Lawyers to serve as Noynoy’s ‘watch dogs’ in May polls

About 200 lawyers from across the country have volunteered to serve as “watchdogs" who will guard votes for Liberal Party standard-bearer Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III in the coming May polls. A group called “PiNoy Lawyers" on Saturday gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pasig City to throw their support behind Aquino and his running mate, Sen. Manuel “Mar" Roxas II and to serve as the tandem’s poll watchers during the upcoming elections. “We will serve as their watchdogs. We will protect their votes by deploying our members all over the country to make sure that their votes are correctly counted and canvassed," said lawyer Joel Cadiz, one of the group’s coordinators. Cadiz said the group would assign lawyers as watchers during the municipal and city board canvassing, since they expect cheating to be “most rampant" in these areas. “Doon po mangyayari ang mga dayaan na malakihan, kaya po babantayan namin upang hindi sila madaya (Cheating will be massive at these levels so we have to guard their votes against cheating)," he said. The group will also serve as the Aquino-Roxas tandem’s “principal legal arm" in the coming elections, according to Cadiz. Lawyer Jamar Kulayan, who flew all the way from Sulu in southern Philippines to volunteer for “PiNoy Lawyers," said he chose to support Aquino because he believes the LP standard-bearer can fight corruption in the country. “I and my fellow lawyers from Mindanao went all the way here because we believe in Noynoy’s cause, especially his fight against corruption," he said. Reform the judiciary In his speech before the group of lawyers, Aquino said he would want to reform the judiciary under his administration, especially the delivery of justice among common Filipinos. “Tama po ba na more than 20 years bago magkaroon ng desisyon ang isang kaso rito sa ating bansa? (Is it right that here in our country, it has to take 20 years before a decision is reached on a case?)" he said. Aquino also slammed anew the Arroyo administration for trying to appoint a new chief justice in the Supreme Court (SC) before the May polls. “In the Constitution, it is very clear that the President is barred from appointing anyone two months before the elections… Pero ipipilit nang ipipilit maski na baluktot para maitaguyod ang interes ng iisang tao (But they will try their utmost, even if it’s wrong, just to cater to the interest of one person)," he said. Aquino had repeatedly said in the past that he would not recognize a SC Chief Justice appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if he wins the presidential race. At the end of his speech, Aquino vowed to make all corrupt government officials accountable if he becomes president. “Ang taumbayan ang kaisa-isang amo. Sa mga nakalimot nito, malapit na ang oras ninyo. (The people is the only boss here. For those who have forgotten this, you’re time is running out)," he said.—JV, GMANews.TV