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Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Labor chief appointed to SC justice post
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday appointed Labor Secretary Arturo Brion to the Supreme Court (SC) to fill up the post left vacant with the retirement of Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez just over two weeks ago.
Gutierrez retired last February 27 upon reaching the mandatory age of 70.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Brion's appointment came on the heels of the SC's deliberations on the petition filed by Commission on Higher Education (Ched) commissioner Romulo Neri about the controversial national broadband network (NBN) contract -- subject of the Senate's inquiry.
Last March 10, the Judicial and Bar Council, a body which screens nominees to vacant judicial posts, submitted to the President a shortlist of five nominees topped by Brion, who got eight votes.
Other contenders were Court of Appeals (CA) Justices Martin Villarama and Portia Alino-Hermachuelosp, and Sandiganbayan Justices Francisco Villaruz and Edilberto Sandoval.
After taking his oath before Chief Justice Reynato Puno at 11:15 a.m. Monday, Brion said he had no inkling he will be appointed to sit as the 15th member of tribunal.
Brion said he only learned about his appointment when he was told to "expect something" during the Lenten retreat of Cabinet officials at the San Miguel Cathedral in Malacañang on Monday morning.
"It was fast. I was told to come over to the SC. I have not even spoken to the President about this position. The first word, in fact there was only one word that she uttered to me about this position, and it was this morning soon after I received word from Undersecretary Enrile. The President came in and when she passed by me, she said: 'Art, congratulations, you have a new job. And so I took the oath," Brion said.
He said as newly-installed SC justice, he plans to participate in the deliberations on the Neri case, adding that he might as well start early in dealing with what he called "hot issues."
"I am now a full member of the court, so I will participate in all the activities of the court," said Brion.
"What's so special about the Neri case? I would guess that I would be in the SC for the next nine years and there will be a lot of hot issues that the court will deliberate upon. So why not start early?" he added.
The tribunal is still deliberating on Neri's petition, which involved disclosures of certain privileged communication between the President and Neri in his capacity as former National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) director general. This is in connection with the national broadband network (NBN)-ZTE deal and amid alleged humongous payoffs given to certain officials and members of the First Family to approve the broadband project.
But the newly installed SC justice shrugged off observations that his appointment was shrouded with doubt since the President needed all the numbers in the SC to rule in favor of the government on the Neri case.
"Did you hear the oath I took? I took an oath and you know, entering a new office is not something new to me because I have at various experiences been with the legislature, executive and this is my second time around at the judiciary. I'll leave (opinions) to the analysts; leave that to the opinion makers. Me, I'm just after my job in the same way that I have been doing my job at the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole)," he said.
Puno, in a separate interview, said it is up to Brion if he wants to participate in the deliberations on the Neri case. "It's up to him, but we don't want to anticipate any problem," he said.
Brion was a former CA justice before he shifted gears and tried his hands at the executive branch after accepting the labor portfolio in July 2006.
He was also undersecretary for labor relations at the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) from March 2001 to July 2002 before becoming an undersecretary for special projects at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) from August 2002 to June 2003.
He also served as deputy minister of labor from 1985 to 1986, and as consultant at the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in 1996.
Prior to his public service, Brion was a senior partner engaged mostly in labor law practice at the Siguion Reyna, Montecillo, and Ongsiako Law offices. He then became one of the founders of the Natividad, Delos Reyes, Maambong, and Brion Law.
Graduating cum laude and class valedictorian from the Ateneo de Manila University, Brion was a topnotch in the 1974 Philippine Bar Examinations with a grade of 91.65 percent.
With Brion's appointment to the SC, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) chief Marianito Roque will be the acting Dole secretary.
According to the new SC justice, Roque will be effective as his successor since the Owwa chief has been acting in his position whenever he goes out of the country for an official trip.
He noted that Roque has an equivalent position of an undersecretary and he has been regularly acting as Dole interim secretary in the past already. (ECV/FP/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (March 18, 2008 issue)
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