President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of his fraternity brother and ally as the newest member of the Philippine Supreme Court has come under close scrutiny.
Antonio Kho Jr., 55, a former election commissioner, was sworn in as the 193rd justice of the country’s highest court less than 24 hours after his appointment was announced on Feb. 23.
The president has ensured with Kho’s appointment that 13 of the 15 members of the top judiciary are his appointees.
Kho graduated from the same law school as Duterte and earlier invited criticism as election commissioner when he junked the petition against former lawmaker Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., clearing the path for his run in the upcoming presidential polls.
A group of civic leaders led by Carmelite friar Father Christian Buenafe had questioned the ruling. “Marcos Jr. violated the law, was convicted by the final judgment and is perpetually disqualified to hold public office,” Father Buenafe said in November 2021.
Human rights groups too questioned Marcos Jr. after he was convicted of moral turpitude. The Commission on Elections, however, said that the appeals court did not say in its ruling that he was prohibited to run for public office.
Even though you were appointed, may you have the courage to fight for what is right and just for the people, not for the person who appointed you
Kho was born in 1966 in Sulu in Jolo province in the Mindanao region. He ranked 10th in the Philippine bar examinations and practiced law in the private sector until he joined the Duterte administration in 2016.
Critics said Kho’s appointment was “clearly” influenced by his relationship with the president.
“Kho should not participate in Marcos cases, particularly the Comelec ruling where he participated and voted to allow Marcos Jr. to run for president,” martial law victim Dana de Guzman told UCA News.
“There are already 13 Duterte-appointed justices. Any case filed against Duterte or Marcos would surely be junked or dismissed. He [Duterte] has made sure he still controls the courts,” de Guzman added.
Thank you. You are now signed up to Daily newsletter
Father Simeon Galang of the Prelature of Libmanan, however, said Catholics must still trust in the system of governance to attain peace and stability.
“We must still trust in the process. It is the president who appoints members of the Supreme Court, or judges. This is how the constitution designed it. But, most importantly, let us trust in the conscience of those appointed. Even though you were appointed, may you have the courage to fight for what is right and just for the people, not for the person who appointed you,” Father Galang said.
Support UCA News…
….As we enter the first months of 2022, we are asking readers like you to help us keep UCA News free.
For the last 40 years, UCA News has remained the most trusted and independent Catholic news and information service from Asia. Every week, we publish nearly 100 news reports, feature stories, commentaries, podcasts and video broadcasts that are exclusive and in-depth, and developed from a view of the world and the Church through informed Catholic eyes.
Our journalistic standards are as high as any in the quality press; our focus is particularly on a fast-growing part of the world – Asia – where, in some countries the Church is growing faster than pastoral resources can respond to – South Korea, Vietnam and India to name just three.
And UCA News has the advantage of having in its ranks local reporters who cover 23 countries in south, southeast, and east Asia. We report the stories of local people and their experiences in a way that Western news outlets simply don’t have the resources to reach. And we report on the emerging life of new Churches in old lands where being a Catholic can at times be very dangerous.
With dwindling support from funding partners in Europe and the USA, we need to call on the support of those who benefit from our work.
Click here to find out the ways you can support UCA News. You can make a difference for as little as US$5…
Credit: Source link
