Category: Justice

Philippine media fell for hoax WB report?

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2012

Philippine media has a term for it: kuryente

It looks like a number of Philippine media organizations were victims of a hoax World BanK Report regarding Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project criticizing Chief Justice Renato Corona and Court Aministrator Midas Marquez.

Manila Bulletin came out with a report on WB disowning the so-called JRSP report. Here it is:

World Bank disowns JRSP report
By CHINO S. LEYCO
January 16, 2012, 5:38pm

MANILA, Philippines — The World Bank denied on Monday it released a report on the Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) that noted its dissatisfaction with the way the project was being implemented.

Erika Leann Lacson-Esguerra, World Bank program assistant for external relations, said Monday the bank did not release to the media a supposed memo regarding the “unsatisfactory” progress of the high court’s loan.

“This email message did not come from the World Bank. Any official statement from the World Bank will be posted online (www.worldbank.org.ph),” Lacson-Esguerra said.

The Corona impeachment trigger

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2012

The trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona has started.

It is expected that like the Estrada impeachment trial, the Corona impeachment would also be a blockbuster telenovela that will be followed by the Filipino nation. Afternoons will now be prime TV hours, Mondays through Thursdays.

It is appropriate to ponder how we got into this situation that viewed from the Aquino administration’s perspective would result in reforms in the judiciary and better government for the people. From the political opposition’s perspective, however, it’s trampling on the Constitutional guarantee of separation of powers and bastardizing democracy.

I think it’s good to know how we got into this situation in the first place. We must ask why, after one-and-a-half-years in office, Aquino finally decided to move for the ouster of Corona.

VERA Files follows Corona Trial

Published by Ellen on January 16, 2012

VERA Files has created a page on the Corona Trial. I encourage you to visit it. We will try to help readers understand the proceedings…

Aquino to strengthen legal team

Published by Ellen on December 27, 2011

Aquino in ANC presents dec 2011 — Aquino in ANC interview

It’s good that President Aquino finally saw the need to make changes in his legal team.

With a stronger legal team, he need not resort to making us believe it is good governance to bend the law to make Gloria Arroyo accountable for the crimes she committed against the Filipino people.

In an interview with ANC’s Lynda Jumilla, Aquino said his legal team is “being improved.”

No names were mentioned but it’s being talked about for some time that many of the lawyers in Aquino’s official family including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is not happy with Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz.

Those reportedly being considered for the SolGen position include Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Teresita Herbosa; Professor Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law; and Chief negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Marvic Leonen, also former dean of the UP College of Law.

Libre na si Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo?

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2011

Mariano del castillo2 — Thanks to Inquirer for photo.

Ang swerte naman nitong si Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

Nauna siyang nasampahan ng impeachment complaint sa House of Representatives sa kasalanang plagiarism o pangungupya ng sinulat ng ibang tao na hindi nagpa-alam.

Ang report noong Biyernes, hindi na raw itutuloy. Natabunan na ng impeachment complaint kay Chief Justice Corona.

Kaya nag-post tuloy ng panawagan si Atty. Harry Roque sa Facebook: “House should not abandon Del Castillo impeachment. Can’t change the SC by just changing its head. Need to drastically change its composition!I Impeach more Justices and not just one!” (Hindi dapat i-abandona ng House ang Del Castillo impeachment.
Hindi maaring magkaroon ng pagbabago sa SC kung ang hepe lang ang palitan. Kailangan palitan ang malawakan na pagpalit ng bumubuo nito. I-impeach ang iba pang justices at hindi isa lang!”

We will miss Sen. Miriam

Published by Ellen on December 13, 2011

There is no truth to the malicious talk that Malacañang ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs to work hard for Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago election to the International Criminal Court because they are worried that she would block the conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona who was impeached by the House of Representatives last Monday.

Santiago was elected Tuesday as judge in the International Criminal Court, the female judge from a developing Asian country to hold a seat in that international body.

“I will be the first Filipino to sit there. Plus, I will be the first Asian from a developing country. So this is an honor for the Philippines actually and for President Aquino who nominated me,” Santiago said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

Chief Justice Corona impeached

Published by Ellen on December 12, 2011

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Maila Ager
Philippine Daily Inquirer

The House majority on Monday virtually impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona after gathering signatures of more than one-third of the 287 members of Congress favoring his ouster.

Click on the link below for the Summary of the Impeachment complaint vs CJ Corona:

Summary of the Corona impeachment complaint

Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali said Corona was virtually impeached with at least 140 members, or almost half of the membership of the House of Representatives, signing the resolution.

Ako Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe said that the impeachment case was laid down in such a way that it would be geared toward a person and not the institution.

There were three grounds cited and eight articles of impeachment cited in the impeachment of Corona.

Legislative joins Executive versus Judiciary

Published by Ellen on December 8, 2011

Mariano del castillo — Just the start of SC cleansing?

The impending impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Mariano de Castillo now brings the Legislative branch of the government on the side of the Executive against the Judiciary.

This is a two-pronged attack and there’s no way that the High Court headed by the Chief Justice Renato Corona, closely identified with Gloria Arroyo, could win.

Of course, Malacañang had a hand in it. If President Aquino frontally attacked Corona in public, it’s easy to imagine what his people are doing behind the scene.

But in Philippine politics, that’s par for the course.

Malacañang must have delivered the message so convincingly that even the chair of the House’s committee on justice, Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr. , was surprised by the overwhelming vote of 40-7 finding the long-pending plagiarism complaint accusing Del Castillo of betrayal of public trust sufficient in substance.

More, Mr. President

Published by Ellen on December 6, 2011

Aquino, Corona, Enrile — Body language tells it all

Go on, Mr. President. Give the mob what they want. Don’t waste the momentum that you have gained. Take over the Arroyo appointees-dominated Supreme Court. Your popularity will rise higher no Philippine President has ever achieved.

You were right in humiliating Chief Justice Renato Corona. He deserves it for being Gloria Arroyo’s lackey.

Teach him a lesson for conspiring with Arroyo in putting one over the people and assuming the top SC position when the 60-day election ban was in force.

You are right about reminding him, to his face and in public, and the people that he is a “midnight” appointee.

“Hindi ito ang unang beses na gumawa ang Korte Suprema ng mga desisyong napakahirap unawain. Ayon sa article 7, section 15 ng Saligang batas, ‘Ang isang Pangulo ay hindi dapat gumawa ng mga paghirang sa loob ng dalawang buwan bago sumapit ang susunod na halalang pampanguluhan at hanggang sa matapos ang kanyang taning ng panunungkulan, maliban na lamang sa mga pansamantalang paghirang sa mga katungkulang ehekutibo.’

Pres. Aquino slams Corona at 1st National Criminal Justice summit

Published by Ellen on December 5, 2011

Following is the speech of President Aquino Monday at the 1st National Criminal Justice Summit where he slammed Chief Justice Renato Corona. I’ll make my commentary later today.

Magandang umaga ho. Maupo ho tayong lahat.

Ako na ho pala agad. Sana ho hindi ako late.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Sonny Belmonte; honorable members of the House of Representatives present; Chief Justice Renato Corona and the honorable members of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Sandiganbayan; excellencies of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Leila de Lima; Secretary Jesse Robredo; Secretary Eduardo de Mesa: Secretary Cesar Garcia; Chairman Francis Tolentino; Presiding Justice Villaluz of the Sandiganbayan; men and women of the Philippine National Police, led by Director General Nicanor Bartolome; civil society; nongovernment organizations; fellow workers in government; honored guests; ladies and gentlemen:

Ang pagtitipon natin ngayong umaga ay isang pagkakataon para higit na masuri ang lakas at kahinaan ng ating kasalukuyang criminal justice system, at makalikom ng mga makabago at napapanahong inisyatibang pangkatarungan. Masasabi nating napapanahon ito: dahil sa mga araw-araw na headline sa diyaryo at telebisyon, nasasaksihan din ngayon ng buong bansa kung gaano kasalimuot ang trabaho ng mga clerk of court, abugado, at huwes.