Strengthening the judiciary

Let us retain the old airport as an alternative entry by air to Bacolod. Studies were made by the city and you will find out the merits. But, aside from that, the Silay airport must be opened only when the road going there is finished. You try it, from downtown Bacolod to the Silay airport, the fastest you can make it is 45 minutes. When commuters start complaining, you will encounter problems.

And, let the old Iloilo airport be a lesson. When offered, the auction sale failed. Mayor Bing should learn a lesson from that. Let us retain the airport.

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I was swamped with reactions yesterday to our column on RTC Judge Anastacio Rufon. Some came from media, others from lawyers, and one was from a judge long retired.

All of them were one in supporting the Supreme Court program of strengthening the judiciary. They encouraged us to go on with the crusade.

The problem, however, was none wanted to be identified. I said, the crusade is not personal. Judge Rufon is only incidental. Many other judges were meted the same penalty of "gross ignorance of the law." This is also good for Judge Rufon. At least he will be careful now. And a warning to other judges.

This crusade is in full support of the program of Chief Justice Reynato Puno and also of his predecessor, Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban. The Court is the last bulwark of democracy.

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When Chief Justice Puno asked for help to strengthen the judiciary, it should be read as "File complaints against erring judges and we will act."

When he sat down with newspaper publishers at the Manila Hotel a few days before coming over to administer the oath of office to newly appointed RTC Judge Franklin Demonteverde, he told the publishers to help in the campaign.

The publishers' complaint was the accessibility of provincial papers to Supreme Court decisions on erring judges. He said, they would be posted in the Website.

The DAILY STAR has been getting SC news from the Website for a long time now and picked the SC decision on Rufon from it. When a judge is punished, the news will be read all over the planet.

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History shows the judiciary has metamorphosed from the crude way of dispensing justice to its present form now. The Inquisition of the Middle Ages shows how crude the justice system was. Investigators, prosecutors, and judges were rolled into one.

U.S., Senator Charles Sumner on Sept. 7, 1854, told the Convention of the Republicans: "Judges are but men and in all ages have shown a fair share of frailty. Alas! Alas! The worst crimes of history have been perpetrated under their sanction, the blood of martyrs and patriots, crying from the ground, summons them to judgment." The justice system improved only because the people would not tolerate the miscarriage of justice. And it led to the birth of human rights.

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Talking of justice, I hope City Council Secretary Nilo Alejandrino gets justice from the accusation that he kept to himself some of the income from derbies in the barangays.

Alejandrino has some enemies. And this might be just a false accusation. So, a thorough investigation must be made. This is not shoplifting anymore. Alejandrino can take care of himself.

I just like his sense of humor. When asked why did he not pay for the P280 goods he was accused of having shoplifted, he said, people should be thankful he did not identify himself as "Allan Zamora," his "best" friend at City Hall. I can just imagine the humor of Nilo. When found to have taken some amount, he can only say, "I shared it with Allan."

In this world, only humor can make us survive.

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Talking further of justice, we must also make our voice heard on the need to charge, and, if possible, convict and throw into jail the cheaters in our elections.

That controversial Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol was right in thumbing his nose at the Comelec officials. He is a lawyer and knew he could go scot-free. The problem was Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer whose verbal tirades were not matched by his actions. He forgot Bedol had the support of the administration.

Is it true that he was not arrested in the hospital but somewhere and just brought to the hospital to make it appear he did not hide but sought treatment? We're afraid the patch in his right eye was just a put-up.

In 2004 the cheating was nothing compared to the cheating today. But no one will go to jail, not even Bedol.

Expect worse cheating in 2010.*

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