The Historical Impeachment of A Chief Justice in the Philippines

The impeachment trial of the Philippine’s current Supreme Court Chief Justice, Renato Corona, begins today, January 16, 2012. He will be tried before the 23-person Senate members who will sit as judges to determine whether he is guilty of the complaints imputed against him. All members of the judiciary and the legal industry are all out in monitoring how the impeachment trial will go as it marks a historical event most especially in the judiciary department of the Philippines, being the first impeachment trial against a Supreme Court’s highest ranking magistrate official.

Even law students have sparking interests over the Constitutional relevance of the issue as there are varying opinions that the Executive department stepped over the boundaries on the separation of powers in the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary departments of the Philippines. I believe this issue probably emanates from the accusations made against the allegedly influencing tactics made by President Aquino to influence his allies who are members of the House of Representatives to file an impeachment complaint against the Chief Justice. This is quite different from the impeachment made against Merceditas Guttierez, former Ombudsman which was initiated by private citizens. This move of President Aquino is probably in line with his objective of keeping the ball rolling on his anti-graft campaign. But again, the question remains whether this move had weakened the independence of the judiciary system of the Philippines?

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW NOTES

By: Evelyn De Matias

COURSE OUTLINE

I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

A. Brief history of Public International Law

B. Definition of International Law

            - body of rules & principles which are recognized as legally binding and governs the relations of states and other entities with one another (as between international organizations, between international organizations and states, between international organizations and states and the people).

C. Functions of International Law

1.      defines the existence of states

2.      provides framework of diplomatic relations

3.      governs international agreements

4.      sets forth rules for international commerce

5.      governs individual human rights

6.      regulates protection of the global environment (air, land, sea and global resources)

7.      VITAL FUNCTION: eliminates elements of unlawful force in the solution of human conflicts and provides basis for the orderly management of international relations; social progress


D. Foundations of International Law

            1. Principle of comity

            2. Principle of reciprocity/mutuality

            3. Principle of independence

            4. Principle of equality of states