17. SORIANO, AZUCENA JR, DELA CRUZ, AND ESTOESTA.
These are names of two Regional Trial Court judges and two Sandiganbayan justices who stood out because they decided to go against the grain.
Judge Andres Soriano of RTC Makati, Branch 148 resisted the pressure to issue a warrant of arrest against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV arising from the President's Proclamation No. 572 (contrasted from the warrant of arrest issued by his RTC neighbor, Judge Elmo Alameda of Branch 150).
Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr of RTC Caloocan, Branch 125 convicted the murderers of Kian Delos Santos and sent a strong message against those who would carry out EJKs.
Justices Efren Dela Cruz and Ma. Theresa Gomez Estoesta of the Sandiganbayan dissented from the majority in its acquittal of former Senator Bong Revilla for plunder. Both submitting separate dissents, Justices Dela Cruz and Estoesta argued that the evidence against Mr. Revilla was sufficient to convict him. Notably, Justice Dela Cruz is the chair of the First Division and is the only justice among the 5 who ruled in the Revilla case who has heard the case since it started. He is also an aspirant for a Supreme Court seat.
18. WAR
The war in 2018 was not just against illegal drugs, it was also against free speech and expression, and many other forms of dissent. Rappler reporter Pia Ranada was barred from covering the President in Malacañang – a ban that apparently is not territorially-confined, but extends to any activity where the President is present. Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa has been charged with tax evasion, with Rappler itself facing legal action for corporate ouster. ABS-CBN has been threatened with denial of its franchise by no less than the President. Journalists have been killed and continue to be killed. Paid internet trolls continue to attack legitimate forms of dissent expressed on social media.
There was also a war against legal representation, specifically through the killing of lawyers who would dare to take a side against the establishment. NUPL's Benjamin Ramos was one in a growing list of lawyers whose advocacy for the poor and voiceless made him an "enemy of the State."
19 words for 2019
These are not, by any means, the only words to describe 2018. These are just 18 of the many words that describe my 2018.
As a new year approaches, I want to jumpstart the next Deep Dive and 2019 with 3 of 19 words that I hope will describe 2019.
Resilience. Courage. Hope. – Rappler.com
Theodore Te, Ted to many, is a human rights lawyer and advocate, law educator, font geek and comic book fan, occasional movie and music reviewer, a life-long Boston Celtics fan and a loud opponent of the death penalty, violations of human rights, government abuse, and social injustice. Deep Dive is his attempt at probing into issues of law and rights, politics and governance (and occasionally entertainment and sports) beyond the headlines, the sound bites, the spin, and the buzz.Linkback:
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