Regaining public trust - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Regaining public trust - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

"Someone proposed that we should stop criticizing and just heedlessly defend the Court and its decisions. This simplistic suggestion was quickly shot down because it is downright unacceptable, impractical and illogical. To be effective in defending, one must be objective, truthful and credible.

"I personally think that it is best to lay down the facts plainly and then opine freely therefrom. False hosannas would skew the institution’s integrity and the writer’s credibility. Undeserved praise is disguised ridicule.

"Often, it is the Court or its members who provide the grounds for grievances and criticisms. As if the publication of Marites D. Vitug’s “Shadow of Doubt” and the bludgeoning of the Court’s decision allowing President Macapagal-Arroyo to appoint the new chief justice were not enough, the Court and the justices have unfortunately not stopped providing fodder for critics.

"As a retired chief justice, I sincerely hope that, to enliven the trust and esteem of our people, our justices would be more prudent, more precise and more decisive. Transparency, accountability and integrity are I think the Court’s best antidotes to media’s slamming. A misleading public relations hype or blind faith to defend the indefensible would only ricochet and intensify distrust in the Court."

By Artemio V. Panganiban
Philippine Daily Inquirer