The decline of SCOTUS

Former Chief Justice Art Panganiban has written how his awe and reverence for the nine-person Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) have turned to dismay and desolation largely because of “what I believe are unethical, if not illegal, practices of its incumbents, such as receipt of enormous sums as royalties, speaking fees, gifts from friends, paid vacations with private yachts and private planes in exclusive hotels, hobnobbing with the rich and famous in private clubs and, lately, partisan political bias.”

Specifically, CJ Art wrote in his Inquirer column, of the Gods of Judicial Olympus earning more from outside “fees” and “royalties” than from their regular compensation as justices, all of whom serve until they die or decide to retire just before they die.

The wives of at least two justices are manifestly partisan, in favor of loser Donald Trump. One wife joined the Jan. 6, 2021 riot that assaulted the US Capitol while it was counting the votes for president. Another wife displayed, for several days, pro-Trump flags in their residence and vacation house.

Art Panganiban is perhaps one of the most respected among the 27 chiefs of the Supreme Court (123 years old last June 11, 2024). He is the high court’s most prolific writer (14 books and over 1,200 full length, signed decisions during his 11 years at the SC).

Art is the SC justice who, on Jan. 20, 2001, goaded then the reluctant Chief Justice Hilario Davide to declare the Joseph Estrada presidency vacant (after only 30 months), and to swear in VP Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as “acting” president.

When Erap insisted he did not resign, the Supreme Court invented a new jurisprudence – constructive resignation. You thought of resigning, therefore, you are resigned, so the logic went. Since then, no president ever thought of resigning. In fact, nearly every president after Erap maneuvered, thankfully unsuccessfully, to remain in power past his/her six-year term. That is why you keep hearing terms like Cha-cha, people’s initiative and constitutional change midway into every presidency.

Back to SCOTUS. Chief Panganiban wrote: “The justices recently disclosed their ‘royalties’ for last year alone (aside from their