BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has reminded court employees to exercise prudence in their social media activities to maintain the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
During the recent Ethics Caravan for the proposed New Code of Conduct for Court Personnel and the proposed New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary at the Little Theater of the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas here, Gesmundo urged court personnel to be always mindful of their social media presence and the content they share.
Court employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, both in their professional and personal lives, the magistrate said.
He emphasized that all judicial officers and employees must be particularly mindful of their social media posts, or they could face administrative sanctions.
Responsible use of social media among court personnel was among the matters proposed and discussed as the Supreme Court kicked off its first leg of the Ethics Caravan for the Proposed New Code of Conduct for Court Personnel and the Proposed New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary.
In his speech, the Chief Justice reaffirmed the commitment he made at the start of his tenure to “ensure a strong ethical regime for both the bench and the bar.”
He underscored that the broader campaign for ethical responsibility was articulated in the Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, which aims to produce efficiency, innovation, and access to the court.
“When lawyers, judges, and courts and their personnel are ethical, they are sure to be efficient,” said Gesmundo.
The Chief Justice noted the ethics caravan on the proposed new codes is a continuation of the previous caravan held by the court to finalize the crafting of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), which was launched last year.
Gesmundo stressed the Supreme Court wants to ensure that, like the CPRA, both Codes are thoroughly reviewed and brought up to date to remain relevant in contemporary times. Both Codes were promulgated in 2004.
The Chief Justice added the proposed Codes also highlight the importance of accountability and outline responsibilities even for the family members of judges and court personnel.
For her part, Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, the chairperson of the Sub-Committee for the Review of the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel and the Sub-Committee for the Review of the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary, said that the proposed new Codes adopted the values-based orientation of the CPRA.
Justice Singh shared that adopting the twin Codes in 2004 marked a critical turning point for the Judiciary — the recognition that ethics is foundational for the existence and survival of any organization, more so the Judicial Department, the co-equal third branch of government.
Singh said she was directly involved in the nationwide rollout of the 2004 Code of Conduct for Court Personnel.
Through the Philippine Judicial Academy, they conducted orientation seminars in trial courts across the country and engaged in discussions with court personnel, from branch clerks to court aides.
Singh emphasized that the stakeholders impacted by the Codes were invited to the Caravan to allow them to participate in these consultations before the Court En Banc discusses the draft and finalizes it.
“This has been the Court’s policy under Chief Justice Gesmundo — everything we do, we submit for consultation to the stakeholders. This way, they will feel valued and truly part of the process, as a motivation for them to champion these initiatives,” said Singh.
Once approved, the proposed New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary will be renamed to the New Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability.
“I have long dreamed of the day when integrity will no longer be a rare commodity, when honesty will be second nature to every citizen, and when decency will be a way of life. Today, with this caravan, we take a big step towards that dream,” said Justice Singh.
Supported by the European Union through the Governance in Justice (GOJUST) II Programme, the ethics caravan for the proposed new Codes will have five succeeding legs this year: August 9 (Lipa), August 23 (Davao), September 5 (Bacolod), September 18 (General Santos City), and November 8 (Manila).
Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, and Associate Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr. were also present during the event./PN
