Maid Miriam, as chief justice?

Let's put in some tacky variance into the stuff of legends, say, a Maid Miriam subbing for Lady Guinevere as King Arthur's queen to grace the legendary realm of Astolat. Except for Sir Lancelot, rumored lover of Lady Guinevere, would the Knights of the Round Table give their nod? Or, would they and Astolat rise in anger?

Well, forget that legendary analogy, and come down to earth... Would GMA's clique and the nation welcome Maid Miriam, firebrand Senator Miriam Santiago, as chief justice?

The lady senator is a unique and colorful card - eccentric as some claim - in Philippine politics. Each time she opens her mouth, whether to spout angry philippic, or peppery rant against a foe, or to crack some outlandish jokes, her quirky speech and chirpy tone are all her own, unexpurgated and uniquely inimitable.

There's no question that she registers a positive ring with regard to her intelligence, acumen, experience, and grasp of the law. The qualifications for the highest priest of the highest tribunal are met. And so, why the swell of pros and cons on Senator Santiago's sudden shifting gears in her professional career? Many are disturbed and intrigued whether or not the colorful Maid Miriam should fit into, and be deserving of, the chief justice post.

Many prefer the traditional practice of choosing the chief justice from the incumbent associate justices, or an "insider", based on seniority. Should tradition be observed, it could be senior associate justice Reynato Puno who, incidentally, had been bypassed by retiring chief justice Artemio Panganiban.

It's also argued that an "outsider" - though no legal bar - demoralizes the coterie of career justices of the SC and Court of Appeals, among others, and erodes the institution and integrity of the judiciary. Besides, so choosing Maid Miriam reduces the respectability of the judiciary as subject to political contingencies, since Santiago admits as "loyal" to GMA whose acts got slain by the SC lately. Others assail her character and disposition, like, "too flamboyant", "too offbeat", "controversial", "capricious loud mouth", "too showbizzy", among others. To recall, there had been insinuations of psycho inadequacies, leading detractors to dub her "Brenda", whatever it implies.

Thus, the perception that Maid Miriam's overall persona runs inconsistent with - discordant as in music - and en contra to the staid, reserved, and dignified respectability of the SC. For one, there was that issue when the flippant and flamboyant solon vowed to jump from an airplane without any parachute, if she be proved wrong. When later proved wrong and, jestingly reminded of her promise to self-eject, without batting an eyelash she tersely said: "I lied".

Against the demoralizing effect of an "outsider" by doing away with traditional succession, plus her unique character, etc. vis-à-vis her mental brilliance, one may tilt for the latter. Besides, even in the US Supreme Court, at least two "outsiders" got elevated to the chief justice: Chief Justice Earl Warren, a former California governor, and the brilliant present Chief Justice John Roberts, plucked by President Bush from a subordinate federal court.

However, there's a factor of transcendent value - the physical health of Maid Miriam. Sometime recently, she took an indefinite sick leave from the Senate for health reasons. This is a big difference that GMA has to commune with herself carefully. Meantime, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) of the SC has to weigh objectively all the six aspirants, five of whom are incumbent SC justices who had already undergone psycho tests in their time. Interestingly, since psychiatric test has to be hurdled by Santiago as requisite sine qua non as DOJ Secretary Raul Gonzales who is a JBC member reminds the oppositors in a negative pregnant impishness, the fight for the SC highest seat is a humdinger of a thriller. Forget the feisty lady's joke that she'll submit to the psycho test in nature's nakedness.

Odds seem to favor the incomparable Maid Miriam breaching the hitherto unbroken tradition and be the first woman Supreme Court chief justice of the land.

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