SC justice tweets: No person shall be deprived of life, dignity, due process

Taking his thoughts to social media, Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen made apparent criticisms of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and his allies' plans to show the alleged sex video of Senator Leila de Lima.

In a series of tweets which began Sunday, Leonen cited the Constitution in a veiled sentiment against Duterte's anti-drug campaign, which has claimed the lives of over 3,000 people either through police operations or vigilante-style killings.

"Constitution, Art III, Sec 1 No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law," Leonen said.

Constitution, art III, sec 1 No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law..."

— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) October 2, 2016

"Kung hindi tayo kikilos, sino ang kikilos? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? #UP #IskolarngBayan," the magistrate added, quoting a popular battle cry of student activists who fought the Marcos dictatorship.

Leonen also reminded the public about the importance of respecting a person's dignity in light of the plan of congressmen to play De Lima's supposed sex video for the purpose of establishing her relationship with her former driver, who is allegedly involved in the proliferation of drugs inside the New Bilibid Prison.

The magistrate cited the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009 which prohibits the recording or broadcast of videos of a sexual act, among others, with or without the consent of the persons featured in the material.

Republic Act 9995 "Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009" #everywoman #everyman #everyone

— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) October 2, 2016

De Lima has been accused of tolerating drug syndicates inside the national penitentiary during her term as justice secretary in exchange for funds to bankroll her senatorial campaign, which the senator had denied.

Several groups said the showing of the video will only promote public shaming of a woman instead of establishing her drug links.

Netizens rallied against the showing of the video by coining the hashtag #everywoman which recently trended in various social media platforms.

Leonen, who was named to the high court in November 2012, also used the same hashtag on his tweet.

The justice added that "law, like pure air, is colorless" in apparent reference to the equal application of the country's statutes.

"Laws are legible. They are not, in the words of a critical follower 'crypted.' Neither should it be faulted for being 'bias,'" Leonen said.

Law, like pure air, is colorless.

— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) October 3, 2016

Laws are legible. They are not, in the words of a critical follower "crypted". Neither should it be faulted for being "bias".

— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) October 3, 2016

Leonen is the only magistrate who has an active Twitter account. —ALG, GMA News