Aquino swears in new SC justice, denies personal ties

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Monday swore into office newly-appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Aranal Sereno, whom he said he does not personally know even though they were college schoolmates. In an ambush interview after Sereno took her oath at Rizal Hall in Malacañang, Aquino said he chose Sereno because of her "awe-inspiring" credentials, which include being co-counsel in the government's winning arbitration case involving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 before the International Chamber of Commerce-International Court of Arbitration in Singapore. Aquino said he does not personally know Sereno, his first appointee to the Supreme Court, even though she was one batch ahead of him at the Ateneo de Manila University, where they both took up AB Economics. Sereno graduated in 1980, while Aquino graduated in 1981. "Ateneo at that time was 2,000-student strong. Siguro iisa naman canteen namin don, nagkasalubong kami siguro at some point in time. We're both economics majors pero to be honest, I don't really recall ever having met her or debating with her or being in the same class with her," he said. Aquino appointed Sereno to the Supreme Court last Friday, choosing her above five other nominees for the post vacated by Renato Corona when then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo named him chief justice on May 17. Aside from Sereno, the Judicial and Bar Council had nominated former UP law dean Raul Pangalangan; Court of Appeals Associate Justices Noel Tijam, Hakim Abdulwahid, and Japar Dimaampao; and Commission on Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento. Sereno was executive director of the Asian Institute of Management's Policy Center prior to her appointment. Reforms expected The president said he expects reforms in the judiciary to speed up with Sereno in the Supreme Court, as she once took part in a study on judicial reforms. "Ngayong nandiyan na siya, maiimplement nang mas mabilis palagay ko yung mga pagbabago na kelangan sa ating hudikatura (Now that she's there, I think we can implement faster the reforms needed in our judiciary," he said. In a statement, Sereno vowed to uphold the rule of law as the latest addition to the country's highest court. "I will serve my fellow Filipinos with integrity and conviction, holding myself to the ideal of justice that refutes the abuse of strength and instead labors to succor the weak; justice that does not limit iteself to any one person of group of individuals, but instead encompasses the entire nation and acts for the sake of all Filipinos; justice that may serve as one of several foundations for rebuilding institutions and restoring the people's faith in good government," she said. Also present during her oath-taking were other justices of the Supreme Court, including Corona whose appointment as chief justice Aquino used to question because it was done just a little over a month before the end of Arroyo's term. Palace officials, however, said Aquino recognized Corona's appointment to the top judicial post after the legality of Corona's appointment was affirmed by the Supreme Court. — RSJ, GMANews.TV