Appeal filed to stop another NPC election

Five members of the National Press Club, led by holdover president Antonio Antonio, yesterday filed with the Court of Appeals a petition for review with preliminary injunction and/or restraining order against a recent decision of the Manila regional

Joining Antonio in the petition were Jose Pavia, Gil Santos, Bert Castro and Sonny Valencia, all four of whom were members of the Commission on Elections, which supervised the elections on May 7.

Lawyer Ricardo C. Valmonte, himself a lifetime member of the NPC, filed the petition in behalf of the five.

In their petition, they questioned the RTC decision, which was issued last June 6 by Judge Aida Layug of Branch 46, as being invalid, illegal and injurious to the interests of the majority of NPC members.

The petition is based on five grounds, among them: The judge nullified the results of the May 7 elections when it was not enjoined by a TRO previously issued by another RTC judge, Cielito Grulla, and when Layug herself upheld the legality of that election committee, headed by Pavia; the judge nullified the May 7 elections for supposely violating the Grulla TRO, when the TRO itself was issued without due process and was a product of forum-shopping;

The judge should have nullified only the alternate "elections" held by respondents Logarta, et al on the NPC grounds on May 7 since, in her own words, they had come to court with "unclean hands"; the judge erred in ordering Pavia and his election committee members to include Logarta as a candidate when it had disqualified him for unpaid accounts of R66,150 owed to the NPC; and the judge erred in ordering that a new election be held under the direct supervision of her court when it had not been prayed for by petitioners Logarta, et al.

NGOs call for caution on announcing 'judicial error'

A group of non-government organizations (NGOs) and cause-oriented groups called yesterday for caution in announcing so-called "judicial error" as it could erode the credibility, integrity and wisdom of the judiciary.

The group, led by Crisostomo B. Vitug of Kapisanan ng Malayang Pilipino (KMP), Adolf B. Ortega of the Confederation of Filipino Drug Entrepreneurs (Confide), Dr. Cesar S. Cordova Jr. of the Knights of Columbus Council 6183, former World Health Organization (WHO) consultant Dr. Jose R. Relacion, and Wilson T. Ng of Po Chuan Tin Food Enterprises, said although those who speak in public about judicial error may have a good intentioon, there is no doubt that the statement could have a devastating effects on the credibility of the judiciary.

They said if the judiciary loses its credibility, anarchy and chaos could not be far behind as victims of injustice may no longer go to court but put the law into their own hands.

Relacion, former hospital director of Medical Center Manila, said the judiciary could easily regain the trust and confidence of the judiciary and in the rule of law if justices and judges could expedite the resolution of cases. (E. T. Suarez)

QC civil registrar airs side

The Quezon City Civil Registry Office (CRO) yesterday said that it has valid reasons for refusing to accept documents notarized outside its premises.

This came after City Councilor Edcel B. Lagman criticized the number of notaries public operating within the premises of the CRO, saying this "encourages corruption."

Lagman further slammed the CRO for allegedly not accepting documents notarized outside its premises, saying "it unjustly restrains an individual and deprives him of his right to avail himself of the services of other notaries public, especially those who undertake the same at a lower fee."

According to Ramon Matabang, city civil registrar, the CRO is not restraining the acceptance of notaries from others but their office has already identified the table-chair-with-typewriter and van-type of notarial services as unacceptable.

"We want to protect the integrity of the legal instruments being submitted to this department because these documents, once accepted, become official documents on the civil status of the person, " he said. "The acceptance of such documents is not ministerial but discretionary on their part because they are the ones who will be held liable for these instruments." (Angie Chui)