1.) Betrayal of public trust due to subservience to Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her presidency, from the time of his appointment as Supreme Court justice to his midnight appointment as Chief Justice. Examples are his partiality in the Megapacific contract decision, Fernando Poe Jr. case, the Lambino versus Comelec case (people’s initiative), David v Arroyo and Neri v Senate (executive privilege).

2.) Culpable violation of the Constitution for non-disclosure of the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

3.) Undue closeness to Macapagal-Arroyo as shown by the appointment of the Chief Justice’s wife to a seat in the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

4.)  Betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution when he issued a status quo order ante that had suspended the hearings of the House justice committee on the impeachment case against previous Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

5.)  Voting on the cityhood cases and the creation of the province of Dinagat.

6.) Creation of the ethics committee to look into the plagiarism case against SC Justice Mariano del Castillo, which resulted in clearing Del Castillo of any liability.

7.) Temporary restraining order on the travel ban on Mrs. Arroyo.

8.) Refusal to account for judicial development funds, special allowances and other court collections.

It is expected that the Senate will receive the Articles of Impeachment in the next few days and will convene itself as an impeachment court. The surprising twist came after CJ Corona gave a defiant speech in the Supreme Court this morning saying that he will face any ouster plot and fight all those who dare to destroy the court and system of justice under the Constitution. In the past few weeks, President Benigno Aquino III and CJ Corona have been at loggerheads due to different issues that have pitted the executive branch of government against the judiciary, such as the TRO issued against the watchlist order on Congressman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the midnight appointment of CJ Corona, the junking of the Truth Commission and other decisions by the Supreme Court which have been adverse to Malacanang. In the past week, President Aquino even took to task CJ Corona in his speech during he 1st National Criminal Justice Summit, saying that the high court was making it difficult for the executive to prosecute officials involved in graft and corruption.

During his inauguration, President Aquino even opted to take his oath of office before then Supreme Court Associate Justice now Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Surprisingly, media has reported that motorists caught with wang-wangs and other prohibited devices have been fined the amount of Php 15,000.  We’re not sure what legal basis was used for this but Presidential Decree No. 96 is clear that the penalty for a first offense is mere confiscation and it is only in case of a second and subsequent offenses that the offender shall be prosecuted for violation of the Decree and, upon conviction thereof, shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment for six months and/or a fine of 600 pesos. In addition, the certificate of registration of the motor vehicle on which the unauthorized gadget or device herein mentioned is installed, mounted or used shall be cancelled or revoked.

• It establishes a Climate Change Commission which shall be an independent and autonomous body and shall have the same status as that of a national government agency. It shall be attached to the Office of the President. The Commission shall be the sole policy-making body of the government which shall be tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change pursuant to the provisions of this Act. The Commission shall be organized within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act. (Section 4, RA 9729)

• The Commission shall be composed of the President of the Republic of the Philippines who shall serve as the Chairperson, and three (3) Commissioners to be appointed by the President, one of whom shall serve as the Vice Chairperson of the Commission. (Section 5, RA 9729)

• The Commission shall meet once every three (3) months, or as often as may be deemed necessary by the Chairperson. The Chairperson may likewise call upon other government agencies for the proper implementation of this Act. (Section 6, RA 9729)

• The Commissioners must be Filipino citizens, residents of the Philippines, at least thirty (30) years of age at the time of appointment, with at least ten (10) years of experience on climate change and of proven honesty and ntegrity. The Commissioners shall be experts in climate change by virtue of their educational background, training and experience: Provided, That at least one (1) Commissioner shall be female: Provided, further, That in no case shall the Commissioners come from the same sector: Provided, finally, That in no case shall any of the Commissioners appoint representatives to act on their behalf. The Commissioners shall hold office for a period of six (6) years, and may be subjected to reappointment: Provided, That no person shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms: Provided, further, That in case of a vacancy, the new appointee shall fully meet the qualifications of a Commissioner and shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the term only: Provided, finally, That in no case shall a Commissioner be designated in a temporary or acting capacity. The Vice Chairperson and the Commissioners shall have the rank and privileges of a Department Secretary and Undersecretary, respectively. They shall be entitled to corresponding compensation and other emoluments and shall be subject to the same disqualifications. (Section 7, RA 9729)

Read more on the Climate Change Act of 2009 in our Recent Laws Page.