THE JUSTICE

SYSTEM
Background knowledge:
In December 2011, Chief Justice Renato Corona was
impeached by the Philippine Senate, with 16 senators
voting to impeach him and three senator's voting for
acquittal. He was impeached because he did not declare
183 million pesos in his SALN, a public document required
for all government officials. The declarion of assets and
liabilities in the SALN ensures that public officials do not
accept bribes or are not prone to corruption; Chief Justice
Renato Corona's non-declaration of assets close to 200
million pesos hinted suspicion regarding the source of
these funds and that these may be considered ill-gotten
wealth.
In a prior case, a court interpreter, Delsa Flores was
fired after she had failed to declare a market stall in her
SALN. The senators who impeached Corona stated that
the law should apply to all. One can interpret the event
the event as a victory over corruption, but in the
Philipines, this is not as simple as it looks. Others
interpret the event as a political move by the Aquino
administration to take away the obstruction blocking
them from prosecuting former President Gloria Arroyo.
Be that as it may, it was a political exercise that showed
that the checks abd the balances in the Philippines
government are alive and well, and that no one is
above the law.
The following poem explores the
concept of justice and how it is
applied in the Philippine Society.
Although it is about the Supreme
Court, in particular,it also reflects
other promblems of the Philippine
Government.
 JUSTICE
By: Ralp Semino Galan
These are the accotrements of her office:
The blindfold symbolizing impartiality;
A golden pair of scales measuring the validity
Of evidence given, both pro and con;
The double-edge sword that pierces through
the thick fabric of lies; Thot's feather
Of truth which ultimately determines whether the
defendants life is worth saving.
In J. Elizalde Navarro's oil painting titled
Is this Philippines Justice? The figure
Of the Roman goddess Justitia slowly fades
Into thin air, swallowed by pigments
Cloudy as doubts. In my uncertain country
Where right and wrong are cards
That can be shuffled like a pile of money bills
Even the land's Chief Magistrate
Is not immune from culpability; found
he has to face the musuc of derision.
DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU
CAN TRUST THE SUPREME
COURT?IF YES WHY, IF NO
WHY NOT?