30.8 C
Cagayan de Oro
Friday, March 29, 2024
spot_imgspot_img

Jeers and Cheers

Expectedly, both jeers and cheers greeted the decision of the Supreme Court ousting Chief
Justice Sereno by a vote of 8-6. And the noise is not expected to die down anytime soon.

Latest to join the fray in bashing the ouster decision was former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
who said that the justices who voted against Sereno may be impeached. A majority of the
Senate also passed a resolution urging the Supreme Court to review its decision. Sereno herself
has asked President Duterte to resign for engineering the move to oust her.

Those who support the Quo Warranto 8, on the other hand, just as noisily proclaim that Sereno
got her just dessert.

As in a basketball, the noise from the gallery will not add one point more to alter the outcome
of the game. The final result will really depend on the individual players – in this case, the 14
justices – who are actually on the court.

Senator Frank Drilon is first to acknowledge this. In so many words, Drilon says that the Senate
has already expressed its sentiment on the matter. But if the majority of the Supreme Court
ignores the Senate, there is nothing more the Senate can do.

As to the possibility of the Quo Warranto 8 being impeached, it is clear as day that any group
contemplating this move would not even get to first base with the House Committee on
Justice.

Sereno’s penultimate card is to file a motion for reconsideration as she and her counsel have
previously announced. But this, I believe, will only be pro forma.

At the back of her own mind, Sereno feels that the fight at the Supreme Court is already lost.
The battle lines have been so clearly drawn that to expect any justice (who voted against
Sereno) to reconsider his/her vote would be a stretch.

Sereno’s last card? She is now exploring a different platform where she will try to seek
vindication.

This early, she is beginning to sound like Candidate Sereno (a publicist projected her as
“Serene Sereno”) who is playing the underdog card.

 

Potential Bar question

I am almost sure that the land mark Quo Warranto case will be one of the questions in Political
Law during the forthcoming Bar Exams later this year. Bar reviewees would do well to really
study this case.

If I were an examinee, I would quote the dissenting opinion of Senior Associate Justice Antonio
Carpio. I believe it is the correct way of deciding the Sereno case.

Carpio maintains that Sereno is guilty of not filing her SALNs for which she should be held
accountable. But Sereno can only be removed via impeachment, not via a legal shortcut.
It is just too bad for Sereno that she failed to get the numbers to back her.

 

The importance of SALNs

Now we better appreciate how important it is for public servants – high and low – to file
SALNs. Failure to do so can have dire consequences.

So it has become a yearly ritual for government to publish the SALNs of high profile public
figures.

Last week, we learned who were the “richest” and the “poorest” legislators.
My only question: who checks the figures reported by the SALN filers? I don’t know. But I have
a suspicion that most SALNs are understated.

And to me, the filing of an inaccurate SALN is no better than failure to do so.

Barangay/SK election results in Muntinlupa City

For those following political developments in Muntinlupa City, here are the Barangay and SK
election results.
District 1 –
Tunasan: Barangay Chairman – Walter Ambayec Arcilla SK Chairman – Seth Lance Sy Laureta
Poblacion: Barangay Chairman – Allen Fresnedi Ampaya SK Chairman –Angelo Narciso
Espeleta

Putatan: Barangay Chairman – Danilo Rosca Teves SK Chairman – Dhynia Mae Sarmiento
Arciaga
Bayanan: Barangay Chairman – Adorado Placido San Pedro SK Chairman – Lorenz Emmanuel
Hinon De Mesa

District 2
Ayala Alabang – Barangay Chairman: Ruben Palomar Baes SK Chairman: Jarmaine Salvador
(The winners ran unopposed.)
Alabang – Barangay Chairman: Christine May Acuba Abas SK Chairman: Jan Nhette Ahya C.
Dancel
Cupang – Barangay Chairman: Rainier Emmanuelle Bulos SK Chairman: Kenichi De Los Ama
Takagi, Jr.
Buli – Barangay Chairman: Ronaldo L. Loresca SK Chairman: Guian Carlos P. Cole
Sucat – Barangay Chairman: Rafael Talplacido Sevilla SK Chairman: Ramon Paolo Sarmiento
Tolentino

The election of incumbent Muntinlupa City Councilors Christine May Acuba Abas (Alabang) and
Rafael Talplacido Sevilla (Sucat) will create two vacancies in Muntinlupa’s City Council.
The vacancies are expected to be filled up by the DILG from nominees submitted by the
political parties under which Abas and Sevilla ran for city councilor.

- Advertisement -spot_img

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

5,250FansLike
449FollowersFollow
1,170SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -spot_img

Latest Articles

- Advertisement -spot_img