Malacanang allies “misinterpreting the law” on appointing next SC chief justice
Jan 11th
President Arroyo’s allies were “deliberately misinterpreting the 1987 Constitution” when they insisted that she can appoint a new Supreme Court Chief Justice even before Chief Justice Reynato Puno retires on May 17, 2010.
They will be violating the Constitution and the laws, on the claim of Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, a member of the Bar and Judicial Council, that the president can appoint a “chief justice-in-waiting” during the final weeks of her nine-year administration.
President Arroyo cannot appoint a new Supreme Court chief justice to replace Puno as his retirement date falls within the election More >
Can GMA appoint the next Supreme Court Chief Justice?
Jan 10th
The forthcoming retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno and President Arroyo’s impending exit from power present an interesting legal question that will have an impact not only on our Supreme Court, but on our country’s future as well.
It will also provide the answers to persistent questions whether the Arroyo administration will leave behind a Supreme Court that will continue to enjoy a perception of judicial independence.
Chief Justice Puno retires in four months, on May 17, 2010, after the country had elected a new President, and 45 days before the constitutionally mandated transfer of presidential power from President Arroyo to her More >
SC should rule on constitutionality of Maguindanao martial law despite early lifting
Dec 15th
We urge the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of Proclamation 1959 even after President Arroyo lifted martial law in Maguindanao Saturday night.
The Supreme Court must make decision on the matter for the future guidance of the nation. Malacanang may not admit it, but a major consideration in the lifting was the apparent inability of government to defend its legality.
Despite the lifting of martial law, the Supreme Court should still rule on the petition filed before the high court questioning its legality. With the lifting of Proclamation 1959, we expect government to argue that the petitions should be dismissed More >
Disqualification case is harassment
Dec 7th
The disqualification case filed against me by Vlademir Cabigao is a nuisance suit. This smacks of the desperate harassment tactics that Malacanang is infamous for employing against its political critics.I anticipated that a petition of this nature would be brought against me so I took the initiative and asked for a legal opinion from the Comelec. Last September 19, Atty. Ferdinand Rafanan, Chief of the Comelec’s Legal Department, replied and stated that what the 1987 Constitution prohibited was the immediate reelection of a senator for a third term following two consecutive terms. To quote Rafanan, “A senator can run after More >
GMA must step down
Dec 3rd
UNA ANG BAYAN BAGO ANG SARILI
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she could not turn a deaf ear to Pampangueños’ clamor for her to continue serving the country. The public outcry for her to step down following the filing of her certificate of candidacy is louder. Will Mrs. Arroyo heed these deafening shouts, or will she choose to be a selective listener, as she had always been?
The Liberal Party joins the resounding call of the people for Mrs. Arroyo to step down from her position, in the spirit of fairness and equal opportunity, as she is now officially a participant in More >
Pinoy CNN hero should inspire us all
Nov 24th
Today, I recognize once more the importance of informal education as I commend Filipino Efren Penaflorida who was recognized as CNN Hero of the Year for starting a “pushcart classroom” to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership.
Efren’s recognition as CNN Hero of the Year is truly inspiring. By bringing a pushcart classroom to poor children in Cavite, he has shown the world that we can deliver basic education even to the poorest of the poor.
His example should be emulated by all Filipinos, especially in areas underserved by our formal educational system. Poverty is never a More >
Reduce remittance fees of OFWs this Christmas
Nov 24th
With the Christmas season just around the corner I call on Malacanang anew to fulfill its long-standing promise to reduce remittance fees shouldered by millions of overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their dependents.
The government can start with the scrapping of 1.5 percent Documentary Stamp Tax on remittances even as he noted the slow but steady increase in the remittances of OFWs to the Philippines.
The Central Bank reported this week that remittances by OFWs rose by 8.6 percent to $1.45 billion in September as more and more Filipino workers are finding jobs abroad as nurses, sailors and housekeepers amid a global More >
Strong LP showing confirms clamor for reforms
Nov 23rd
The impressive showing scored by Liberal Party presidential candidate Sen. Noynoy Aquino and his running mate Sen. Mar Roxas in the latest Pulse Asia survey only confirmed the Filipino people’s strong support for the party’s reform agenda and the clamor to overhaul the prevailing politics of patronage and corruption in the country.
A huge margin was registered by Noynoy over his nearest rival in the presidential survey and Mar posted a substantial lead in the vice presidential category.
As one newspaper columnist puts it, the May 2010 polls will be a show of People Power, but masquerading this time as an election. More >
LP presidency will immediately repeal EO 464
Nov 16th
The Liberal Party will immediately repeal Executive Order 464, the gag order issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that prevented executive officials from testifying before the Senate on the NBN-ZTE bribery scandal, when the party gains control of Malacanang after the May 2010 elections.
A Liberal Party administration will never tolerate public corruption and will invoke the principle of transparency and accountability in governance. Once we gain control of Malacanang with the forthcoming victory of the Noy Aquino-Mar Roxas ticket in the May elections, the first thing we will do is to repeal President Arroyo’s notorious EO 464.
While the LP recognized the principle More >
Safeguard judiciary, Supreme Court
Sep 29th
I call for vigilance anew among the country’s lawyers as I warn that a judiciary whose independence is compromised, would have a negative impact not only on our legal system but on our political life as a nation as well.
As I spoke during the “Law Day Celebration” of the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) held at a Makati hotel Friday, I said many in the legal profession have expressed apprehensions over the independence of the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, during the remaining months of the Arroyo administration.
Today, questions have been raised on the independence of the judiciary because of the More >
