Business group welcomes Sereno appointment

MANILA, Philippines – For the Makati Business Club (MBC), it’s out with the old and in with the new as far as chief justices are concerned.

Not long after President Benigno Aquino III named the country’s chief justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno, the influential business group issued a statement in support of her.

“We believe that the President has chosen a morally upright person with impeccable integrity, independence of mind, and competence essential for the highest magistrate of the land,” said MBC.

MBC has joined calls for reforms at the Supreme Court since the start of the impeachment trial of Renato Corona, who was dismissed from the highest judicial post for failing to disclose P183 million in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

MBC chair Ramon del Rosario previously told Rappler that Aquino’s efforts to clean up the judiciary were boosting business confidence.

Rosario linked bullish investment prospects to the Aquino administration’s efforts to weed out corruption in government. He said that if the government failed to remove Corona, the country would “see a reduction in confidence in terms of investments taking place, (and) in terms of commitments toward hiring more people.”

However, some businessmen, like Ramon Ang, who heads the country’s largest conglomerate San Miguel Corp, shrugged off the impact of the impeachment trial on investors. Most businessmen agreed that the trial did not hurt business sentiment.

MBC has high hopes for change under the leadership of Sereno. “We sincerely hope that our new Chief Justice rebuilds the people’s trust in the institution by ensuring greater transparency and accountability in the courts.”

MBC asked that she cut the bureaucratic tape that delayed legal proceedings in the past. “We also hope that she drives the long-delayed and necessary reforms towards uncrowding our congested dockets, the speedy resolution of cases, and the fair and equal application of the law.” – Rappler.com