Corona slams ‘politicians’

SC critics abhor legal decisions – Chief Justice

SUPREME Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on Thursday said that “politicians” are endangering democracy in the country by practically coercing the High Tribunal to render political, not legal, decisions.

His statement, made after oath-taking of officers of the Justice Reporters Organization, was seen as an allusion to the apparently partisan power game being played by Malacañang and Congress, particularly in the highly charged impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

“Kasi alam mo, delikado yan kapag pinilit nila ang Korte Suprema na mag-decide on what is popular, tapos ang demokrasya natin. Kapag pinilit ng mga politicians na lumaro kami ng political game, tapos ang demokrasya natin [Because you know, that is dangerous if they force the Supreme Court to decide in favor of what is popular, that is the end to our democracy. If the politicians also force us to play the political game, that is also the end to our democracy],” Corona said.

He pointed out that the High Tribunal rules only on the basis of the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s Internal Rules.

“Our conscience is clear [because] we have always played by the rules, we have always followed the Constitution and I stand by that.
Everything we did was done according to the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court and I [also] stand by that,” Corona said.

He added that the High Court is doing its job but that there are people who are not happy with its rulings and that displeasure, the Chief Justice said, is normal.

Still, according to Corona, the High Tribunal—and the judiciary—should be insulated from the political process.

Attacks on the Supreme Court, he said, would not break the country’s highest tribunal.

They, Corona allowed, can “destroy” the Supreme Court but they can also “strengthen” it.

He admitted that there are disagreements inside the High Tribunal but declined to confirm if the differences have caused factionalism.

‘Political game’
Corona defended the High Court’s issuance of a status quo ante order on September 14, 2010 that enjoined the House Committee on Justice from proceeding with hearing impeachment complaints against the Ombudsman, calling the move regular and aboveboard.

He said that he was wondering why the issuance was being questioned six months after it was done and why it is being used to attack the Supreme Court.

Corona said that they also will not play the “political game” in responding to a reported plan by apparent detractors to file impeachment complaints against members of the High Tribunal.

Last week, Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte said that he was readying the impeachment complaints against eight justices who voted to grant Gutierrez’s petition for a stay order on the impeachment proceedings before the House justice panel even without deliberating on her petition.

The eight justices are Corona and Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Lucas Bersamin, Diosdado Peralta, Roberto Abad, Martin Villarama, Presbitero Velasco and Jose Portugal Perez.

Corona said that the Supreme Court rules allow the Chief Justice to issue the status quo ante order subject to confirmation later on by the other justices in an en banc session.

“A status quo ante order is not a decision that needs to be evaluated and studied thoroughly by the justices,” he noted.

Corona also defended Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, who according to Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, “misinformed the public” when he stated that justices had copies of the petition of Gutierrez when they voted on it.

“What he [Marquez] said to the media, it’s an accurate narration of what happened as far I’m concerned,” the Chief Justice said.

Sereno and Associate Justice Antonio Carpio earlier claimed that they have not received and read a copy of Gutierrez’s petition when the court en banc decided to vote on and grant the issuance of the status quo ante order.

Marquez, also the High Court spokesman, later said that all justices were given copies of the petition. –Jomar Canlas, Reporter with report from Rommel C. Lontayao, Manila Times