Judges, employees call impeachment 'death of democracy'

MANILA, Philippines - Judges and court employees yesterday marched to the Supreme Court (SC) compound in Padre Faura St. in Ermita, Manila in black shirts and armbands to protest Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment, which they branded as the “death of democracy in the Philippines.”

SC personnel tied black ribbons around trees and posts on Taft Ave. to demonstrate their protest and covered the giant statues of Chief Justices Cayetano Arellano and Jose Abad Santos at the steps of the SC building with black cloaks.

Manila’s regional trial court (RTC) employees took leave but clarified that there was “not a court holiday” since skeletal forces were left in participating courts and gave assurance that litigants were informed of the resetting of hearings.

Eight justices of the high court – including Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes who is an appointee of President Aquino – attended an interfaith Mass held in the morning at the SC grounds to bless the embattled Chief Justice.

Reyes was joined by Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonard-de Castro, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto Abad, Martin Villarama, Jose Mendoza and Jose Perez, all appointees of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, just like Corona.

Manila RTC Judges Association president Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr., of Manila RTC Branch 24, said there was no walkout but admitted that several members filed leave of absence.

He said he didn’t know how many of their 43 active members filed leave or joined the rally at the SC.

Manila RTC Branch 26 Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. said the judges and court personnel held a flag ceremony at 8 a.m. at the Manila City Hall before proceeding to the SC.

“There was no work stoppage. We continued our hearings and inventory. We wore black. We were in mourning due to the death of democracy and as a show of support to Corona,” he said.

Pampilo said he held a hearing after the flag raising ceremony before joining the judges, justices and court personnel in a Mass at the Supreme Court.

The Manila judges decided to go on leave a few hours before the impeachment trial of Corona at the Senate started.

Eugenio had asked the public for understanding for the judges’ absence yesterday.

SC court employees and staff filled the Supreme Court compound with black ribbons and wore black shirts and black armbands to mourn what they called the assault on the judiciary’s independence.

Judges and court employees at the Quezon City Hall of Justice also held their own Mass just before the impeachment trial commenced at the Senate.

Attending Mass were Executive Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla, Judge Fernando Sagun and Judge Luisito Cortez.

Court employees in Ilagan, Isabela also wore black to manifest support for the beleaguered chief magistrate.

All scheduled hearings were postponed.

Last Saturday some 100 court employees and officials attended and sponsored a Mass at St. Ferdinand Parish Church in the provincial capital for the Chief Justice.

Meanwhile, members of the judiciary consider the impeachment of Corona as an apparent attack on the independence of the judiciary.

Most of the articles in the complaint filed by the House of Representatives against Corona last month involved collegial decisions of the high tribunal.

Several groups read their manifesto of support after the Mass celebrated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo.

Among them were the Philippine Judges League (PJL), Philippine Association of Court of Employees (PACE), Philippine Women’s Judges Association (PWJA), the RTC Judges Association, Supreme Court Assembly of Lawyers and Employees (SALE), Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA) and Court of Appeals Employees’ Association (CAEA). – With Edu Punay, Reinir Padua, Raymund Catindig