D & D

If justice is blind, the Prosecution must be deaf and dumb.

"SUPREME" VS "OFFICE"

Just a thought: The Supreme Court is "Supreme" while the Office of the President is only an "Office"

A golden comment (no, not from Midas' touch) by Filipino Thinker:

"We must all accept that under the Constitution, the Supreme Court is the final interpreter of the law. Not the President, not the Department of Justice, not the Congressmen, and especially, not activist movements. Citizens of a country must learn to abide by the High Court's decisions. Otherwise, our system of laws will break down. If the system of laws is not followed, our courts will no longer be able to protect our rights as individuals. Every disagreement will be settled based on the whims of whoever is in control of state power at the moment, and our individual freedoms will be sacrificed. But what if the Supreme Court is wrong? Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court decides what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, the Supreme Court is always right. Our system of laws was designed this way so there can be a final resolution to disagreements. Without the High Court as the final arbiter, disputes can go on forever, and there could be chaos in society. The Constitution provides impeachment as a check-and-balance on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is not infallible. However, impeachment must be based on solid evidence and due process must be followed. Railroading an impeachment complaint is not due process."

(Image from www.en.wikipedia.org)

KUNG WALANG CORONA, MAY HACIENDA

So, if the political allies of President Aquino II in Congress succeed in impeaching Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, and then the former appoints a new Chief Justice of his personal choice from the yellow stable, then what difference and change will this bring now? Won't that new CJ be soon branded as an "Aquino Chief Justice" and the High Court an "Aquino Court?" That will certainly be the sure death of check and balance by the Supreme Court to the Office of the President - and that is really what this administration wants to happen for many obvious reasons. And now, a tall order burns ever so bright like yellow Christmas lights at the Palace: Impeach the Chief Justice at all costs!

Hence, this new slogan must be in place: Kung Walang Corona, May Hacienda.

Agree?

(Image from www.tribuneonline.org)

RULE OF LOW

DELIMAGOGUE: a person who disregards the rule of law and appeals to the emotions and prejudices of people in order to gain political power.

(Image from www.ph.news.yahoo.com)

SMOKE SIGNALS

I heard the President recently changed his cigarette brand.

(Image from www.cigarettespedia.com)

WAY OFF THE MARK

Some people, you give them an INCH and they think they're the RULER.

Here's another legal gem from Prof. Alan Paguia:

"The Office of the President, the Department of Justice and the Commission on Elections are covering up for their mistake in filing a case versus Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with a Regional Trial Court (RTC) by ignoring Sec. 5, Art. XIII of the 1973 Constitution, and Sec. 4, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution which puts electoral sabotage under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan. In other words, the OP, DoJ and Comelec are following the Omnibus Election Code passed by Congress by VIOLATING the Constitution which was directly ratified by the SOVEREIGN Filipino people."

Bull's eye? No.

Bull's hit? Yes.

(Image from www.gmanetwork.com)

COURTING ANARCHY

Some people think they know more about the law than our Justices, disregarding and disrespecting the Rule of Law and our judicial institutions.

If they can't respect those Justices, they should at least respect the institution they represent.

It's just like meeting a General you loathe so much on the field. You don't salute the man.

You salute the rank.

(Image from www.en.wikipedia.org)

DILAW OR THE LAW?

The yellow ribbon's new look hates JEW process.

BRACE YOURSELVES FOLKS

The recent Department of Justice (DoJ) order isn't really any pain in the neck for former President Gloria Arroyo (pun unintended). You see, she knows that the executive department CANNOT usurp the judicial power to issue hold-departure orders under the principle of separation of powers. Arroyo knows that the Supreme Court will shortly uphold her constitutional right to travel abroad.

So it looks like it's going to be a happy Christmas for the Arroyos after all while President Aquino's whisper to Santa this Christmas is his wish for all his critics to shut up.

(Image from www.ph.news.yahoo.com/)

REMINDING NOYNOY

President-elect Noynoy Aquino's early stubbornness and arrogance of not wanting to take his oath before a sitting Chief Justice whose appointment he questions smells worse than his cigarette smoke. But I'm glad he's flip-flopping on this.

He should be reminded though that in 1990, his mother President Corazon Aquino's inherited stubbornness drove some 29 Court of Appeals justices to write a letter to her excellency questioning the appointment to the Supreme Court of Flerida Ruth Romero, Cory's speechwriter and personal friend.

When told that the justices were threatening to go on mass leave to protest Romero's appointment, the President reportedly instructed her aides to tell the justices to drop their objections or else she would throw the book at them. She could accuse them of dereliction of duty and on this basis cause them to lose their jobs.

Many Supreme Court justices had expressed reservations about the qualifications of Romero, who has never been a judge and has not distinguished herself in private practice. Romero herself, gracious as she has always been, kept silent throughout the controversy. The criticisms against her, however, were bound to make people scrutinize very closely whatever decisions she would be making in the Supreme Court. Similarly, lawyers were waiting to see whether the criticisms directed against Romero's appointment made President Cory act differently when she filled the remaining vacancy in the SC. It was widely believed then that she would pick another person close to her, either Deputy Executive Secretary Magdangal Elma or Adolf Azcuna, her former legal adviser.

In doing so, President Cory didn't give a hoot about traditions governing appointments to the Supreme Court and preferred to use personal loyalty as her main criterion.

Sounds familiar?

(Image from http://en.wikinews.org/)

HEY JUDGE

A distinguished lawyer recalls that in the past, judges and justices were so virtuous and upright, they practically led the lives of hermits just to avoid any suspicions that might reflect on the judiciary.

In those days, no judge was ever seen in a nightclub or any other similar place. And, as a general rule, judges stayed away from public functions where their presence were not vitally important. Any socializing a judge did was strictly limited to family affairs to which very few outsiders were invited. A judge would not attend a gathering where he might meet a person or persons involved in a case he was judging.

Today, we see judges and justices in places where even imps dare not go. Oh, how times have changed.

(Image from http://english.safe-democracy.org/)