The Supreme Court seem to never fail to make it into the headlines. It is just rather disappointing that they are put front-and-center for one bad press after another. We have yet to see the end of the controversial Philippine Steel Corporation liquidation proceedings, and now an endless string of yet even more controversial cases ensues, starting with the retracting of a final decision made on the Pioneer Vs. Keppel case, and now the highest court in the land seem to be gearing up for yet another controversial case. This time concerning the graft case filed against Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Mayor, Efren Alvarez.

I do not want to plow into the gory details, but as fellow citizens of this country, am sure it also makes you cringe whenever you encounter these bad news concerning our country. What do you make of a Supreme Court making a final decision about a certain case and then retracting that very same decision after a few more years? What happens then to the term “final and executory?” An unstable justice system, after all, speaks volumes of how a particular country is run by its officials and also plays a vital part in its socio-economic growth. Think of foreign investors having second-thoughts on investing and putting up their businesses in our country, for example, after reading about this issues in the news?

If only for the little man’s better future, I wish the judicial system in our country take a turn for the better soon enough and all the hoopla concerning the Supreme Court will finally stop. I fervently hope that the government officials, most especially our President, immediately address these issues and make changes where appropriate.  Oh well, I know a mum like me can only hope, but for the sake of my child, I do not think I’d give up doing just that!

image is from www.freedigitalphotos.net

The Supreme Court has yet to recover from the controversies brought about by last year’s impeachment case against then Chief Justice Renato Corona, but it seemed like it is up for yet another one, this time in the form of a P329 Million case involving Pioneer Surety and Keppel Cebu Shipyard.

The Pioneer versus Keppel Fiasco started in February 2000 when WG&A’s M/V Superferry 3 caught on fire while dry-docked at Keppel Cebu Shipyard, Inc in Lapu-lapu, Cebu. The damaging fire was apparently caused by a cutting work done by a Yard welder. As the insurer, Pioneer paid WG&A’s claim for total loss of the vessel, paying the sum of P360 Million, then went on to file a suit against Keppel to recover the amount it paid WG&A.

In November, 2002 a decision was made finding both WG&A and Keppel negligent. Limiting Keppel’s liability for negligence to P50 Million, the court decided in favor of Pioneer. Both parties went on to file their respective motions for reconsideration in higher courts, until a final decision was made, ordering Keppel to pay Pioneer the net amount of P329 Million, in November, 2010.

The Supreme Court disregards existing rules in the country’s justice system when it recently decided to reverse its final decision. I am not well-adept with the laws and all its baffling legal jargon, but isn’t it plain to see that, if a final and executory decision made 2 years ago was retracted and reversed without due process, it does not really take a legal genius to figure out that something went grossly amiss somewhere, right?

I believe that the Supreme Court exists to uphold the laws of the land,its decisions, after much intelligent deliberation and sound judgment, are considered final and are meant to be executed without question. Don’t you think it was rather strange and ironic that it is acting much like a fickle-minded teenager rather that the absolute guardian of the law that it was supposed to be?