Premature naming of execs in drugs taints judges, courts–SC justice

Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen —INQUIRER PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte’s public disclosure of names of officials suspected of being involved in illegal drug activities has achieved nothing except tarnish their reputations, according to a Supreme Court associate justice.

The high court on Wednesday released a ruling affirming the recommendation of retired Associate Justice Roberto Abad to terminate the fact-finding investigation against Judges Exequil Dagala of the Dapa-Socorro Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Surigao, Adriano Savillo of the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court, and Domingo Casiple of the Kalibo RTC in Aklan, who had been accused by Duterte of being connected to the illicit drug trade.

The probe was terminated after the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) failed to provide evidence against the judges.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in his concurring opinion called Duterte’s announcement of the names “premature.”

“It appears that it was not fully supported by evidence that were professionally validated and which could be presented in a court of law,” Leonen said.

“All it achieved was to shame the judges and others similarly situated,” he said.

He added that the premature announcement also “dangerously contributes to the President’s public misperception that courts of law are incompetent.”

“The truth is that, in these cases, evidence is not available from the law enforcers, who could have presented opportunities for this court to clean its ranks,” he added.

Justice Leonen stressed that while “crimes are wrongs against society … it cannot be deterred by another wrong.”

“If we truly desire a society that works to rid itself from the menace of illegal drugs and corruption, we should strengthen the institutions that effect the rule of law,” he said. “Support should be given to those who struggle to do what is right.”