JUDICIAL reform remains to be an important policy issue in the Philippines. The institution is still haunted with problems relating to corruption, incompetence, delay in the administration of justice and access to justice by the poor. The current situation in Makati City is not helping resolve such a herculean task.
Tension enveloped the city after a suspension order was served by the Office of the Ombudsman to Mayor Junjun Binay for his alleged involvement in the controversial P2.2-billion Makati City Hall Building II. Binay, other city officials, and private contractors are facing graft and malversation raps over the overpriced building.
The Department of Internal and Local Government (DILG) implemented the suspension order and initiated the swearing into office of Vice Mayor Romulo Pena as the acting mayor of the city last Monday, March 16. But Binay refused to leave his post, especially after the Court of Appeals (CA) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on his suspension. Standing by its decision, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that the CA’s TRO is “moot and academic” because the DILG has already served the suspension order before the TRO was released.
Asked to intervene in this legal hullabaloo, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said that the Ombudsman’s suspension order stands.
“Simply put, the TRO came too late in the day. There is no other action that is needed on the part of the Ombudsman or the DILG that would amount to its violation or non-observance,” De Lima said.
Both sides have been successful in finding loopholes in each other’s actions over this fight for constitutional rights and political justice. What they failed to recognize is how all these drama is continuously damaging the already tainted image of the country’s justice system and how the public perceives it.
Because there have been a number of high-profile politicians entangled in controversies recently, political and judicial reforms in the Philippines are hounded by higher public expectation. In this charged atmosphere, concerned agencies should find a remedy to address these contentious issues in a transparent and efficient manner.
In many ways, judicial reforms are relevant to the country’s democratic consolidation and economic development. By enforcing property rights, checking abuses of government power, and upholding the rule of law, the judiciary is an essential player in achieving the country’s desired goals.
The people involved in the Makati City dilemma should include in their current endeavors primary measures that are necessary for the realization of a justice system that is easy for the people to understand. Every action they take will represent fundamental changes on how honorable or questionable the reputation of the country’s justice system will be.
At this juncture, key players—especially the Department of Justice (DOJ)—must handle the Makati City situation in a manner that will promote civil liberties and provide a ground for peaceful resolution of political conflicts.
(AJPress)
