Replacing CJ Sereno becoming inelegant

Sages had foreseen last May the inelegant effects of the Supreme Court ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Morality, not legality, was the issue. Whoever justice votes for ouster would appear lusting for her position.

Eight of the 14 magistrates voted for ouster. Among them were three of the five most senior, now automatically nominated as CJ replacement. They are Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, third in seniority; Diosdado Peralta, fourth; and Lucas Bersamin, fifth. One of the many issues against Sereno then was lack of experience – seniority – as magistrate. Sereno in turn accused the three, plus three others, of bias. They had testified against her in an aborted impeachment in Congress, so supposedly were inapt to sit in judgment of her in a quo warranto case in the SC.

Most senior of all justices is Antonio Carpio, thus acting-CJ during this vacancy, followed by Presbitero Velasco. Having voted against removing Sereno, it doesn’t look unseemly for either one to succeed her.

Still, as a matter of principle, Carpio has declined his automatic nomination. For him, Sereno’s removal was unjust, so he would not wish to benefit from it.

Becoming CJ is every lawyer’s dream. Twice before, in 2010 and 2012, Carpio automatically had been nominated for that highest Judiciary post. Yet although most senior those two times, he was bypassed by less tenured ones. Now Carpio is declining the post out of delicadeza. Retired CJ Hilario Davide and the all-lawyers Integrated Bar of the Philippines have begged Carpio to accept. So have many eminent citizens. Carpio’s stand is firm. Velasco has declined too, as he is retiring next month.

At first Justices Leonardo-De Castro, Peralta, and Bersamin held off from accepting nomination. Under the Constitution the Judicial and Bar Council must vet candidates for justice and judgeships, with at least three shortlisted per vacancy. The President has three months to fill any SC vacancy, in Sereno’s case by September.

Time is ticking away fast. This week a retired JBC member rushed the nomination of all 14 SC justices. On the eve of the JBC deadline yesterday for CJ applications and nominations, Leonardo-de Castro, Peralta and Bersamin accepted. One other did too, Justice Andres Reyes, among the eight who had fired Sereno.

The four may have noblest intentions for accepting nomination. Still, in light of Carpio’s principled declining, it sadly leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

The SC image needs buttressing. Political troubles loom: an extended fight for the Vice Presidency; a rush to shift to federal, possibly even parliamentary government; unconstitutional self-extension of congressional terms; political dynasties’ hang-on to power; worsening corruption and crime; economic decline; and China aggression. If the two political branches of government falter, only the Judiciary will remain to prop up the Republic. * * * The most viral memes these days are on what Speaker Gloria Arroyo was yelling with cupped hands and the mike turned off. Very stinging is, “When I say ‘Hello’, you all shout ‘Garci’.” It recalls the 2004 start of her questioned Presidency. Before that, on replacing in 2001 impeached Erap Estrada, she had declared she won’t run for President, acknowledging she was then the divisive political element.

* * * Dependence and helplessness frustrate the blind and low visioned. Without assistance they’re unable to read, shop, cook, and do many regular activities. Saddest is when they can’t fulfill simple duties to loved ones, like strolling young children or entertaining the elderly with, say, music or parlor games.

But revolutionary assistive technology is normalizing life for the partially and fully blind. A device called MyEye enables them to recognize persons, read, type, and just generally survive. Lightweight and thumb-size, it clips on to any pair of eyeglasses. A user only has to point to any page or screen, and MyEye can read the text or email, in three chosen languages. Walking to the mall? Just point to the signboards and MyEye reads them. Shopping? MyEye identifies colors and basic designs, has a database of millions of product barcodes worldwide, and instantly detects currencies and denominations to count payments and change. It can read menus and microwave oven instructions. By looking at the wrist where a watch should be, user is told the time and date. MyEye can store for instant recognition hundreds of friends and relatives’ faces. It is always polite and genial with strangers, like in saying, “Young gentleman (or pretty lady) approaching.”

Not only ordinary activities but special talents of the visually impaired can be enhanced. Among patients who’ve tried it are composers, professors, and salespersons.

MyEye is the brainchild of Israelis Amnon Shashua and Ziv Aviram, owner-partners of OrCam artificial intelligence firm. Recently turned billionaires when Intel bought their driverless car invention, they’re into helping ease the lives of the blind. About 350 million worldwide are blind; in the Philippines alone, about three million are partially sighted.

Enrique “Endika” Aboitiz, retired boss of the energy-banking-infrastructure conglomerate, is bringing MyEye into the Philippines, to help the disabled. He is plunking in P25 million for an initial 200 units, for testing in schools for the blind, especially youngsters. He is also asking deep-pocketed friends to help out.

Coupled with other assistive innovations, like Siri in iPhone and Be My Eyes app, there’s hope yet for the blind to see.

* * * Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ, (882-AM).

Gotcha archives on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/pages/Jarius-Bondoc/1376602159218459, or The STAR website https://beta.philstar.com/columns/134276/gotcha