Satur asks presidentiables: unite and mobilize supporters against SC midnight appointments

A day after joining fellow NP senatorial candidates in appealing the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the President to appoint the next chief justice, Satur Ocampo is calling on all presidential candidates to lead mass protests against what he said was Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's "shameless abuse of power."

"It is time for all the presidential candidates to set aside their personal differences and political rivalries to unite against President Arroyo's latest ploy to consolidate her hold on the judiciary," said Ocampo.

"Let us cross party-lines and unite in a massive show of force against Macapagal-Arroyo's penchant for midnight appointments which are in blatant violation of the spirit and letter of the Constitution. Our presidential candidates and their parties can and should oppose this midnight appointment and prove that they will not tolerate this desecration of the Constitution," Ocampo said.

He said that presidential candidates should take the lead in denouncing the midnight appointment and present a united front in a symbolic protest. "All the presidentiables marching side by side with their supporters along Ayala Ave. will send the strongest signal that this nation will not allow such blatant abuses of power."

He said he will personally bring up the proposal to NP standard bearer Manny Villar when they meet in Isabela for a sortie on Thursday.

Ocampo said that at this juncture, it doesn’t matter who is appointed as long as it’s the new president who will appoint the next chief justice. "Pres. Arroyo is nearing the end of her term which many still maintain to be illegitimate, but she persists on abusing her authority. The Supreme Court is supposed to be the bastion of justice, but it's evident that nothing is sacrosanct to Macapagal-Arroyo and even the judiciary is not exempt to her self-serving, manipulative ploys," he said.

Ocampo, Bayan Muna representatives Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares have already filed House Bill 7109 against midnight appointments.