THE Supreme Court will resolve cases related to the general election next year with utmost wisdom and without political consideration, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno vowed during the high court’s Christmas party late Thursday.
Sereno admitted that the justices are aware of the significance of the decisions they will make on election related cases.
“I think that whatever decision we may make on the petitions that are filed before us and that will be filed before us, it must be with the utmost wisdom that we should look at these things,” Sereno said.
She said the SC’s actions “will tell the world whether we live by the rules we have set for ourselves or whether politics trumps everything else.”
According to her, she personally see the cases involving the general elections not just a contest of who will win and take power for the next six years.
“The impact of whatever decision will come out from us as well as the election itself will have long-term consequences for our country. It will measure our ability to really be a modern democracy,” she said.
Sereno added that the justices have in fact started preparing for the expected influx of poll cases, revealing that their respective offices “are already undertaking preliminary research and some preliminary reading” on the reported issues.
“It is also incumbent upon us, it behooves us to listen closely, to have an open mind about the facts that are going to be relayed before us or the legal arguments that are going to be set before us,” she said.
The chief magistrate also said the SC is aware of the urgency in resolving several election-related cases.
“In fact, we understand and it is clear to us that this Christmas season will not be a usual season for us. There might be things that we need to set aside because of the urgency of matters that need to be resolved,” she said.
“So we are keenly aware of all of those and you can see that most of the justices will be making themselves available for any eventuality… We need to work hard because this is the only process by which we can ensure that the right, just outcome will result,” she said.
Among the 2016 election cases pending in the SC is the one involving the eligibility of Senator Grace Poe, a frontrunner in the presidential race, over questions on her citizenship.