Maria Lourdes "Meilou" Aranal Sereno (; born Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal; July 2, 1960) is a Filipina lawyer and judge who served as de facto chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 2012 until her removal in 2018. Appointed as an associate justice by President Benigno Aquino III in August 2010, she became the second youngest person (at the age of 52) to assume the post of chief justice in August 2012. She is considered to be the first woman head of a judicial branch in any Southeast Asian sovereign state. She was removed from office by way of an 8–6 decision by the Supreme Court over a quo warranto petition, rendering her appointment as chief justice null and void. Sereno had faced criticism from the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for expressing her criticism of his Philippine Drug War, and some saw the petition as politically motivated. At the same time she was removed from office, Sereno had also been facing an impeachment trial prior to the granting of the petition, but after its granting, such trial became moot and was never scheduled. Early life and education Sereno was born on July 2, 1960, in Manila, to Margarito Aranal of Siasi, Sulu, and Soledad Punzalan of Bay, Laguna who served as a public school teacher. Sereno graduated salutatorian from Kamuning Elementary School in 1972 and with honors from Quezon City High School in 1976. A scholarship allowed her to apply at the Ateneo de Manila University where she had the options of taking either Political Science or Economics. She opted for the Bachelor of Arts in Economics and graduated in 1980. She finished her Bachelor of Laws degree from the College of Law at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1984, graduating as cum laude and class valedictorian, and took the bar exam that year. She was admitted to the practice of law the following year. She earned a Master of Arts in economics in 1992 from the University of the Philippines School of Economics of UP Diliman. Thereafter, she earned a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. She is an alumna of the UP Portia Sorority. Career Pre-Supreme Court career Sereno started her career as a junior associate of the Sycip Salazar Feliciano and Hernandez law firm. At the age of 38, she was appointed as legal counselor