MANILA, Philippines (AP) – The Philippine Supreme Court chief justice expects to be impeached by the House of Representatives next month and will go on indefinite leave to prepare for the trial, her spokesman said Wednesday.
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will go on leave Thursday but is confident of being cleared of any wrongdoing during the impeachment trial, spokesman Jojo Lacanilao said.
Lacanilao stressed the chief justice will not resign amid reports that rival justices demanded she quit in a meeting.
Lacanilao said at a news conference that any effort to remove the chief justice outside of an impeachment trial is unconstitutional.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said he wanted Sereno and an anti-graft prosecutor impeached and accused them of allowing themselves to be used to discredit his administration.