MANILA, Philippines – Former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was coy on her purported senatorial bid in 2019, saying her family has “many concerns” about her entering politics.

Sereno said she was still in the process of deciding what her future “role” would be. Her family is among her main considerations in making that decision.

“My family basically has many concerns. I’m very careful to make sure all of their concerns are addressed. They have aspirations for our country and I’m sure they really want a strong and vibrant democracy,” Sereno told Rappler on Wednesday, September 12, after she visited Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who has been holed up in his office for over a week now.

“That being said, there are many factors. All of these factors are being considered together,” she added.

Sereno said she would announce her political plans “at the proper time.”

“I’m in the process of looking at the steps we must do not only to reclaim what has been lost but to build a stronger foundation. And because the work is going to be long and arduous, at the proper time it will be explained to the public how the role will play out. This is still the period of designing the framework by which the role will be discharged,” she said.

Sereno said the country has lost so much under President Rodrigo Duterte. This is why she wants to help rebuild institutions that, she said, were destroyed.

Sereno, who drew the ire of Duterte, was ousted in May  via a quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

“Definitely we have a lot of restructuring of our country and I want to impress upon everybody: What do you do after the term of this President is over? To a larger extent he has destroyed many institutions, how do we rebuild? How do we rebuild the little of democracy we have left, considering he assaulted not only persons but institutions?” Sereno said.

Seriously thinking?

Asked if she’s seriously thinking about a Senate run, Sereno told Rappler in jest, “I’ve been seriously thinking about many problems in this country but whether that involves politics or not, I will not give you the pleasure of knowing at this point.”

Sereno is among the 18 possible candidates  in the opposition slate in 2019. As of June 2018, however, she is not in the so-called Magic 12 in pre-election surveys.

On Wednesday, Sereno also met with other opposition senators – Risa Hontiveros, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Francis Pangilinan – and paid a visit to the office of detained Senator Leila de Lima.

Pangilinan, Liberal Party president, said Sereno was still unsure of her political plans and would want to talk with Vice President Leni Robredo first.

“Ang sabi niya, gusto rin niyang makausap si Vice President dito sa usapin na ito at sa usapin nga ng eleksyon (She said she would like to talk to the Vice Prsident regarding this and regarding the elections). So we will just have to wait for that meeting between her and the Vice President,” Pangilinan told reporters after his meeting with  Sereno.

Sereno has only a month left to decide, as the filing of Certificates of Candidacy is from October 11 to 17. – Rappler.com