VP bets pitch judicial reforms

The vice presidential candidates at the Pilipinas Debates 2016

Candidates vying for the vice presidency on Sunday pitched reforms in the Philippine judiciary in order to attract more international businessmen pour in their investments.

During the first and only government-sanctioned vice presidential debate, independent candidate Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV proposed the institutionalization of the internal Ombudsman as a “judiciary mechanism” for the judiciary to police its own ranks.

Trillanes was answering a question from business columnist John Mangun, who asked the candidates what should be done to improve the judicial system amid a supposed perspective from investors that the Philippines has a “weak rule of law.”

Sen. Gringo Honasan, meanwhile, highlighted a new medium-term economic development program.

Echoing the proposals of her rivals, administration vice presidential bet Leni Robredo said there was a need to “improve the ease of doing business in the Philippines,” but noted that they missed one thing.

The Camarines Sur representative said politics should stay out of the way of judicial appointments. “We have to make sure that judicial appointments won’t be political anymore,” she said. JE

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