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Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Editorial: Davide's exit
AT 12 midnight, early December 20, Chief Justice Hilario Davide has officially retired from his post and now begins a new life either as a private citizen or as what he earlier promised to be, "an environmental advocate" which remains a top level socio-economic and politician concern these days.
The retirement comes nicely around the holiday corner and even if he is a senior citizen life away from the rigors of the daily court grind, while exhausting, can certainly be missed though from the tones of his farewell messages the public has not seen the last of him.
Which is why there is no small amount of curiosity and anticipation for the selection of the next Chief Justice by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
This is crucial if we are to ascertain for ourselves whether the High Court would be truly independent from or be placed at the beck and call of Malacañang.
During the time of Chief Justice Andres Narvasa the tribunal was accused of meddling in economic cases which prompted the planners of the Constitutional Commission to initiate measures against the tampering of economic policies and decisions of the executive.
But during the time of Davide the High Court was seen as a catalyst for change with Davide becoming the first Chief Justice to preside over the country's first impeachment proceedings.
However his stint proved to be five months short-lived owing to that refusal to open the second envelop.
Despite his best efforts the presidential impeachment proceedings went kaput and so he became the second Chief Justice after Claudio Teehankee to swear into office a woman President who landed in Malacañang thanks to the second edition of People Power.
That choice appears to have been regretted by most People Power II actors and now that regret would be further turned to bitterness once Arroyo appoints her pick from among three candidates who all happened to have been given the break to bypass the public interviews.
The selection of the next Chief Justice will be crucial in terms of deciding several high-profile cases among them the charges filed by ex-Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano regarding the ever-controversial "Hello Garci" CDs.
Whoever the next Chief Justice would be he or she would have some very big shoes to fill in Davide's wake.
Or should he decide to stand on his own the Chief Justice should make sure the High Court maintains its independence and make good on its pledge to speedily dispense justice on the cases lodged before them.
(December 20, 2005 issue)
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