Ramos, Arroyo attend retirement ceremonies for SC justice Nachura

Former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were present at the retirement ceremonies for Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura, who is set to hang his robe on Monday when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. Nachura has served in the three branches of government — executive, legislative, and judiciary — during the Ramos (1992 to 1998) and Arroyo (2001 to 2010) administrations. In his speech, Nachura said in jest that he has the privilege of being the only magistrate whose retirement ceremonies Arroyo, now Pampanga’s representative, attended. “Mahal niyo po talaga ako (You really love me)," he said. Despite this, Nachura underscored that Arroyo never attempted to influence him in his decision-making in high-profile cases were the Arroyo administration’s interests are at stake. Arroyo was criticized for allegedly creating a “rubber stamp" court by appointing justices who would vote in her administration’s favor and insulate her from prosecution in the corruption charges leveled against her. Belying these allegations, Nachure pointed out: “I’d like to make it of record that for the entire duration of my career as Justice, she [Mrs. Arroyo] never called me to intervene in any pending case. The only time she called me was to ask me if I can administer her oath as Representative of Pampanga." Nachura likewise acknowledged the presence Ramos, saying the former President was his “idol" for having taught him that politics and public service are inseparable. “I thank him for teaching us people in government by the example of outstanding leadership and effective governance," said the outgoing magistrate. The outgoing justice also addressed the accusations and controversies the court had to weather recently. “Leaving the judiciary leaves me with a tinge of sadness, not for sentimental reasons but for incidences of court bashing which have become fashionable. It seems that every Tom, Dick and Harry has declared an open season to take potshots at the Supreme Court and launch unwarranted attacks against individual justices," he said. Career in government During the ceremonies, Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin said that Nachura is one of the "select" few who got to serve in all three branches of government. It was Arroyo who appointed Nachura to the high court in 2007. Prior to joining the judiciary, Nachura served as Arroyo's chief legal counsel and solicitor general in 2006. Before joining the Arroyo administration, Nachura was part of the Eleventh and Twelfth Congress as the Representative of Samar's Second District. Under the Ramos administration, Nachura served as commissioner of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and as undersecretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. Retirement ceremonies Whenever a justice retires from the Supreme Court, his or her colleagues traditionally host ceremonies in his or her honor. They likewise give him tokens that are symbolic of the retiring magistrate's career in the high court. On Friday, the other SC justices heaped praises on Nachura, whom they said is an exceptional academician, constitutional expert, and prolific writer. The tokens given were a brass shingle, a photo album, a Philippine flag, a judicial robe, a book of court decisions, and a medallion, as well as a Supreme Court pen, flag, and seal. Present at the ceremonies were members of Nachura’s family, Sen. Franklin Drilon, former law partner and incumbent Commission on Elections chair Sixto Brillantes, among others. — MRT, GMA News