The seventh ‘dissent’ vs Sereno’s ouster: Spokesman Ted Te speaks own mind

May 11, 2018 - 4:57 PM
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High court spokesperson Theodore Te recently announced his resignation as spokesperson of the Supreme Court. (Philstar.com/file photo)

The historic ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday created a major divide in the Supreme Court that even the spokesman publicly expressed his dissent.

Supreme Court spokesmen rarely express their own opinions regarding decisions and actions of the justices, preferring to stick to their role as bearer of official statements.

Te posted the same image on his personal Facebook account with the caption “Because even mouthpieces enjoy freedom of expression and this is a personal opinion on my personal FB page?”

The tweet got people’s attention who quickly retweeted it to express their support.

On Friday, Te announced that the SC voted in favor of voiding Sereno’s appointment as chief magistrate with a ruling of 8-6 in a special en banc session.

“Respondent [Sereno] is found disqualified from and is hereby adjudged guilty of unlawfully holding and exercising the Office of the Chief Justice. Accordingly, Sereno is ousted and excluded therefrom,” Te said in a report.