Senator-judges travelling abroad with impeached officials

It isn’t enough that judges are imbued with propriety. Their behavior must at all times be proper. It isn’t enough that they are impartial. They must behave in a manner that doesn’t show any taint of partiality. Like Caesar's wife, their life must be beyond reproach.

- Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez [e-mail]

How can we expect a fair and just decision in an impeachment court when senator-judges are openly travelling abroad with the impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, aside from the fact that one of the said senator-judges even moved to dismiss, amended to motion to remand? Senators Imee Marcos and Robinhood Padilla openly and unabashedly travelled with the vice president in Kuala Lumpur, Qatar, and Europe.

Since the incumbent senators are no longer merely members of the Senate, took an oath to decide the impeachment articles fairly, and started wearing the highly-symbolic judicial robes, they should behave in a manner beyond reproach. Travelling abroad together with the impeached vice president is a blatant breach of that solemn duty.

Canon | declares that judicial independence isa prerequisite to the rule of law and a fundamental guarantee for a fair trial. ‘A judge shall therefore uphold judicial independence. This canon is, to my mind, openly violated when senator-judges not only travel together with the impeached official, but also deliver speeches practically prejudging and exonerating her. Canon 2 provides that integrity is essential not only to the proper discharge of the judicial office but also to the personal demeanor of judges.