Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Roberto Eugenio Cadiz believes the House Committee on Justice is trying to either “exact punishment over what they perceive to be a personal slight” or attempting “to silence criticism” in issuing him a show cause order for his remarks that “the law of the jungle seems to be prevailing” in the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
He also wondered aloud: “Is there a different set of standards for expressing opinions that apply to House members?” given that House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez himself had issued “very critical, even personal statements” against Sereno, calling her “baliw” (insane) “in relation to her insistence on her constitutional right to cross-examine by counsel witnesses against her”.
Cadiz wrote a letter to House Committee on Justice chairman Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Reynaldo Umali in response to the show cause order issued to him on November 27 in relation to the “law of the jungle” comments.
“I am in disbelief that the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives would consider citing me in contempt for my comments about the current state of democracy in our country, and, specifically, about the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice,” Cadiz said.
“As a lawyer and longtime advocate for democracy and human rights, I expressed last 20 November before the media and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines my grave concern about the fairness of the impeachment proceedings,” he explained.
“I was surprised to receive the show cause order, not only because I am not a party to the impeachment proceedings, but because it appears to be, at best, an attempt by public officials to exact punishment over what they perceive to be a personal slight,” Cadiz continued. “At worst, it may be interpreted as yet another attempt to silence criticism in a pattern of closing democratic space.”
He voiced his concern about attempts to “neutralize independent thinkers within government, including the Chief Justice and the Ombudsman.”
He also insisted that as a Filipino citizen, the Constitution guarantees his right “to publicly express that concern.”
Prior to the November 27 hearing, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had quoted Cadiz as saying “the law of the jungle seems to be prevailing” during the impeachment proceedings.
On November 27, the Philippine Star noted that it was SAGIP partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta who wanted the show-cause order issued to Cadiz for the “very demeaning” statement.
Read his entire letter below.
