"So I’m putting you on notice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court," after Sereno accused him of interfering with the case. Removal from office On August 30, 2017, at least 25 members of the House of Representatives began the impeachment process against then-chief justice Sereno. In addition Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition to invalidate her appointment as chief justice over alleged lack of integrity. Both the impeachment proceedings and quo warranto petition cites Sereno's alleged failure to properly declare her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) and was also responsible for tax misdeclarations and unauthorized expenses. Sereno has questioned the quo warranto petition saying that she could only be legally removed through impeachment. After an impeachment process against her began, Sereno took an indefinite leave on March 1, 2018, but maintained she will not resign. She returned from leave shortly after the rest of the Supreme Court made a decision on the quo warranto petition. Deciding on the quo warranto petition en banc the Supreme Court justices voted to remove Sereno from the court on May 11, 2018, by a vote of 8–6. Sereno filed a motion for consideration but the high court denied with finality Sereno's motion for reconsideration for lack of merit on June 19, 2018 voting 8–6, upholding the quo warranto decision. The ruling also states that no further pleading will be entertained as well as order for immediate entry of judgement. Senior Justice Antonio Carpio assumed the post of chief justice in an acting capacity starting May 14, 2018, following Sereno's removal from office. As a result of Republic v. Sereno, Maria Lourdes Sereno is no longer considered the 24th chief justice of the Philippines, as the court ruled that her appointment was never legal but null and void ab initio. Thus, on August 25, 2018, Teresita de Castro was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new de jure and 24th chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Personal life Maria Lourdes Sereno is married to Mario Jose E. Sereno of Davao City. They have two children, Maria Sophia and Jose Lorenzo. Awards Awardee for Law, The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS), 1998 Notes References |- 1960 births Asian Institute of Management people Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Ateneo de Manila