Sereno: Constitution puts focus on human rights, sovereignty

Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. RAFFY LERMA

The 1987 Constitution is more than a statement of principles and a collection of hopes and aspirations but has paved the way for a “vibrant democracy” and provided a fertile ground for the rule of law to be nourished, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said Thursday.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Sereno said the 1987 Constitution wants us to have a “renewed focus on human rights and civil liberties, an emphasis on sovereignty, and institutional protection for the independence of the judiciary.”

The Constitution was ratified by 16,622,111 affirmative votes representing 76.30 percent of the total votes cast as opposed to the 4,953,375 votes or 22.74 percent of the votes cast in 1987.

‘Thirty years since its ratification, we in the Supreme Court and the judiciary today re-commit ourselves to the task of allowing our people to realize their hopes and aspirations of a society that is more just, humane, and equal by ensuring that the courts are firm, fair and free.”

She added that the Constitution acknowledges cultural and religious diversity while stressing unity and nourishing liberty.

The high court’s chief added that the Constitution “allows dissent, protects national security but emphasizes human rights and human dignity may allow us to have a government that is stable, a democracy that is vibrant and a rule of law that is consistent.”

Sereno has been stressing the importance of respecting the rule of law.

She earlier called on all three branches of government as well as the constitutional bodies to reflect on how they have been discharging their roles.

“The government pillars of criminal justice i.e., the Judiciary, the Department of Justice and its attached agencies including the National Prosecution Service and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) must come together to ponder on what kinds of genuine changes are required to bring about real justice,”she added.

To date, there are more than 6,000 people killed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. JE