MANILA, Philippines–President Benigno Aquino’s attacks on the Supreme Court over its adverse ruling on presidential “pork” fund are a threat to democracy, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said Friday.
President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
“We do not condemn the President but we condemn his actions. His actions are threat to democracy,” IBP president Vicente Joyas said at a press conference.
The press conference, held at the IBP office, was attended by lawyers and advocates seeking judicial independence. The IBP has about 55,000 members.
Law groups have denounced Aquino for attacking and threatening the Supreme Court after it declared unconstitutional the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) of the Office of the President.
“Instead of taking the adverse DAP ruling in stride, the President sought its reconsideration but also warned the Supreme Court of the risks of potential gridlock with the Presidency, citing the intervention of Congress to break the deadlock, in what sounded like a veiled threat to impeachment,” said the statement of the alliance of lawyers as read by IBP executive vice president Atty. Rosario Setias-Reyes.
Photo by RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
“Thus, at no time under the post Edsa revolution era has judicial independence been under siege than today. And this siege is a cause for great concern and alarm to our democracy,” Setias-Reyes said.
The alliance reminded the Aquino administration that if judicial independence is backed by fiscal and administrative autonomy, it favors not the judges but the public who is certain to get judicial decisions “free from undue influence and subservient only to the rule of law.”
The statement was issued in commemoratio with the celebration of the National Law Week.
Aside from the IBP, signatories to the statement include former IBP presidents and heads of the Philippine Tri Lawyers Association, Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution, Legal Advocates for Democracy, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, Muslim Legal Assistance Foundation, UP Law Student Government and Judiciary Employees Association.
The alliance said more activities will be conducted to protest Aquino’s actions against the judiciary.
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