Justice Secretary Leila De Lima chides Chief Justice Renato Corona

Don’t be “too onion-skinned.”

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Sunday said Chief Justice Renato Corona should not be overly sensitive to criticism thrown the Supreme Court’s way over some of its controversial decisions.

“Criticisms are not necessarily a sign of disrespect,” De Lima said in a text message to the Inquirer.

In a speech he delivered at a judges’ convention on Friday, Corona slammed Malacañang and some members of Congress for what he called “disrespect and a lack of civility” toward the judiciary.

Being a coequal branch of government, the Chief Justice said the executive and legislative branches should refrain from undermining the independence of the judiciary by intruding on its fiscal autonomy and threatening the justices with impeachment.

Senators meanwhile asked Malacañang to reconsider its decision not to discuss the Supreme Court’s 2012 budget, if only as a sign of “respect for a coequal branch” of government.

“If the administration can spend time talking to communist and Muslim rebel groups, why not the magistrates of the Supreme Court?” said Senate justice chair Francis Escudero in Filipino.

Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, had said the high court’s budget was “a settled issue” that needed no follow-up. Marlon Ramos and Cathy Yamsuan