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Corona urged to reject appointment as chief justice


A legal watchdog has urged Supreme Court Associate Justice Renato Corona to reject his appointment as chief justice, saying accepting it will compromise the integrity of the high court. “As the head of the third branch of government, the chief justice has an obligation to ensure the integrity of the judiciary. That integrity starts with an appointment that is not only legitimate, but morally and ethically acceptable. A chief justice whose own appointment is embroiled in doubts and suspicion will not be an effective leader," the Supreme Court Appointments Watch (SCAW) said in an open later. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week named Corona as the replacement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Monday. The appointment was made despite a supposed constitutional ban on appointments by a sitting president during the election period. A controversial Supreme Court ruling last month said the ban does not cover the position of chief justice. SCAW, however, appealed to Corona’s “reason and statesmanship" to let the next president, who will assume office on June 30, to do the appointment out of respect to the “midnight appointments ban" under the 1987 Constitution. “Doubtless this controversy has contributed to the weakening public opinion of both the Supreme Court and the Judicial and Bar Council," SCAW’s letter read. The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is an eight-man body constitutionally mandated to screen nominees for vacant judicial positions. Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, who is likely to replace President Arroyo in Malacañang based on the results of the elections, said he would not honor Corona’s appointment. Puno, however, appealed to Aquino to honor the rule of law, saying failure to do so could lead to a constitutional crisis. Malacañang urged Aquino, a vocal critic of the administration, to heed Puno’s advice. “Iyan ang pahayag ni Chief Justice Reynato Puno na sundin ang batas sapagkat sabi niya kung hindi susundin ang batas ay magkakawatak-watak ang ating lipunan. Iyun ang sinabi niya, kaya mainam siguro ay sumangguni sa kanyang sinabi ang lahat ng nagbibigay halaga sa pag-iral ng batas at paghilom din ng sugat sa lipunan," said presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo. (Everybody should heed Puno’s call if they want the country’s wounds to heal.) Saludo also advised Aquino to follow the lead of previous presidents —including his late mother Corazon "Cory" Aquino — and respect the decision of the Supreme Court that paved the way for the appointment of Corona. “Wala akong nagugunita na sinumang Pangulo an direktong kumokontra, harapang kumkontra sa desisyun ng Korte Suprema. Wala akong nagugunita na kahit sinong presidente na gumawa nyan, kaya siguro iyan ay magandang pag-isipan ng sinumangmagiging sunod na Pangulo. Si (President) Cory (Aquino) hindi ganyan, si (President Fidel) Ramos, (President Joseph) Estrada and of course President Arroyo hindi rin ganyan," he said. (I don’t remember any president who directly opposed the decision of the Supreme Court. So this is probably something the next president should think about. Cory, Ramos, Estrada—they were not like that. They all bowed to the Supreme Court.) - KBK, GMANews.TV

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