MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona last night said the Filipino people are now awaiting a new administration that would usher in hope and change for a better country.
During last night’s 7th Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence, coinciding with Rizal Day, at the auditorium of the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center Building in Intramuros, Manila, Corona, the guest speaker, said the Filipino people also want calm, prudence and sobriety during the transition period of change.
Corona said the Supreme Court shall be a partner in this common destiny of hope and change of the nation.
“The judiciary is the public institution mandated to provide essential checks on other public instrumentalities. It is a citadel of justice. Thus a strong, incorruptible and independent judiciary is the protector of our rights and liberties. And without doubt it is the last bulwark of democracy,” he said.
“We should not have a dormant judiciary during my watch. This is neither lip service nor posturing. We welcome the cooperation of the Chinoy community, especially in the Supreme Court, which initiated projects to declog our court dockets and decongest our jails,” he added.
Corona said as the country observed yesterday the 149th birthday of national hero Jose Rizal, “we all know that Rizal, like many Filipinos, descended from Chinese migrants.”
This is not surprising since contact between the Philippines and China started long before the Spaniards ever set foot on our soil, he said.
It has been said that during the ice age, the Philippine archipelago was contiguous to the Asian mainland. People from China migrated to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines through land bridges.
The Chinese expanded their business presence in the country. They also assimilated the local culture so much that the father of Philippine anthropology said the Filipinos are generally at least 10 percent Chinese, Corona said.
In citing the awardees last night, Corona declared: “Rizal once said it is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without forming part of any edifice.
“This evening’s awarding ceremonies clearly demonstrate that the lives of all awardees are dedicated to this great ideal. And this event reinforces the belief that the Chinoy community is not only a thriving business neighborhood but likewise a source of excellence and achievements,” he said.
“This event makes us more hopeful than ever that the Philippines would have a bright future ahead only if we remain united,” he added.