Palace: We're not at war with the SC

Despite clashes with the Supreme Court on numerous occasions, Malacañang maintained on Tuesday that it is not "at war" with the country's highest court. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda made the statement after former Justice Secretary Alberto Agra and his think-tank Forensic Solutions warned the executive branch against going against the judiciary because of their political differences. "We are not at war with the Supreme Court. We believe that we have a right to express our disappointment at the decision of the Supreme Court," Lacierda said. "We believe that it was a setback to our efforts of reform and our efforts to eradicate graft and corruption. It is our right to comment on a decision of the Supreme Court. Other than that, we do not believe that we are at war with the Supreme Court," he said. The Palace spokesman made the statement even though Malacañang has criticized the SC, composed mostly of appointees of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for deciding against the Aquino administration in a number of cases. In the first case, President Benigno Aquino III criticized the Supreme Court's "status quo ante order" issued in response to the petition of National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) commissioner and secretary Bai Omera Dianalan-Lucman against Executive Order No. 2, which revoked Arroyo's "midnight" appointments. Even though the status quo ante order was applicable only to Lucman, Aquino said the SC decision "effectively turned back the clock" and "dishonors the decency of those who had the courtesy to resign." "The potential result of this will be chaos and paralysis in the Executive Branch of government, as the legitimacy of officials appointed to replace those already removed will be cast in doubt," said the president. Last week, the SC declared as unconstitutional EO No. 1 creating the Truth Commission. Malacañang called the decision a setback to its reform efforts. Lacierda defended the Palace's reaction to the SC cases. "It's our right to express our opinions on decided cases. We feel strongly about the EOs that we issued. We feel strongly about what this administration has taken toward efforts on reform and eradicating graft and corruption," he said. Lacierda, however, said Malacañang had nothing to do with Akbayan's call for the resignation of 10 SC justices who ruled against EO No. 1, although he acknowledged that Akbayan is “a strong supporter of this administration." "It is a decision they have taken. So we respect that but, like I said, we have our own options to study so ‘yun ang gagamitin namin pang-sagot sa desisyon ng [we will use those in replying to the decision of the] Supreme Court," he said. Aquino was already at odds with Chief Justice Renato Corona even before he took over as president in June, as he opposed Corona's appointment to the top judicial post because it was done during the election period. Malacañang, however, said Aquino has accepted Corona's appointment after the SC ruled it as constitutional.—JV, GMANews.TV