Skip to main content

Court Judge in Bohol Under Attacks

Editorial, Bohol Chronicle

The death of democracy begins the day Government does not function.

That is when the Executive does not govern, the legislators do not make laws and judges do not act on cases. Democracy thrives when all three do their sworn duties.

The class suit for the nullification of the City Square contract between the City Government and the TBCRDC and the issuance of a TRO over what is "disadvantageous to government" was dropped by four RTC judges like a "hot potato".

But one must note that a recent clear precedent of a "sweetheart deal" and "grossly disadvantageous to the government" case later voided by the Supreme Court (even after the terminal was partially standing) was the multi-billion contract for the NAIA Terminal and the ill-fated PIATCO.Government infrastructure, is therefore, not exempt.

Thus what one judge, RTC Branch I Teofilo Baluma ,did in accepting the case was to perform his sworn duty" to dispose this case within the level of the law and available trends or jurisprudence, not influenced by peripheral issues for judges are placed in their posts and privileged to wear the robe to apply the law even if the heavens fall."

The City Mayor, top honcho of City Hall, though withdrawing the plea for inhibition of Baluma berated the Presiding Judge in a letter and through the radio airwaves that his order was full of "conjectures, bias and baseless allegations."

The City Mayor earlier had an entaglement with Judge Baluma in 2006 as a Family Court judge where the "top honcho" seeking aide of the IBP then wanted the Supreme Court to remove Baluma. The Supreme Court stood behind Baluma and labeled his depositions to be above board.

That Judge Baluma since 2006 had not claimed his City Hall honoraria is but proper (as Judge Ingles of Cebu did)  in order to preserve the independence of the judicary which was obviously being pressured by a co-equal branch: The Executive represented by the City Mayor.

That Judge Baluma over the radio declared he will not inhibit himself if the City Square was assigned to him was a mere declaration of a judge stating to stand by his prime duty-to try cases. What is awfully wrong with that?

But the vehemence of the language and the threats that the mayor hurled unstatesmanly at the venerable judge is prototype of the kind of City Mayor the city has.It is the same sick pattern he applies when castigating the Chronicle and Station DYRD when we do not agree with his confused and confusing policies and pronouncements.

Now he is clearly stamping his Big Foot , unwanted as it is, in the Halls of Justice -hinting that indeed he will not brook any opposition. That is why the public is watching eagerly whether the Presiding Judge Branch I will wilt under the "a'la Nazi blitzkreig" offensive of the beleaguered City Mayor who is now facing one controversy after another.

There are two kinds of inhibition under the Law: compulsory and voluntary  Judge Baluma feels that he is not ruled by either in accepting the case. The whole public therefore is watching that Judge Teofilo Baluma in exercising his discretion - will not erode people's faith in the courts of justice.

In legal matters, the judge rules. Media is the Fourth Estate. Neither should bend to the importunings of an overbearing Executive. He is no emperor of the Judiciary or the Media. 

Popular posts from this blog

Bohol Scandal Exposed in Loboc, Bohol

Exposed Captured on the spot

Antonio Ong Guat, the founder of Bohol Quality Store

From Sunday Post   I pay my sincerest condolences to Antonio Ong Guat, the founder of Bohol Quality Store . My family especially my late Mom owed a lot of gratitude to him. Little is known of the fact that my Mom as a school teacher, was making school teaching charts with her crude rubber printing set. I used to accompany her to Tagbilaran to buy her supplies at Bohol Quality Store, and bought her supplies direct from Ong Guat. Suki niya si Ong Guat to the point that he would attend to her when she goes to the store. In fact, nagpapautang pa siya ni Mom, which she paid when she sold her teaching materials to the new teachers. I suggest that the provincial and city governments should honor Ong Guat with a posthumous award in recognition of his efforts to be the founder of a business empire in Bohol, which has presently employed thousands of Boholanos presently. I think everybody agrees that his store sparked business to its fullest heights today. Fred Ong and his wife Babs Gonzaga we

Update on Rice Shortage

Tindahan Natin operators here requested the National Food Authority (NFA) to add 20 more sacks of rice to their weekly supply, to make it 50 sacks for retail.       Tindahan Natin is a program of the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).       Under the program, store owners can avail of loan worth P20,000 of NFA rice payable in one year.       Being a first-class municipality, Talibon is given a slot of only three Tindahan Natin operators.       Among them are are Eleuteria PaƱares of Bagacay, Rosalinda Cabanes of Suba and Cipriana Padin of Cataban.       According to the Tindahan Nation operators, the present supply of 30 bags weekly is not enough to meet the requirement of the barangayfolks in this town.       The operators channeled their request through DSWD Regional Director Teodulo Romo Jr. to arrange with the NFA-Bohol Provincial Manager Clyde Omictin to add 20 more bags to their weekly supply.       Through the Tindahan Natin, constitue