Yes, the country's justice secretary should be better known as the injustice secretary. His namesake, the national security adviser, should have his title changed to the national insecurity adviser too.

But so much for those two incoherent officials who have been a cause for a drop in the country's reputation in the international community. Let's go back to the Supreme Court.

There are a lot of reasons to be proud of the SC especially with the abuses of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the executive branch, the lack of independence of the lower house majority from the administration's policies and the bickerings in the Senate.

As the people continues to suffer under a relentless barrage of political killings, forced abductions, and other human rights violations directly linked to the military and the Arroyo government's total war against communist insurgents, the Supreme Court has remained a bastion for the upholding of civil liberties.

1. There was the Supreme Court decision against the Presidential Proclamation 1017 or the President's declaration of a State of National Emergency last February 2006. PP 1017 generally paved the way for the harassment of the political opposition and the escalation of violent attacks against civil society groups. [Read the decision here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/may2006/G.R.%20No.% 20171396.htm]

2. Then there was the SC's ruling against the illegal Calibrated Preemptive Response or CPR. CPR was basically a go signal for the police and other security forces to disallow and disperse rallies and other peaceful assemblies of the people in the guise of curbing "communist terrorism." [The decision can be read here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/G.R.%20Nos.%20169838%20169848_CPR.htm]

3. Another SC decision in favor of the rule of law is making Executive Order 464 partially void. EO 464 was signed by the president to disallow Senate investigations of scrupulous members of the executive branch, including human rights violators in the military, without her consent. [Read the SC's decision here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/DECISION%20EO%20464%20Final.htm]

4. A recent positive SC decision is the ruling on the government's case against 6 Leftist lawmakers. The government's case was junked in favor of civil liberties and freedom. The government's case was tagged by the highest court of the land as a weak case. It lacked evidence and was clearly filed for obvious political motivations to prevent the leftist parties from sitting in Congress. [Read more here: http://www.bulatlat.com/2007/06/sc-ruling-batasan-6-another-decision- civil-liberties]

I guess that's all I can remember for now. For clarifications, try looking for at http://postcardheadlines.wordpress.com. Thanks!

By the way, the SC also made a decision to suspend four senior justices in Cebu who were involved in a marriage scam.<br><br>Post edited by: karlom87, at: 2007/07/10 09:31

Brilliant Replies !

karlom87 wrote:

QUOTE:
Yes, the country's justice secretary should be better known as the injustice secretary. His namesake, the national security adviser, should have his title changed to the national insecurity adviser too.

But so much for those two incoherent officials who have been a cause for a drop in the country's reputation in the international community. Let's go back to the Supreme Court.

There are a lot of reasons to be proud of the SC especially with the abuses of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the executive branch, the lack of independence of the lower house majority from the administration's policies and the bickerings in the Senate.

As the people continues to suffer under a relentless barrage of political killings, forced abductions, and other human rights violations directly linked to the military and the Arroyo government's total war against communist insurgents, the Supreme Court has remained a bastion for the upholding of civil liberties.

1. There was the Supreme Court decision against the Presidential Proclamation 1017 or the President's declaration of a State of National Emergency last February 2006. PP 1017 generally paved the way for the harassment of the political opposition and the escalation of violent attacks against civil society groups. [Read the decision here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/may2006/G.R.%20No.% 20171396.htm]

2. Then there was the SC's ruling against the illegal Calibrated Preemptive Response or CPR. CPR was basically a go signal for the police and other security forces to disallow and disperse rallies and other peaceful assemblies of the people in the guise of curbing &quot;communist terrorism.&quot; [The decision can be read here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/G.R.%20Nos.%20169838%20169848_CPR.htm]

3. Another SC decision in favor of the rule of law is making Executive Order 464 partially void. EO 464 was signed by the president to disallow Senate investigations of scrupulous members of the executive branch, including human rights violators in the military, without her consent. [Read the SC's decision here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/DECISION%20EO%20464%20Final.htm]

4. A recent positive SC decision is the ruling on the government's case against 6 Leftist lawmakers. The government's case was junked in favor of civil liberties and freedom. The government's case was tagged by the highest court of the land as a weak case. It lacked evidence and was clearly filed for obvious political motivations to prevent the leftist parties from sitting in Congress. [Read more here: http://www.bulatlat.com/2007/06/sc-ruling-batasan-6-another-decision- civil-liberties]

I guess that's all I can remember for now. For clarifications, try looking for at http://postcardheadlines.wordpress.com. Thanks! :silly:

karlom87 wrote:

QUOTE:
By the way, the SC also made a decision to suspend four senior justices in Cebu who were involved in a marriage scam.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Post edited by: karlom87, at: 2007/07/10 09:31

i just thought this could add to the topic:

ACHIEVEMENTS
LADR accomplishments include the following:

LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION (LADR) PROJECT
for our judicial system:

LADR assisted Filipino partners who contributed to the passage of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004.


Trained more than 600 mediators connected with court-annexed mediation, the Court of Appeals and the Department of Justice.


In 2004 alone, more than 20,000 cases in the lower courts were referred to mediation under the court-annexed mediation program. Of the 7,600 cases that have already completed the mediation process, 82% or more than 6,200 cases were successfully settled.


Gained the commitment of 9 leading business organizations to mediate rather than litigate. In this connection LADR trained more than 100 business mediators and helped establish Business ADR Units in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, Cebu and Davao City.


In a few months of operation, business mediators have mediated 120 cases with a success rate of 89% (i.e. 107 cases were settled).


More than 1,200 overstaying prisoners from the Manila and Pasay City jails have been released. An overstaying prisoner is one who has already served his/her sentence but remains in jail because the paperwork for his/her release has not been completed or one, who while awaiting the resolution of his/her case, has already stayed in jail longer than the imposable penalty if he/she was eventually found guilty.


LADR has also provide the Supreme Court of the Philippines with valuable input and feedback as it continues its efforts to reform from various sectors of society through the organization of dialogues with various chambers of commerce and civil society


For a third world county, this is outstanding.

Court blocks Philippine land deal

as contributed by jacques from bbc-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7540672.stm


The Philippines' Supreme Court has blocked the signing of a territorial deal between the government and Muslim separatists in the south of the nation.

The two sides were due to formalise a deal on Tuesday widening an existing Muslim autonomous region.

But the court acted after Catholic lawmakers from the region said they had not been adequately consulted.

Rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have been fighting for self-rule in the southern Philippines for years.

The agreement was intended to kick-start peace talks aimed at ending nearly four decades of conflict.

Rallies

In late June, the two sides agreed that a six-province Muslim autonomous region on the island of Mindanao would be expanded to include 712 villages, subject to the agreement of villagers in a vote.

But some Catholic lawmakers fear such a move could lead to more sectarian violence, and there have been large rallies against the agreement
Do not build a Berlin Wall among the people in Mindanao," Celso Lobregat, mayor of the mainly Catholic city of Zamboanga, told a 10,000-strong crowd.

The court has now temporarily suspended the deal and ordered the government to make its case at a hearing on 15 August.

The deal remains controversial.

Supporters, including President Gloria Arroyo, say it is badly needed to help end a war that has cost more than 100,000 lives and left the southern Philippines mired in poverty, says the BBC's Michael Barker in Manila.

But critics say the agreement is tantamount to allowing the establishment of an independent state within the country, something that is outlawed by the constitution, our correspondent adds.