t think it’s just a passive one positive duty to demonstrate to our people especially the Judiciary that we can be trusted,” Sereno said.

The Chief Justice stressed that she had been one for a more transparent life actually so “I had been advocating that in 2012 the consensus was arrived at that we should actually release the SALN but there were specific guidelines.”

However, Sereno said that the summaries alone is not “the end of our desire to be transparent we have been looking at the processes in court that we can open more to our people.”

”We shall be unrolling more of these as the days to come. The targets, the financial figures, we are quite transparent on that so you can rely on that,” she added.

Sereno said that they will release the SALN every year and then “we are looking at summaries also of the justices and judges at the other levels to what extent we can also do that.”

The Chief Justice pointed out that she is already looking at the setting up of a committee to review the SALNs of members of the Judiciary.

”We are looking at all of those measures,” Sereno said. (PNA) CTB/PTR