For SC, blue means back to normal

MANILA, Philippines — The color in the flag-raising ceremony of the Supreme Court (SC) moves to a lighter, cooler tone of blue in what could be an indication of return to normalcy in the judiciary after the appointment of Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro.

It will be the first flag-raising ceremony to be led by De Castro as chief justice after she took her oath of office before her colleagues in the SC last Tuesday and her ceremonial oath before President Duterte last Friday.

Court officials and employees are set to wear blue shirts today as a symbol of return to “peace in the judiciary” following the ouster of Ma. Lourdes Sereno from the top judicial post, according to an insider.

Officers and members of the Supreme Court Employees Association (SCEA), which earlier staged the “Black Friday” and “Red Monday” protests, also initiated the “Blue Monday” event.

“After darkness (black) and war (red), we now have peace (blue),” explained an officer of SCEA who requested anonymity due to lack of authority to speak for the Court.

Court personnel had staged “Black Friday” during the impeachment trial of the late former chief justice Renato Corona in 2012 to protest what they dubbed as “death of democracy.” 

Earlier this year, they also held “Red Monday” during the impeachment and quo warranto proceedings against Sereno when court personnel called for her resignation and supported justices who testified against her.