SC junks second ‘initiative’ appeal

The Supreme Court (SC), in its first ruling this year, upheld yesterday its rejection of the people’s initiative as a mode of amending the Constitution and junked the second motion for reconsideration filed by Charter change lobby group Sigaw ng Bayan.

In a two-page decision, the SC said Sigaw failed to present new arguments. It added that the group’s second motion for reconsideration was already "a prohibited pleading."

The SC on Oct. 25 last year upheld the Commission on Elections’ resolution, issued on Aug. 31, 2006, rejecting the people’s initiative.

"This Court cannot betray its primordial duty to defend and protect the Constitution. The Constitution, which embodies the people’s sovereign will, is the bible of this Court," the SC said.

"This Court exists to defend and protect the Constitution. To allow this constitutionally infirm initiative, propelled by deceptively gathered signatures, to alter basic principles in the Constitution is to allow a desecration of the Constitution. To allow such alteration and desecration is to lose this Court’s raison d’être," it added.

Earlier, the High Tribunal junked a second motion for reconsideration separately filed by the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the co-petitioner of Sigaw in the people’s initiative case. The SC said in its decision that it would no longer entertain further appeals on people’s initiative.

Meanwhile, acting court spokesman Midas Marquez said that with the main session hall damaged by fire, the 14-man tribunal pushed through with its regular Tuesday en banc session at the adjacent Justices’ Lounge.

Marquez said representatives of the Government Service Insurance System inspected the fire damage.

"The GSIS people went there to evaluate the damage. There is no estimate yet but we think that the damage is superficial. It’s more on water damage on the physical appearance (of the session hall)," Marquez said.

He said the SC expects the GSIS to complete its assessment of the damage within the week, and the final restoration of the session hall by April, or just in time for the retirement of Associate Justice Romeo Callejo Sr.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno also ordered a comprehensive inspection of the SC building’s electrical wiring, Marquez said.

Puno is also eyeing the temporary use of the session hall of the old SC building on Taft Ave. for court sessions.