Publicize all SALNs of Chief Justice bets

The Judicial and Bar Council will be stricter in vetting the next Chief Justice. All constitutional and documentary requirements must be met. The seven-man JBC wouldn’t want their nominee to suffer the fates of the last two CJs. Maria Lourdes Sereno was removed by quo warranto last June; Renato Corona by impeachment in 2012.

Foremost of constitutional requirements are competence, integrity, probity, and independence. Foremost of documentary requirements are annual Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. Integrity and SALNs are joined issues. In Sereno’s quo warranto trial by the Supreme Court, her lacking SALNs – seven of ten years in public service – were taken as lacking integrity. In Corona’s impeachment trial by the Senate, his non-inclusion of multimillion-dollar deposits and condos in SALNs proved corruption.

There is no new substantial requirement, but there will be more careful screening. So says Justice Sec. Menardo Guevarra, JBC ex officio vice chairman. The JBC will expect the five applicants to submit their past ten years’ SALNs as magistrates.

Yet precisely due to the two CJs’ ouster for questioned integrity and SALNs, the JBC might wish to vary its rule. As suggested by law school dean Ernesto P. Maceda Jr. in his column in The STAR last Sat., why not make the candidates submit all past SALNs and related or similar filings. As Maceda put it:

“...Moral character (is) the new top criterion...Four of the Associate Justices who judged Sereno on her integrity are now offering themselves in her place, proffering their own superior virtue. It’s an open invitation for a national vetting. For the sake of stability and accord, it would be best if all previous SALNs and any other sworn documents from the time they entered public service be analyzed now to avert fallouts that know no prescriptive period.”

The JBC can publish the submissions in its website, for public scrutiny. Those who know of any discrepancy or derogatory info can tell the JBC – or forever hold their peace. The un-assailed candidate would be worthy of the Chief Justiceship. The future of the SC and the Judiciary would be secure.

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Three of the four factions of the House Minority can unite to wrest it from the present company union. They need to find commonalities of character and objective.

The three are: (1) the combined five Liberals of Miro Quimbo and Magnificent 7 of Edcel Lagman, (2) remnants of deposed Speaker Bebot Alvarez, and (3) Antonio Tinio’s seven-man Makabayan bloc.

Divided, the three will be conquered by Danny Suarez’s group of 18 frenemies of Alvarez who voted for new Speaker Gloria M. Arroyo.

Quimbo’s LPs used to be with Alvarez’s supermajority, but left in 2017 to resist the impeachment of their party chief Leni Robredo as VP. Lagman’s group had fought Alvarez from the start, in 2016. The LPs had backed GMA’s Presidency at first, 2001-2004, but bolted when the “Hello Garci” election cheating was exposed in 2005. Lagman thereafter had defended GMA from yearly impeachments. Last July 23 both groups abstained from GMA’s election as Speaker – an example of unification.

The Quimbo-Lagman combine is smarting from Alvarez’s depriving them of road works and school buildings in their districts. Now Alvarez’s men will suffer the same punishment for defying GMA. Still they – Rudy Fariñas, Dakila Cua, Johnny Pimentel, Rey Umali, among others – are sticking it out with him. That shows toughness, the same quality of the Quimbo-Lagman stalwarts.

Same with Tinio’s Makabayan. Though once with the supermajority, it consistently dissented on issues of party principles. Its members too got zero funds from Alvarez, and will surely get none from GMA whom they opposed, in 2001-2010 and last July 23.

United, the three groups legally can grab the Minority Leadership by virtue of having not voted for GMA. They can draw lots on who is to hold the post, with the losers having equal say in Minority stands; their issuances can be joint. They can truly represent the democratic minority view for the sake of the electorate, till the end of their terms in May 2019. They will have better chances of reelection to same or other positions for their principled fight.

Suarez meanwhile can assume chairmanship of Ways and Means, which quietly is being negotiated with GMA. Bloc-mate Lito Atienza, GMA’s ex-Environment Secretary, can take over another committee.

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Sen. JV Ejercito believes that more colleagues will support his anti-political dynasty bill if surveys show Filipinos want it. Senators are sensitive to public sentiment, he says, and act accordingly.

If so, then Ejercito can point up one fact to them. The Constitution directs Congress to enact an anti-dynasty law. That Constitution overwhelmingly was ratified by the people in 1987. What better survey is there than a general plebiscite of all millions of voters, answering only one question by “yes” or “no”? By contrast, polls are based only from 1,200 or so respondents, answering a tiresome slew of questions. Pollsters can rig the results by the way questions are framed, respondents are “randomized,” and results are extrapolated.

Ejercito is a maverick in defying dynasties. He comes from one. His parents are Metro Manila city mayors, a half-brother is angling for senatorial reelection like him, and several other kinsmen hold positions in San Juan town and Laguna province.

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