When Institutions Clash

THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE VERSUS THE JUDICIARY. The highest court in the land, the Supreme Court (SC) and the executive branch of government has, it is now clearly seen, drawn the line against each other.

It was President Benigno Simeon Aquino III who clearly threw the gauntlet at Chief Justice Renato Corona, of the SC.

In the legislative branch, dozens of opposition congressmen sided with Corona, but majority of solons chose to side with the President. Therefore, it is clear that the President has the number. A stalemate can only occur if and once the Senate which has composed itself into an impeachment court, will side with Corona. However, there is almost a balanced number of majority senators and those who either belonged to the other parties such as the PNP-Laban, Nacionalista Party and the former Lakas-CMD in the Senate. An analysis will indicate that once the Senate sides with President Benigno Aquino III, Corona’s goose would be cooked. As indicated by the present and just-recently released Asia Pulse survey, it is the anti-Coronas who have the more favorable numbers of votes from the people. VOTES AND POSITION IN FAVOR OF FORMER PRESIDENT GMA. Palace Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, enumerated the issues Chief Justice Corona voted for and also these were issues which involved former President GMA or her allies. Overwhelmingly, if one were to gauge from Lacierda’s statement, the Chief Justice was or is in favor of her and her allies. They have this thinking that no matter what they do and will do, the men in the Supreme Court (SC), namely the Associate Justices, the majority of them who are appointees of then President Arroyo, will always vote against issues which would have a bearing on President Aquino’s governance. That mindset is already fixed primarily, with the President. And his people, too. One can see it from his public drubbing of Chief Justice Corona on several occasions. It may be unpalatable to Corona and some people in the SC, but many people view it as positive because he said and pointed it out sincerely. Since Corona was former President GMA’s appointed, he has shown also his loyalty to her. At least in the Philippine context, may “debt of gratitude” sya. But in essence, as members of the SC, it should follow that the Chief Justice and Associate Justices including those who are connected with the highest court in the land must ensure that they show no personal bias, but must rule on what is essentially right.

The court must, indeed, rule with probity and justice. One has to decide one way or the other who is right in this debate. Only one has the correct point; the other may have a point but in the final analysis, one must decide on who is basically correct. The line is now clearly drawn on this issue and even the most principled of political leaders such as the members of the partylist political party Bayan Muna, has sided with President Aquino.

For him to redeem himself, Chief Justice Renato Corona must dispense justice, indeed, rightly. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is detested by a huge majority of the people because during her term, she and her chosen ones had committed plunder, injustices, violations of the people’s civil, political, human rights and economic and cultural rights. What she has done, President Aquino must correct and do what is good for the people.

Tell you me. But, indeed!*