Ex-SC justice laments change of lawmakers to lawbreakers

MANILA, Philippines — Former Ombudsman and Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales expressed dismay on Sunday over charges faced by public officials in recent months.

“In a world increasingly divided by arrogance, intolerance, and indifference, the call to gumalang (respectfulness) is not merely timely, but urgent,” the former magistrate said in her speech at the University of the Philippines-Diliman 115th Commencement Exercises, themed “Gumagalang.”

She added: “As a magistrate, it pains me to see lawmakers alleged to be lawbreakers. Rules bent, redefined, or misinterpreted to suit individual or group interests. There is little paggalang (respect) for those who have limited or no voice at all. The powerless have become dispensable.”

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Morales also lamented how the law is being “disregarded” and even “weaponized” without regard for the traditional Filipino value of respect.

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“From the humble homes along the riles [railroad tracks] to the halls of both houses of Congress, and even the Palace by the river, paggalang remains a core value that is tragically and sorely lacking in Philippine society today,” she stressed.

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“We need truth to win our case in the future. Engineers and architects need ethics. Artists and journalists need platforms. Scientists need imagination. Humanists need technological literacy,”

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“Can any one of you tell me what lawyers need? Maybe you should look at the proceedings in the Senate,” she quipped.

Moreover, addressing the graduates, she advised: “Character is not revealed in loud, even screaming, incoherent voices, bible quotations, self-aggrandizing achievements, or public success. It is best revealed in your everyday conduct.” /cb

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