08/06/2025
Knock knock! Tao po.
Without intending to denigrate the supreme majesty of the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in all conflicts in our democratic system of government, we are impelled to approach through social media its distinguished Magistrates with a number of concerns that threaten to cause social turbulence.
Three matters to be exact.
These matters involve the core of our very existence as a democracy and jeopardize the Rule of Law as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. The stakes are high: life and liberty, our right of suffrage, due process, grave abuse of power, among others.
The clock is ticking.
Every second that goes by pushes our nation closer and closer to a national strife with the erosion of these Constitutional guarantees.
And it is the Supreme Court that can spell the difference between the triumph of democracy over the evils of greed, ambition and lust for power.
The first matter is the consolidated Petitions for a Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by the children of former President Rodrigo Duterte following the patently illegal arrest carried out by the Philippine National Police on March 11, 2025 without a court sanctioned warrant of arrest and his subsequent extraordinary rendition to The Hague, Netherlands.
Almost three months have since gone by since this ghastly desecration of our sovereignty and mockery of our fundamental law had taken place, and these Petitions were filed.
Our little knowledge of the law tells us that petitions for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus are urgent by their very nature.
When the life and liberty of a citizen are at stake, our Courts have an obligation to act swiftly to restore those rights.
Pardon our impudence, Your Honors, but we are distressed at seeing that nothing has been done by the Honorable Supreme Court to right this wrong committed by a state that is supposed to protect such rights.
The silence of the High Court is deafening.
A special proceeding that usually takes two weeks at the most has dragged on for three months with hardly a word from our Supreme Court.
The counsel for petitioner Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, former Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, had even sought the setting of oral arguments.
But this was met by dead silence.
We cannot help but wonder why this is so.
Meanwhile, President Duterte is languishing in a foreign prison 10,443 kilometers away, lonely and permitted only limited visitation periods.
SECOND:
On February 18, 2025, Vice President Sara Duterte filed a Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition with a Prayer for Preliminary Injunction and/or Temporary Restraining Order asking the Supreme Court to nullify the fourth impeachment complaint that was pole-vaulted by the House of Representatives against her.
The last few days have seen a social tempest brew as various individuals and groups engaged in a running duel with arguments on whether or not the Senate should go ahead with the trial.
Threats have been made about going to the Supreme Court in the event the Senate of the 19th Congress decides to bury the impeachment before its session adjourns sine die on June 13, 2025, which is less than a week away.
But the controversy could already be decided, or at least frozen in its tracks by the Supreme Court.
All it needs is to act on the prayer for a preliminary injunction and/or temporary restraining order to push back the contending parties to the sidelines and away from the arena of political combat.
With due respect, but millions of Filipinos are waiting for our Magistrates to act on this petition without further delay.
We know it is beyond our power to demand such action from the High Court, but we believe we are entitled to articulate our frustration over its seemingly lackadaisical attitude.
THIRD:
On January 27, 2025, former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab filed a petition challenging the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
The Supreme Court had originally set the oral arguments for the case on April 1, 2 and 3, 2025. But upon motion of then Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, the oral arguments was reset for May 19, 2025.
A few days before the much-anticipated oral arguments, the Supreme Court issued a notice about its cancellation until further notice.
Halfway into the year, and about 88.1% of the 2025 budget already released according to the schedules of allocation in the assailed GAA, the Supreme Court has allowed the controversy to become moot and academic.
Still, the Supreme Court should wake up from its judicial stupor and demonstrate to the Filipino people that it remains the final arbiter, even if only to declare the questioned acts as unconstitutional and illegal.
We hope our tiny voice will reach our esteemed Magistrates.
The whole nation is waiting for you to act.
