My lawyer’s Roll No. is 33843. Another lawyer has already raised the partisan stand of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. One point raised is the absence of consultation from the IBP members. Very obviously, from its advertisements, the IBP is lawyering for the Chief Justice. The IBP should have maintained its neutrality on the issue. Its action has now divided its members.
As eruditely stated, the Chief Justice is not the Supreme Court. The absence of judicial propriety in the person of the Chief Justice is the very crux of the matter. Since our freshmen days in the college of law, we have always been reminded of legal and judicial propriety. Apparently, the Chief Justice has left his judicial propriety in the dustbin of pernicious preterition.
It is so callous on the part of the IBP to protect and abet this character of the Chief Justice. Some lawyers are now thinking of recalling their mandate given to the IBP board. The reason is, the board seemingly is not aware of what is right or wrong.
—V. EMMANUEL C. FONTANILLA,
vecfnew@yahoo.com