Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Monday urged Filipinos to learn from past experiences and turn it into positive undertaking in the coming year.
Bersamin made this New Year’s message even as he admitted that 2018 has tested the Supreme Court’s resilience.
“We encountered truly daunting and consequential challenges. Let us take the time to take stock of these challenges, and discern our experiences and learn from them guided by a renewed hope, fresh start and new vision,” Bersamin said, in a statement.
In 2018, the 15-member bench was at the receiving end of criticisms following the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through the controversial quo warranto proceeding.
The SC’s independence has been questioned with the granting of the quo warranto proceeding that was initiated by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
Replacing Sereno is Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro who served for less than two months. Following her is Bersamin.
Both De Castro and Bersamin committed to observe collegiality at the high tribunal and assured that it will maintain independence and adhere only to the Constitution.
The top magistrate vowed to “embark on new initiatives in accordance with our sacred task to promote justice and uphold the rule of law.”
“The new year signifies a new beginning that we must fuse with a genuine effort for reformation and improvement – for ourselves, our families, our work and our country. We in the Judiciary are obliged to build on the positive undertakings of the past to bring about even more meaningful changes and make our courts more accessible, accountable, efficient, effective and responsive to the needs of the public,” he said.
“With God’s loving guidance and grace to “make all things new” (Revelation 21:5), may we all be instruments of His love, channels of His peace, and stewards of His justice so that we can all have a new year better than the last,” Bersamin added.”‹