Fair compromise

The vacancy for Chief Justice caused a debate between those who favored tradition and seniority for an insider to be appointed and those who favored reform and new blood for an outsider to be appointed.

Fifty applied but only 20 remained to be interviewed by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC). The JBC came out with a compromise short list of 5 insiders and 3 outsiders.

Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was the most junior insider, having been appointed only in August 2010. Thus, she is the first of 3 Aquino appointees to the Supreme Court.

Being a comparatively new associate justice, she can be considered an “outsider” to the senior justices appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In a manner of speaking, she is a fair compromise choice. This is a solomonic decision for President Aquino. Fortunately, he avoided a huge controversy if rank outsider Sec. Leila de Lima was appointed.

Still Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno must exert double effort to get the respect and cooperation of the 8 most senior justices, most of whom did not attend her oath taking at Malacañang.

She already earned some criticisms whom she discussed her dissenting opinion in 3 cases which obviously supported the Malacañang position.

The 52-year old Chief Justice Sereno is the youngest to be appointed to the Supreme Court this century. That makes her “junior” even in age to all the other members of the Supreme Court. Considering Filipino culture of respecting older people, the more it is incumbent on CJ Sereno to exercise utmost humility and respect for the opinion of the majority in cases to be decided.

She will be helping her cause to a large degree if she makes an initial pronouncement that the SC decision on the Hacienda Luisita case is final.

She can initiate reforms by reducing the fees being charged by the courts.

She can also make a good beginning by promising to expedite the decision on all cases pending for more than 5 years before the Court.

Good luck and God bless Chief Justice Sereno.

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DEAN ANDY BAUTISTA’S VIEW . . On the appointment of Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice: “It is a gamechanging choice. It coincides with P-Noy’s expressed desire for change in the justice system.

Certain quarters will obviously be unhappy, particularly the more senior justices as this will go against tradition.

Personally: Chief Justice Sereno has competence, track record, personality. Let us support her and give her a chance to show her mettle.

Reminder to all, as the impeachment showed — No one is sacred.”

Having worked with her as Commissioner of the Preparatory Commission on Constitutional Reform under President Erap, Bautista recalls her being bright and articulate, a deep thinker, diligent and disciplined.

“She has Law and economics background which is very important now because the practice of law is increasingly intertwined w/ business and economics.

She faces the challenge of needing to forge consensus among the justices.”

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CONVICTS FOR HIRE . . Murder convict Rommel Laciste, a maximum security prisoner, who disappeared from the New Bilibid Prison last week was recaptured by police in Naguilian, Isabela.

Laciste confirmed he was let out of Muntinlupa to do a hit job on a lumber dealer in San Mariano, Isabela.

He was also hired to kill a businesswoman in Santiago City, Isabela. Price per hit is P300,000.

This confirms what has been talked about for years — that prisoners both from Muntinlupa or a provincial jail are hired to murder targets, only to return to jail after the job is done with a perfect alibi. This of course means connivance of prison officials and prison guards.

CCTV footage showed that Laciste left Muntinlupa in a rice delivery truck implying that guards at the gate did not do their jobs as vehicles exit.

But the biggest story about Muntinlupa is the fact that a P1-billion drug business is being run by drug lords inside the prison.

Again, this has been bruited about for years but prison authorities have been unable or unwilling to stop it for obvious reasons. Between the Bureau of Corrections, the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation and the Prosecution Service, there’s a lot of corruption going on in the Department of Justice. 

Secretary Leila de Lima has not been able to stop it. It is only proper that she was disqualified for the post of Chief Justice.

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GOOD GOVERNOR . . Provincial governments should concentrate on promoting agriculture.

Foremost among provincial governors actively promoting agriculture is Negros Occidental Governor Freddie Marañon.

He has been awarded an Agri Pinoy Achievement Award by the Department of Agriculture by recording the highest percentage increase in rice production.

Negros Occidental self sufficiency record has increased from 68% to 93% producing 472,000 metric tons at an average yield of 4 metric tons per hectare, higher than Iloilo.

Negros Occidental is the 9th biggest rice producing province in the country. Governor Marañon is a prime exponent of organic farming.

Among his other agriculture projects, he imported 6,000 sheep from Australia and the US in 2011 for a now successful lamb dispersal program.

He also established lemon grass oil production program in Southern Negros with barangay produce now earning P2,000 per liter of lemon grass oil.

He provides crop insurance to farmers and he lends tractors to farmers at no cost.

He has just planted 500 hectares to corn and in the chicken area of Negros Occidental. He has 90 hectares producing certified seeds with the assistance of Philrice.

The province is producing 100,000 chickens a month and has upgraded the quality of pork.

Gov. Marañon has 500 scholars, most of them taking agriculture and veterinary medicines.

President Aquino should direct all provincial governors to concentrate on agriculture to achieve rice and corn sufficiency and to assure our food security.

Excellent job, Gov. Freddie Marañon.