‘Guilty of the same sin’
The sluggishness of the Supreme Court in decision-making is already beyond redemption. There is nothing anyone can do about it given the impunity with which it has, since time immemorial, disregarded what the Constitution says for it to decide cases within two years only.
The suggestion of retired chief justice Hilario Davide Jr. to hold so many high magistrates liable for “culpable violation of the Constitution” rings too hollow to be taken seriously (“Davide: 8 anti-Sereno justices may be impeached,” 5/18/18). He was chief justice from 1998 to 2005. He couldn’t do anything about it then, how could he expect anyone else to do so now?
That sluggishness is not only endemic among the high court magistrates who have incurable delusions of being too “supreme” to be held publicly accountable for anything they do or not do, but also among their employees who also take their own sweet time to do their job.
To illustrate, a resolution was promulgated by the Supreme Court in January 2018. It was mailed to the parties only in May 2018 as shown by the post office stamp on the envelope—or about four months thereafter!
My stepmother who practices law says that’s normal and has come to accept it in stride.
To law students like me it sucks!
If nothing can be done anymore about the behavior of senile magistrates (who should really retire early, for love of country), there is no excuse for their clerks to behave the same way.
Why should it take them four to five months to process and then mail issuances of their bosses to the parties concerned? Para bang mga langaw na nakapatong sa ulo ng kalabaw at akala kalabaw na rin sila!
That certainly aggravates the already never-ending infernal delays litigants have to suffer.
Alas, it is doubtful if the Supreme Court can discipline them since it is more guilty by far of the same sin.
CARMELA N. NOBLEJAS, [email protected]
