LAWMAKERS LOSE POST DUE TO IMPEACH WAR
MANILA, DECEMBER
15,
2011 (STAR)More than a thousand members of the judiciary –
including justices, trial court judges and employees – stepped out of their
courts in Metro Manila yesterday and trooped to the Supreme Court (SC) building
in Manila to demonstrate their support for Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Judges in first- and second-level courts in Metro Manila decided not to hear
cases in condemnation of the move of allies of President Aquino in the House of
Representatives to impeach Corona. The walkout forced the cancellation of
yesterday's hearing on the Maguindanao massacre by Quezon City Judge Jocelyn
Solis-Reyes.
Manila regional trial court Branch 24 judge Antonio Eugenio, president of
Manila judges' association and former president of the Philippine Judges'
Association, led about 500 judges and court personnel in marching from Manila
City Hall to the SC building on Padre Faura.
"We support the Chief Justice 110 percent," he told reporters.
Eugenio assured the public that despite the "court holiday," their swift
dispensation of justice would not be jeopardized.
"We told our members to first explain to litigants and lawyers in cases and
ask them to just give us this day so we can do our duty to our beloved
institution, and they understood," he explained.
"We believe in the constitutional process. We will finally be vindicated in
the Senate," he said.
He called the House of Representatives' impeachment of Corona unfair but
expressed hope the Senate would give the Chief Justice fair trial.
"He (Corona) believes that the Senate will conduct a fair trial. We also
believe that the Chief Justice will be vindicated in the Senate," Eugenio said.
He said the Palace's hostile treatment of Corona has caused massive
demoralization in the judiciary. "But who says life is fair?"
Upon reaching the SC, the judges joined about 2,000 officers and employees of
the SC and held a prayer rally.
Wearing black shirts and armbands, they expressed support for the Chief
Justice and the SC through placards that read: "Defend the judiciary!" "Save
democracy from mob rule!" "House of Crocodiles, magsilbi naman kayo sa Bayan!"
and "P-Noy, mas marunong ka pa kay CJ Corona, ikaw nalang kaya ang mag-CJ!"
Similar protests were held by judges in other parts of the country, including
Batangas City, Iloilo City, Isabela, and Laoag City.
Eugenio clarified that their action was voluntary, and that they would return
to regular work today.
The SC has denied ordering the judges and employees to hold the "court
holiday." Court administrator Midas Marquez said he only invited the judges to
listen to the speech of Corona.
"I never declared a court holiday. Judges and court personnel are invited to
listen to the Chief Justice. I leave everything to the sound discretion of the
judges," Marquez clarified.
Upon learning of the judges' action, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she
would study if the participants in the rally could face possible charges.
But court officials laughed off her threat, saying the judges and court
employees are not under the administrative jurisdiction of the executive branch.
They said they are under the supervision of the Supreme Court, specifically its
office of court administrator.
Meanwhile, judges belonging to the 2,812-strong Philippine Judges
Association, Metropolitan Trial Court and City Judges Association and Philippine
Trial Judges League also rallied behind Corona against what they consider an
"attack to the independence of the judiciary" by President Aquino and his House
allies.
"The trial court judges of the Philippines raise our unified voice and ask
that the judiciary be allowed to perform its mandate under the Constitution with
independence, without fear or influence, pressure or interference, as our oath
requires," they said in a joint statement issued after an assembly Tuesday
night.
They warned that when attacks on the judiciary continue, the people might no
longer rely on the courts and take the law into their own hands: "Anarchy and
chaos will then reign."
For his part, Judge Silvino Pampilo of Branch 26 said Corona's impeachment,
might create a "legal vacuum" in the SC.
In Laoag City, judges and court personnel showed up in black shirts but
declined to comment on Corona's impeachment.
Court employees in Isabela province also voiced support for Corona but
claimed they received instructions regarding the protest action only yesterday
morning through text message from deputy court administrator Raul Villanueva.
"Had we received the text message earlier, we could have dressed in black
too," according to a court employee who asked not to be identified.
Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, vice chairman of the House committee on
justice, told Bombo Radyo Laoag of his support for the impeachment of Corona.
Fariñas said the high tribunal under Corona had shown partiality toward
former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and compromised
the Aquino administration's crusade against corruption.
Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao rebuffed accusations that the House railroaded
the Corona impeachment, saying they held "rigid searching and caucus" before
gathering signatures for the Chief Justice's impeachment. Aggabao has been named
one of the prosecutors.
Aggabao, a stalwart of the Nationalist Peoples' Coalition (NPC), promised to
exercise fairness in prosecuting Corona.
Former justice secretary Silvestre Bello III, for his part, said due process
was sacrificed in the House's impeachment of Corona. He said he believed Corona
should have turned down his appointment by Arroyo out of propriety, but stressed
the Chief Justice still deserved to be given due process.
"In every complaint, the accused is always being given the chance to be
informed of the complaint against him and a chance to refute based on the
principle of due process. But it appears the swift prosecution of Corona shows
otherwise," Bello said.
Taxpayers real losers
Meanwhile, retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the taxpayers
would be the ultimate losers in the spat between Malacañang and the judiciary.
The "intramurals between the executive department and the judiciary are by
and large caused by the GMA phenomenon plus the Hacienda Luisita catastrophe,"
he said.
"Why? Said two powers are fixated with one another – with the people in
general they are precisely bound to serve, taking but a back seat to watch,
cheer or jeer them. Result: Millions of Filipinos remain poor and hungry,
miserable and destitute," he said.
He said there should be balance in the functions and operations of three
"powers" in a "republican state" – the powers of the "sword, pen, and purse" or
the executive, judiciary and the legislature.
"Such an apportionment of power is meant to balance and counter-balance the
functions and reach of the said three branches of government – all for the
common good of the citizens, particularly in the search for truth, in the
administration of justice and in the enjoyment of peace that brings about
national socio-economic development," he said.
"The citizens are the ones who give every centavo and peso that the
government needs, requires and demands. And, these people do so through their
continuous direct and indirect taxes from birth to death," he added.
Cruz said that in the past a leader had once "arrogated all the three
functions of the 'Sword,' the 'Pen,' and the 'Purse' to himself," apparently
referring to the Marcos dictatorship.
This was followed by a "weak and ineffective rule" buffeted by many coups, he
said. An administration "identified with wine, women and song" also assumed
leadership of the country, he said.
"And so on – until the present government came about with much noise but no
content, with a lot of posturing but without substance, with many promises but
no deliveries," Cruz said.
"Pitiful Filipinos! When shall they be blessed – if ever – with competent,
upright, and effective governance?" – Edu Punay, Sandy
Araneta, Raymund Catindig, Charlie Lagasca, Eva Visperas, Reinir Padua, Teddy
Molina
Lawmakers lose key posts in fallout over impeachment
by Maricel Cruz
BATANGAS Rep. Hermilando Mandanas was the latest casualty in the impeachment
war at the House of Representatives.
Mandanas lost the chairmanship of the powerful ways and means committee after
he refused to sign the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.
He was immediately replaced by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab.
Earlier, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tangco bolted the administration coalition,
lambasting the Aquino administration for failing to defend the independence of
the House. He also assailed the "railroading" by the House majority of Corona's
impeachment.
Tiangco said the issue was no longer about Pampanga Rep. Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo and President Benigno Aquino III, but about the integrity and
independence of the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, at least four other lawmakers who are part of the majority
coalition are said to be in danger of losing key posts in the House.
These lawmakers are Deputy Speakers Jesus Crispin Remulla of Cavite and Pablo
Garcia of Cebu, national defense committee chairman Rep. Rodolfo Biazon of
Muntinlupa City, and Financial Intermediaries committee head Rep. Sergio Apostol
of Leyte.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
