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Saturday, April 21, 2007
Judge laments corruption in judiciary
By Karlon N. Rama
CEBU CITY -- In A brief address, a senior judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Cebu City admitted Friday that there is corruption in the courts.
RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes, whose voice broke suppressing a sob, said this is common knowledge among lawyers and an affront to the dignity of the court.
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The talk, delivered in a forum organized by the Legal Alternatives for Women (Law) Inc., and attended mostly by other judges, court employees, private lawyers and some non-government groups received a standing ovation.
The mood remained heavy moments after Paredes left the main hall of the Laguna Garden Café immediately after ending his talk.
“Some lawyers know how much the going rate is for a temporary restraining order. Lawyers compare notes. Lawyers are the most talkative among all professionals,” Paredes said.
The corruption, he said, extends not only to how cases are resolved but also in the patronage politics that govern how judges are appointed.
“If it weren’t for this, Judge Veloso should now be in the RTC,” Paredes said, referring to Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Judge Ester Veloso, a former government prosecutor who was appointed to the MTCC but, after applying for a position with the RTC, got bypassed.
He mentioned that some judges seek favors from the higher-ups by sending delicacies such as roasted pig, dried mangoes and boneless dried fish to Manila.
And when these officials come here, Paredes said, some judges trip over each other in showing reverence, to the point of carrying their attaché cases.
“It is shameful and feudal act. Our superiors are public servants like us, not kings and princesses,” he said.
“Everything he said is true. It is embarrassing but I guess he believes everything should be brought out in the open so it can be addressed,” one court employee who attended the forum said.
“Some judges believe it is better to keep things internal. That way, the public’s belief in the judiciary will not be eroded,” another said.
Among those who attended the forum were RTC Judges Benedicto Cobarde of Branch 53 in Lapu-Lapu City, Gabriel Ingles of Branch 58 in Cebu City, Estela Alma Singc of Branch 12 in Cebu City and Rafael Yrastorza of Branch 13, Cebu City.
Likewise present were Judges Veloso and Donato Navarro of the MTCC in Cebu City.
A human rights lawyer during the Marcos regime and a trial court judge for more than 20 years, Paredes is one of the most highly respected judges in the RTC.
He served as vice executive judge during the terms of judge Pampio Abarintos, now with the Court of Appeals, and Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr.
He declined the same appointment when Judge Fortunato de Gracia assumed his post as executive judge this year.
He was recommended by the Society for Judicial Excellence as recipient of the Judicial Excellence Award but he declined it, saying the body lacked credibility.
During his speech, he said Judge Ingles declined the nomination as well. He then warned that “badges and plaques, when underserved, mislead the public.”
Paredes also took a shot at the way the RTC in Cebu City is being run by the current administrator.
“The main problem at the Palace of Justice is the delivery of justice. Security isn’t the main concern that it should be run like a garrison,” he said.
“The armor of a judge is his honesty and competence. In my 20 years in the judiciary, I have not received a single death threat and I have never had a bodyguard. I jog, I trek, I hike and I need not be afraid,” he said.
Executive Judge de Gracia, early this year, beefed up the security arrangements at the Palace of Justice.
Those who want to enter the building have to leave an identification card in exchange for a color-coded access pass that, while allows entry to the building, limits access to a particular floor of the four-story facility.
Sun.Star Cebu tried but failed to reach de Gracia for comment.
Paredes also raised the issue of fairness for court employees working for the higher level courts and those working in the RTC and MTCC.
“Is it just and fair that during Christmas, SC employees get higher (bonuses) than local courts?” he said.
He also questioned an existing policy disallowing people wearing slippers or sleeveless shirts from entering the Palace.
“Does the Supreme Court not know that there are people who can’t afford more decent clothes because they barely eat twice a day? For the lack of shoes, you deny him justice?” Paredes said. (Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (April 21, 2007 issue)
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