Noynoy hit on chief justice impeach warning

MANILA, Philippines - Administration senatorial candidate Silvestre Bello III yesterday chided Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for saying that the next chief justice appointed by President Arroyo would likely be impeached if he gets elected.

Bello, a former member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said Aquino should have taken notice of the judicial processes involved in appointing the next chief justice.

“We understand the lack of understanding of Sen. Noynoy of the Constitution. The responsibility lies with the appointing authority, not on the appointee. So if anybody is going to be impeached, it would be the appointing authority, not the appointee, assuming there is really a violation,” Bello said.

Bello said he is giving Aquino the benefit of the doubt for not understanding the Constitution.

But he said such a statement from Aquino “undermines” the SC as an institution and “politicizes” the issue of whether Mrs. Arroyo can appoint the next chief justice as she winds up her term of office.

Bello said the issue should be settled strictly on legal grounds, noting the differing opinions on whether Mrs. Arroyo can legally appoint the next chief justice to succeed Reynato Puno, who is set to retire on May 17.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) earlier came out with a resolution pointing out the constitutional prohibition against the President making any appointment during the last few months of her term.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, on the other hand, said Mrs. Arroyo could still make the appointment for the next chief justice by simply selecting from among the senior magistrates of the SC and bypass the JBC since the panel had screened all of them.

A survey conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center showed that 43 percent of Filipinos believe that Mrs. Arroyo has the right to appoint the next chief justice.

Thirty-eight percent of the 1,800 respondents in the poll conducted from Feb. 1 to 8 said they are in favor of Mrs. Arroyo making the appointment, according to Ed Malay, director of the Advocacy Center.

Among the main contenders as the next chief justice include Senior Justices Antonio Carpio and Renato Corona. Both Carpio and Corona are facing separate complaints accusing them of impropriety before the JBC.

SC spokesman and administrator Midas Marquez said the letters of complaint have been included in the agenda of the JBC in its meeting scheduled today. - With Edu Punay