Arrogance

Editorial

Malacañang has become much too arrogant, brushing aside valid issues being leveled against the Noynoy-appointed Chief Justice, Lourdes Sereno. It had the temerity to state that the issues of incompetence, youthfulness and psychological deficiency are irrelevant.

As claimed by Noynoy, through his arrogant spokesman, Edwin Laceierda, “Those attacks (against Sereno) are really water under the bridge. The appointment has already been made.

“She has taken her oath and whether it (issues) is coming from the judiciary or not, they have to deal with the new Chief Justice. Obviously the statement this morning of the President is that he hopes the new Chief Justice will really carry out the reforms. So I think any criticism against the Chief Justice is for all for all intents and purposes irrelevant,” adding that “It’s not going to sway anyone from removing her from the position of Chief Justice.”

If that is really what Noynoy and Lacierda believe in, why then did Noynoy question the appontment of the former CJ Renato Corona since the appointment had already been made and that he had already taken his oath of office, and as Lacierda claimed, it is the prerogative of the President to appoint anyone he chooses?

As a matter of record, Noynoy even went further and bribed his yellow congressmen to impeach Corona and got him convicted so that he would have control over the Supreme Court (SC) by appointing his puppet, Sereno, to the highest post in the high court.

Obviously, there is again that double standard under the yellow government of Noynoy.

So what difference is there in that Noynoy argument that Gloria Arroyo had appointed Corona because he was her ally and would be protecting her? Noynoy appointed Sereno, who is obviously his ally and protector. Does Noynoy really think that the public does not see through his appointment as Sereno being the best of the lot, with independence and competence to lead the High Court?

But the course the Palace statement is that Sereno--who has claimed that she has been anointed by God-- is independent and competent and will be instituting judicial reforms.

Her track record as shown in her then dissenting opinions were all favorable to Noynoy and his administration. Is that what Nonoy and his aides call independent and fair?

Amazingly, Lacierda brushes off issues related to the psychological deficiencies as “irrelevant.”

How can that issue of psychological deficiencies be deemed irrelevant, when it strikes at the core of how decisions are to be written by Sereno and worse, leads the court despite that psychiatric impairment?

What about the impact of that psychological deficiency in the way she works with her associate justices and all other members of the judicial branch when she gets into a depressive mood, and worse, gets that religious fervor into her decisions.

As things stand today, she has already seen herself as “God-anointed” even when God, or Allah or Yaweh or whatever name God is called, had nothing to do with her appointment as CJ?

As Sereno put it: “By God’s sovereignty alone, the leadership mantle has been given to me, and I accept it in all humility, knowing that without the Lord God anointing my leadership, success is not possible.”

It makes one think whether she sees Noynoy as her god, since it was he — who also has psychological and psychiatric issues leveled at him, which to stress, were never answered by either Noynoy or Lacierda — who had appointed her, without even giving a thought to the fact that by his leapfrogging Sereno over some six senior justices, serious demoralization issues has already come about.

Lacierda dismisses this demoralization issue, saying that nothing can be done about Sereno’s appointment.

His arrogance has robbed him of logical thinking.

If she can’t get along with the associate justices, she certainly can’t control or even influence the high court, much more the entire judiciary.

Problems she will be facing have all the more become bigger, as demoralization may well stem from their lack of respect for her.