President Rodrigo Duterte’s consistent pathetic and unpatriotic response to China’s militarization in the West Philippine Sea is perplexing even as it is suspicious.
After an arbitral award by the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration on 12 July 2016 confirming the Philippines’ sovereignty over most of the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea, President Duterte:
One year after Marawi City was almost obliterated in the aftermath of the unremitting joint military-police offensive following the controversial declaration of martial law on May 23, 2107, the promised rehabilitation of Marawi has barely started.
The displaced Maranaos and other residents of Marawi City are mostly still homeless amidst the ruins of an improvident war.
Never in the 117-year history of the Supreme Court has any of its decisions ignited such a widespread and collective condemnation from an aggrieved nation than the 8-6 decision ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in an improvident and unwarranted quo warranto petition.
The oppressive and unjust decision stabbed deep into and stung the conscience of the Filipino people.
The immutable rule is that injustice does not pay.
If magistrates who are sworn to uphold the Constitution, subvert the very fundamental law by arrogating jurisdiction over an impeachable official, perforce they deserve to be impeached.
Impeachment, not a flawed quo warranto petition, must be the appropriate sanction against the eight grievously errant justices who ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
As if causing the removal of the Chief Justice through an irregular quo warranto petition is not enough arrogation of power by Solicitor General Jose Calida, the House of Representatives still gifted him with more extensive and expanded powers by approving on final reading yesterday House Bill No. 7376.
