A NETIZEN wonders why not one Chief Justice has ever breached 50% in national approval ratings.
While a Pulse Asia survey conducted last September saw President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte’s approval ratings go down by 15% and 11% respectively, they continue to be popular among the people, with net ratings of 65% and 73%.
Those in the line of presidential succession did not rate as brightly. Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri rated 50%, House Speaker Martin Romualdez was at 41%, and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo rated lowest at 34%.
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The Chief Justice’s recent rating is consistent with those of his predecessors.
As mentioned, the country’s chief jurists have always suffered from the blight of obscurity. Which must naturally be the case because judges are not politicians whose actions are expectedly angled towards courting the popular will.
The heads of the two other branches of government were ensconced in office by the will of the electorate. In contrast, the judiciary is the only branch where admission to office is sentineled with merit, probity and integrity.
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Judges subscribe to a strict code of conduct. They are required to be independent in relation to society in general and in relation to the particular parties to a dispute which they have to adjudicate.
In short, judges are not in office to court votes. Judges who bend to the sentiment of the occasion are in violation of a sacred rule – that they exercise their function based only on the established facts and applicable laws.
Judges are required to be free of any external influence, inducement, threat or pressure.
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When a judge issues a decision or ruling, at least one party is happy and the other party not so happy. He is unpopular at least 50% of the time.
A judge’s fortitude is constantly tested by the apprehension that his decision might not sit well with 99% of the population.
One is led to wonder therefore why survey firms include the Chief Justice in their surveys for net approval ratings.
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Service in the judiciary entails high standards of judicial conduct. This helps shore up public confidence in the judicial branch of government, which is an essential element of judicial independence.
Corruption, partiality, and subservience to the stronger branches of government, are termites that erode the people’s confidence in the judiciary.
Undue delay in the disposition of cases is also a constant irritant that impairs public resort to a peaceful resolution of disputes. It does not help that our courts, known to be the weakest of all branches, get a pittance from the national budget.
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Chief Justice Gesmundo and the other members of the Supreme Court have greenlighted the strategic plans for judicial innovations for the years spanning 2022 – 2027.
The intent is to address challenges to reform using the principle that delivery of judicial services must be timely and fair, transparent and accountable, equal and inclusive, and technology adaptive.
The success of these innovations can buoy public confidence – an essential building block for economic progress./PN
