The Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee, chaired by Sen. Koko Pimentel, resumes its inquiry on the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey new Makati City II Parking Building, the 22-storey Makati City Hall Building and related anomalies. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Employees of the Court of Appeals on Monday reported for work in white shirts to protest Senator Antonio Trillanes’ allegation that justice is for sale at the appeals court.
The appelate court’s white-clad employees were noticeable at Monday’s flag-raising ceremony, which was also attended by CA justices, including Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr.
“Ang panawagan namin ay sana ipakita ang evidence. Hindi naman kami against sa intention [ni Trillanes] to clean ang hudikatura. Ang gusto lang namin ay idaan ito sa proper forum. Hindi pa-interview ka na lang sa media,” Amiel De Vera, president of the Association of CA Employees said.
De Vera said allegations of corruption in the judiciary should be brought before the Supreme Court, which he said has the “disciplining power” over members of the judiciary.
“May mga empleyado at justices rin na mababait. Sa damage na nangyayari, nasasama na pati ang maliliit na empleyado,” De Vera said. He said “almost all” of the CA’s around 1,200 employees wore white today.
He said they all their members were told about the White Shirt Day in a memo sent out Friday.
In a resolution calling for a Senate probe on the alleged “justice for sale” system in the appelate court, Trillanes cited “reliable sources privy to the matter” in alleging that CA Associate Justices Jose Reyes Jr and Francisco Acosta each received P25 million in bribes to stop Makati Mayor Junjun Binay’s suspension on March 16.
Trillanes also accused the two CA justices of receiving an additional P5 million each after issuing a writ of preliminary injunction to stop Binay’s suspension indefinitely.
De Vera said they would continue wearing white shirts until the issue is resolved.
The CA’s regional offices in Cagayan de Oro City and Cebu, as well as CA employees in Baguio for the summer session, have likewise been encouraged to wear white shirts, De Vera added.
Asked why his group chose white, De Vera said they had to think of another color because they had already donned black and red shirts in protest of President Benigno Aquino III’s call to clip the powers of the judicary amid the debate on the Disbursement Acceleration Program last year.
“Ngayon siguro ang ibig sabihin naman ng white is transparency, purity of the courts, and for the insulation of the institution,” said De Vera. (MNS)