Chief Justice decries 'propaganda war' vs SC

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Renato Corona broke his silence yesterday and assailed what he calls the “propaganda war” against the Supreme Court (SC) for its recent rulings on prominent cases.

Corona lamented how certain people consistently criticized decisions of the Court “in unison” even if some of them don’t really understand the rulings.

“A propaganda war was unleashed on recent judgments. There are people who went out of their way to disparage the decisions of the SC,” he told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines during the forum “Prospects for the Philippines” held in Makati City.

He said the purported campaign is “very complex.”

Corona, however, did not name the people whom he believes could be behind the attacks against the SC, saying that there is no need for him to do so.

“I think the same people who happen to be against the previous administration,” he said.

Former President and now Pampanga Rep.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had appointed all of the current SC justices except for Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno.

“When a situation like this occurs, you sort of wonder how many of these people attacking the decisions actually read and tried to understand our decisions. I make a clear delineation between those who never even read our decisions and started attacking, and those who actually took time and effort to understand and read what they’re saying,” he stressed.

Corona, however, believes that the war was waged against the judgment of the Court and not on the justices.

“Let’s be clear on that. It’s different to attack justices, and to attack the decisions,” he clarified.

Corona admitted that these attacks on the SC rulings have caused concern over the image of the Court.

He stressed that public perception on the judiciary is never a consideration in resolving cases.

He said the SC stands by its rulings, however unpopular they may be.

“I’m more concerned about doing what is right. I think it’s pretty clear that things like these no longer bother us. I think we should just take this as a gentle reminder that there is a constituency out there that we must convince of the rightness of a decision and the need to communicate with them the reasons why we acted this way or that way,” he explained.

Corona also clarified that the judiciary does not see any rift with the executive department in connection with its adverse rulings on executive orders of President Aquino.

“(There was mention of) the court locking horns with the executive. This can be farther from the truth. When we decide a case, we do so in the exercise of its constitutional duty to resolve (cases). It is never a favor to or defeat of one or the other party,” he told reporters in an ambush interview after the event.

“I think everybody understands – the President himself understands – that this is our function. We have a right to decide the case, and people out there have the right to express their opinions about what we say or do. That is democracy,” he added.