Give the new CJ Sereno a break...

The appointment of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as the new Supreme Court chief justice has been subjected to criticism. The Judiciary is NOT an exception to politics and since politics divide, so inevitably the appointment of the young CJ Sereno has been the subject of heated debates and dissensions both inside and outside the Judiciary. 

 

But the present debates on the appointment of CJ Sereno are NOT only fruitless but also a waste of time and energy. There is no doubt on the validity and legitimacy of the appointment. The JBC submitted her name as one of the nominees to the position of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and PNoy as President of the Republic, following the Constitution, has all the authority and the prerogative to appoint anyone from the list of nominees submitted by the JBC. Whether one agrees or disagrees about the choice, the appointment of CJ Sereno is legal, constitutional and done. 

 

The only way to boot her out of the position is again through the impeachment proceeding.  I believe we all have enough of this political game. It will be good for the nation and for the sake of keeping intact our national sanity that we simply move forward. 

 

The nation and the Judiciary have been heavily politicized by those long and divisive impeachment proceedings of the former chief justice. It is high time to close the book and open a new page.   

 

Whether CJ Sereno is the right person to open a new page for the Judiciary, to me, is beside the point. She is the new chief justice and she is tasked to do so. Either we make it difficult for her to do so, because of our perceived biases or we give her a break and allow her to prove herself. The former, no doubt, spells disaster for the nation and for the Judiciary. The latter would give us the needed ‘respite’ to heal the wounds and turn a new page. 

 

By giving her the traditional honeymoon period of her first 100 days in office, we may find the true character of CJ Sereno as she undertakes the gargantuan reforms in the Judiciary.   

I would not read much of the absences of some senior SC Justices in the early days of her assumption to the Office of the Chief Justice. CJ Sereno needs to show ‘magnanimity’ of spirit to understand some woundedness and disappointments.   So long as these do not become obstacles to the needed reforms in the Judiciary, they should not become a big thing. I believe time, hard work and commitment to the law and constitution would do the trick to win over her colleagues. 

 

The transition to normalcy in the Supreme Court is also one of her challenges and the sooner it happens, the better for the nation.  

 

While we hold on to the principle of the check and balances between and among the three branches of government, the relations should neither be HOSTILE or COZY!  

I would NOT Justice CJ Sereno this early. It is sufficient for me that she is legitimately and validly appointed as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  But I will open my eyes on her deeds and I will give her the benefit of the doubt that she is competent, equitable and committed to the law and the Constitution.     

The task of reforming the Judiciary is, definitely, a tough job! And I will not make it tougher for her by my biases and/or the usual divisive politics. I will give her a BREAK...!