Laundry list

It's been a season of lists.  Aside from the Napolist, which names the corrupt politicians who have wallowed in government funds, there was the National Artist list, which finally came out this week, and the list of nominees for Justice of the Sandiganbayan.

While the Napolist has (finally) led to officials as high as Senators being incarcerated in jails more pleasant than usual, the National Artist awards led to disappointment for Noranians, as film star and convicted drug abuser Nora Aunor wasn't selected by the President.

What can I say?  It's hard enough to bat for a national honor when the candidate isn't universally acclaimed (half the world is comprised of Vilmanians), what more if the candidate has a prison record?  I am sure the President doesn't really want to promote drug abuse, and giving Nora Aunor this award will just trigger criticisms that he would elevate the complete package, felonious aspect included, to a pedestal, there to be cited as a model and an example to the impressionable youth.

The Sandiganbayan shortlist, on the other hand, is the latest list to land on the front pages.  It's important, because these justices will soon hear the Napolist cases.  And so vetting the nominees has become more crucial than ever, because the administration will want to pick someone with impeccable credentials.

It's not just making sure the candidates don't have a prison record.  The Palace will need to scrutinize not just their academic credentials, but also their affiliations, their network of connections, and their relationships with the present and future accused, and then predict how they will decide on future cases.

Which is why the Palace probably tried to return the list to the Judicial and Bar Council, because there were some nominees that were a wee bit questionable and not exactly above all suspicion.  The Palace wanted a safer list, something more sanitized.  After all, there had been the revelation that one nominee had been endorsed by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, himself now in the Napolist.

Nothing doing, said the JBC.  In a letter by JBC head, Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno, the JBC returned the same list to the Palace, explaining that there didn't seem to be authority under the Constitution for the JBC to keep tinkering with the list once it's been submitted to the Palace.  In other words, deal with it.

Some might take this as an act of defiance by the JBC, shocking considering Chief Justice Sereno was herself selected from another list by President Aquino when she was appointed to her post, but I think it's just a wonderful demonstration of the independence of the JBC from the Palace, and how she is so not beholden to him.  The best evidence the President made the right choice in appointing her.  No politics here, it's strictly business.

In any case, what's with the discomfort in this list?  All that the President has to do is pick a name.  If certain names out there doesn't tickle his fancy, then all he has to do is ignore them and pick out the most fragrant smelling name.  That list doesn't need to be sanitized before he takes a look at the candidates presented.  And if his choice isn't the most ideal, then tough.  He was saddled with a pre-existing handicap.  The pre-selection by the JBC limited his choices already.

Unless the President's men want other names to be added to the list?  One can only speculate. Meanwhile, let's hope Aquino picks the right jurist to decide the graft cases that are thankfully piling up under his administration. One who is clean, cerebral, and above reproach.

(Full disclosure: Nominee Marissa Macaraig Guillen, currently assistant solicitor general, was my sister's buddy in school.  Wishing her luck, and while she has my endorsement, I'm not pressuring the President to pick her.  Really.)