WE, the Filipino People support the rule of law and will defend the Constitution at all cost. We shall uphold the rule of law – Justices July 15, 2014 Supreme Court (SC) justices were unfazed by President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s tirades against the tribunal’s ruling on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) as they vowed to uphold “the rule of law,” not “the rule of men.” The SC did not issue a statement on the President’s speech on Monday night that challenged the High Court’s ruling on the DAP, but sources at the tribunal on Tuesday said the justices believe that their unanimous decision declaring the spending program unconstitutional is right. SC spokesman Theodore Te told reporters that the “SC has no comment on the President’s speech yesterday [Monday].” But sources told The Manila Times that the justices discussed Aquino’s attack on the SC during their en banc deliberations on Tuesday. The magistrates vowed to perform their mandate “against all odds” because they believe that they have done nothing wrong, the sources said. “The court will do its job and wait for the motion for reconsideration,” one source told The Times. “They will let the rule of law prevail, not the rule of men,” he added. In their deliberations on Tuesday, the justices were one in saying that they will not be moved by the President’s threats because through their DAP ruling, the SC was able to protect government funds and the interest of the people, the source said. In his speech defending the DAP on Monday, Aquino warned of a collision between the executive and the judiciary, saying a “third party” may have to intervene if such a clash occurs. The source said the SC is “solid” in its DAP ruling and that the justices will not be swayed in their stand even if some of the members of the court were appointed by Aquino. Four of the SC justices are Aquino appointees—Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Bienvenido Reyes, Estela Perlas Bernabe and Marvic Leonen. The remaining 10 justices were appointees of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Justices Presbitero Velasco, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Martin Villarama, Jose Perez and Jose Mendoza. “Mas solid ang Supreme Court ngayon [The SC is more solid now],” the source told The Times. “There are no more Arroyo or Aquino appointees. It is the institution, the Supreme Court, which must be protected,” the source said. He added that the magistrates vowed to act “as magistrates” when the government will file its motion for reconsideration. manilatimes.net/we-shall-uphold-the-rule-of-law-justices/111799/
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:12:50 +0000
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