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A senator said that removing Chief Justice Reynato Puno from the
Supreme Court could spark unrest, even as a Cabinet member claimed
that the move is part of a plot to immobilize the judiciary.
“Those plotting to oust Supreme Court Justice
Reynato Puno should beware,” Sen. Richard Gordon, an
administration lawmaker, said Monday. “The government of Pakistan
was ousted after the move against the chief justice [there].”
He cited that the political upheaval in Pakistan
started when then-President Pervez Musharaff suspended Chief Justice
Mohammad Chaudrey for alleged misconduct.
“It would fan the people’s ire if he would
be ousted,” Gordon said of Puno. “He has shown nothing but
goodness, and the people believe in his integrity as chief
justice.”
He described as “shameless” any move to
impeach Puno for the non-promulgation of a decision disqualifying
Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong of Negros Oriental for being a
naturalized citizen.
“We do not want to stir the public’s
emotions again,” Gordon added. “Our government has been hounded
with controversies on top of each other, and this issue of ousting
the Chief Justice would only agitate the people’s already agitated
minds.”
Suspicious of Palace
Both Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd and former
Senate President Franklin Drilon, president and chairman of the
Liberal Party, said earlier that Malacañang is behind the move to
impeach Puno.
Like Gordon, Roxas and Drilon linked the
threatened impeachment of Puno to administration allies who want to
amend the Constitution.
Roxas charged that at a time the Palace is
accused of attempting to wrest control of the bench and to railroad
the “Gloria Forever Cha-Cha,” Malacañang has set its sights on
Puno.
Drilon also hinted that the Presidents’ allies
could be very well behind the ouster move.
“Only Malacañang has that capability and I
strongly suspect that this move is part of the administration bid to
undermine the independence of the Supreme Court in order to railroad
Charter Change and extend the stay of President Arroyo in power
after 2010,” he explained.
Opposition to blame
But Palace officials deny they are involved in
the plot to remove Puno, blaming instead the opposition for a trying
to get media mileage by making a baseless link to the Arroyo
administration.
The opposition people are driven by getting
attention, said deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez. “For
whatever motives they have attention deficit intention. These are
ridiculous and unfounded political speculations to change the
perception of the people.”
Lorelei Fajardo, also deputy presidential
spokesman, said the allegation that the Palace is behind the move to
oust Puno is just a product of the opposition’s imagination.
“We have nothing to do with it. It has been a
habit for them to drag the Palace to controversies,” she added.
“We want to focus on the economy not politics. It [allegation] is
not surprising.”
Earlier, Golez said, “The removal of
impeachable officers, such as the chief justice, is well within the
exclusive jurisdiction of Congress.”
Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson hinted that the
reported moves to impeach Puno could be spearheaded by Malacañang.
Lacson was reported as saying that the Palace may have a hand in the
ouster bid against Puno, which Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas
Marquez said stemmed from the Chief Justice’s alleged inaction on
the disqualification of a lawmaker from Negros Oriental.
Before President Gloria Arroyo finishes her term
in 2010, she would have an almost full sweep of the court, with only
Chief Justice Puno as the remaining non-Arroyo appointee in the
15-member Supreme Court.
Puno, an appointee of former President Fidel
Ramos, is scheduled to retire in May 2010. The 1987 Constitution
limits the President from appointing a new member of the Supreme
Court 60 days before the elections, which means impeachment is the
only way to forcibly kick out Puno from his post.
Puno has a reputation of being independent—and
for being against Charter Change or “Cha-cha,” which would
likely become a Supreme Court case if the representatives insist on
amending the 1987 Constitution.
No link to ‘Cha-cha’
House Speaker Prospero Nograles denied
Drilon’s assertion that the attempt to impeach Puno is related to
Charter change.
House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Rep. Simeon
Datumanong said President Arroyo had no hand in the impeachment
threat against the Chief Justice.
“Well, if there is anyone [who wants to
impeach Puno], it must be somebody who is interested in this
case,” Datumanong added. “I don’t see any relation between
that rumor of impeachment with the proposed amendments to our
Constitution.”
Rep. Bienvenido Abante of Manila echoed Malacañang’s
line, saying that those who are connecting Charter change and
Puno’s possibly impeachment only wanted media mileage.
Destabilization plot
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said also on
Monday that the attacks on the Supreme Court—as well as those on
the Department of Justice (DOJ)—are part of an “orchestrated
move” to destabilize the country’s judicial system and
ultimately grab power.
“I feel that there is an orchestrated design
to immobilize the judiciary system,” the secretary said. “The
DOJ is being destabilized, while the SC [Supreme Court] is being
attacked. If you destroy the judicial system, the government will be
in shambles.”
The Justice department has come under fire
recently for alleged bribes paid to prosecutors and other officials
in exchange for the dismissal of a case against three wealthy
suspected drug dealers, known collective as the “Alabang Boys.”
But Gonzalez said he has no idea about who are
the people or groups behind the destabilization plot, as he hinted
that the rebellious Magdaló soldiers could be responsible.
“There are 20 Magdaló soldiers assigned at
the PDEA,” Gonzalez said, referring to the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency.
Magdaló group has a record of destabilizing the
government, referring to the failed “Oakwood mutiny” that took
place in Makati City on July 27, 2003, the secretary said.
Hot on Marcelino
Gonzalez also questioned the legality of
appointment to the anti-drugs agency of Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino,
saying it is a violation of the Constitution.
But Gonzalez said, “Article 16, Section 5,
Paragraph 4 of the 1987 Constitution states that no member of the
Armed Forces in the active service shall, at any time, be appointed
or designated in any capacity to a civilian position in the
government, including government-owned or controlled corporations or
any of their subsidiaries.”
Marcelino, an active officer of the Philippine
Marines, is the whistleblower, who had exposed the alleged attempt
to bribe him to release the drug suspects.
-- Efren L. Danao, Angelo S. Samonte, Jomar Canlas And William B.
Depasupil
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