The Philippines’ top judge, an outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly anti-drugs campaign, was removed from her position on Friday, becoming the latest of the leader’s detractors to be sanctioned or ousted from ostensibly independent institutions.
The Supreme Court on Friday voted to dismiss Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on charges that she had failed to correctly declare assets and liabilities as required by law. Ms. Sereno has denied wrongdoing.
The ouster capped a monthslong, politically charged battle between the chief justice and the president that has fanned concerns about the rule of law in this key U.S. ally.
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Last month, Mr. Duterte labeled Ms. Sereno his “enemy” and called for her removal. Ms. Sereno had frequently criticized Mr. Duterte’s bloody war on drugs—which she said had damaged the Philippines’ reputation—and voted against issues important to the president.
Other critics of Mr. Duterte have been ousted or penalized in recent months as the president has consolidated his power, part of an increasing shift toward authoritarianism in Southeast Asia.
Sen. Leila de Lima, who investigated alleged extrajudicial killings under Mr. Duterte, is in prison awaiting trial on narcotics charges that she denies. Several appointed officials, including a government ombudsman, have been threatened with impeachment. The media, too, says it has come under attack, after the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked the certificate of incorporation of Rappler Inc., an online news network that has been critical of the president.
Most say they were targeted after criticizing Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs, in which thousands of mostly poor people have been killed by police. Rights groups say police have executed suspects and covered up the evidence, allegations the police deny. Mr. Duterte and his drug war remain popular among most Filipinos, who see the president as an antidote to a corrupt political elite concentrated in the capital, Manila.
In removing Ms. Sereno from office immediately, the Supreme Court said it had found her guilty “of unlawfully holding and exercising the office of the chief justice” by a vote of 8-6. It said she had 10 days to defend herself from further punishments for allegedly violating a professional code.
Ms. Sereno has said the charges against her are politically motivated, and on Friday called for a movement to hold government officials to account. “We can no longer remain silent, because to remain silent is to be complicit with those committing abuses,” she said. Her spokesman said she would seek a review of the court’s decision.
Although the courts in the Philippines are constitutionally separated from the office of the president, the case of Ms. Sereno has divided Mr. Duterte’s supporters and opponents along political lines, with those defending the chief justice saying that the president sought to send a message to other critics by ordering her removal.
A spokesman for Mr. Duterte said the decision of the court should be respected. “The Supreme Court, a coequal branch of government, is duty-bound to uphold the constitution,” the spokesman said. “The court ruling is likewise an assertion of the supremacy of the fundamental law of the land.”
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, a collective of human-rights lawyers and students, said the Supreme Court had surrendered its independence from politics and “literally sprawled the red carpet for dictatorial rule.” Akbayan, an opposition party, said the Philippines is “now a heartbeat away from the death of our democracy.”
Write to Jake Maxwell Watts at jake.watts@wsj.com