Philippine top judge ousted

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Supreme Court ousted its chief justice, a critic of the country's authoritarian president, in an unprecedented vote Friday by fellow judges she and hundreds of protesters called unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.

Court spokesman Theodore Te said justices voted 8-6 to grant a petition by the government's solicitor-general to remove Maria Lourdes Sereno from the 15-member tribunal for allegedly failing to file statements of assets and liabilities as required by law. Sereno denies the allegation and refused to participate in the vote.

Sereno has earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte by speaking up for the respect of law and human rights as he has led a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs leaving thousands of suspects dead. In the nearly two years the brash-talking leader has been in power, an opposition senator has been locked up on drug charges she says were fabricated and other critics have been insulted or threatened.

About 1,800 protesters gathered to support Sereno outside the court in Manila, where anti-riot police blocked an access road with trucks and iron railings to maintain order and separate a smaller group of anti-Sereno demonstrators.

Sereno is facing a separate impeachment bid in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by Duterte's allies. She has warned efforts by the Duterte administration to oust her are a threat to democracy, saying the petition leading to Friday's vote violates the constitution, which stipulates top officials can only be removed by impeachment.

The court also ordered Sereno to explain in 10 days why she should not be sanctioned for discussing the complaint against her in public and "for casting aspersions and ill-motive to the members of the Supreme Court."

Duterte's spokesman, Harry Roque, said the court decision must be respected. One of the justices who opposed the petition, Marvic Leonen, called it "a legal abomination."

Sereno had called on six of her colleagues, who testified against her in the House impeachment hearings, to abstain from Friday's vote, citing their bias. If they had heeded her call, the effort to remove her would have failed, Sereno said.

After the vote, Sereno joined her supporters outside the court, asking them to organize a movement to defend justice and accountability.

"Let's continue to defend the constitution and fight wrongdoing. Let's continue to spread the message of democracy and reason," she told the crowd.

The justices who voted to remove her seized "the sole responsibility of the Senate, brazenly violated their sworn responsibility to protect the constitution and destroyed the judiciary," the 57-year-old former law professor said.

"This is more than a wake-up call. If we don't wake up now, it will really be the death of democracy and sometimes history is cruel," Roman Catholic priest and protest leader Robert Reyes told The Associated Press outside the court.