IBP-Davao Chapter President Socorro Cabreros, president of the IBP-Davao chapter, pointed out that by issuing the ruling, the Supreme Court failed to exercise its independence. “We are dismayed and disappointed. We cannot find any good reason why should President Arroyo be in a hurry to make the appointment. There is no other intention of the SC decision here but to favor Arroyo,” she said.
Cebreros said the Supreme Court decision is “a mockery of the ‘Constitutional body which is supposed to be the last bastion of democracy.”
UPLM secretary general Carlos Isagani Zarate said the Supreme Court decision is worrisome especially now that talks and fears of scenarios to disrupt the elections are rife.
Zarate referred to talks on possible failure of elections given the many unaddressed vulnerabilities of the Automated Elections System and the series of appointments of army officials close to the President to key positions in the military hierarchy.
Davao lawyers at the office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)- Davao City chapter denounce on Monday, March 22, the Supreme Court ruling which allows the President to appoint the Chief Justice. (contributed photo)
IBP-Davao del Sur chapter which had filed on March 8 a motion to set an oral argument against the Supreme Court’s impending ruling was taken by surprise by the March 17 ruling.
Lawyer Israelito Torreon, IBP-Davao del Sur chapter president, said the Supreme Court acted “with undue haste, without hearing, and without even giving the parties opposed to it an opportunity to reply.”
The Supreme Court decision is still subject to motions for reconsideration.
Torreon said the IBP-Davao del Sur would file its motion for reconsideration against the SC ruling on Friday, March 26. UPLM’s Zarate, whose organization is also a member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, said they will also file a separate motion to assail the SC decision.
FLAG’s Quibod urged lawyers to watch closely the development on the Supreme Court ruling, emphasizing the need to reverse it.
Quibod calls upon lawyers to spare time for this undertaking. “We know that most lawyers will already be very busy since it’s almost local campaign period. We are appealing to our fellow lawyers to do something about this,” he said adding that they will do whatever the can to muster a forceful opposition to the President’s appointment of a midnight Chief Justice
.
“We will watch if the Arroyo court will listen,” Zarate said. “The people should be vigilant. If we need to take to the streets to force the Supreme Court to reverse its decision, then, we should. We really need to take drastic actions,” he added. (Cheryll D. Fiel/ davaotoday.com)
