Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)
Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on Monday urged justices and employees of the Supreme Court (SC) to respect the rule of law and preserve their judicial independence amid the impending impeachment trial of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
“As one who had worked to preserve the independence of the Judiciary, I call on the judges and employees of the Judiciary to respect the rights of the Chief Justice to fairness, justice, due process and the rule of law,” Davide said in a statement. “This is the best way to ensure that we preserve our judicial independence. This is how we should all show loyalty to our beloved institution and to our democratic process.”
Davide also expressed alarm over the “politicization” of the judiciary due to the continuous call from the justices to oust Sereno.
According to Davide, the call of the justices against Sereno was “far worse than the impeachment and quo warranto.”
“The call is condemning without the evidence, judging before hearing, applying additional political pressure on the Chief Magistrate, rather than according her the rights to a fair trial, to substantive and procedural due process, and even to the rule of law,” he said.
The unwillingness of the justices to wait for the results of the impeachment procedure would destroy the faith of the public towards the institution, Davide said. /atm
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