In his Dec. 28 column, “What I’d like to see in 2018,” Peter Wallace “wished” several things like the “Supreme Court acting as a collegial body; obeying the Constitution and concluding cases within two years (it is not recommendatory).”
Apparently, Wallace was keenly watching the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno before the House of Representatives justice committee where it has appeared more and more clear that “collegiality” in the Supreme Court is just a disposable concept finding little application in practice.
He, too, has read and understood the plain and ordinary language of the Philippine Constitution which mandates the Supreme Court to decide cases within 24 months only, NOT YEARS! He must have heard of thousands of cases pending in that Court and remaining undecided even after 10 years!
It had to take a foreigner [Mr. Wallace is a naturalized Filipino.—Ed.] — and presumably a nonlawyer himself — to point those things out.
Has anyone ever heard the Integrated Bar of the Philippines raise any issue regarding those patently “culpable violations of the Constitution” by no less than the “supreme” justices themselves? Or are the lawyers in this country nothing but a bunch of wussies?
NIMFA RINA RICAFORT,
ricafortnimfarina@gmail.com