In this column, Ray G. Talimio Jr reflects on the judiciary’s own challenges after Chief Justice Gesmundo said during Independence Day: “Our enemies today are not just foreign forces. They include the corruption and apathy we tolerate in our own backyard.”
On June 12, 2025, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo delivered a message that was both a solemn reminder and a call for accountability. In his Independence Day address, he said: “Our enemies today are not just foreign forces. They include the corruption and apathy we tolerate in our own backyard.” His words carried a pointed challenge to the nation’s conscience and to the institutions sworn to defend its democratic foundations.
The Chief Justice emphasized that freedom is not a reward handed down once struggles end. Rather, it is a purpose that must be strengthened every day. This sentiment resonates with many who now ask whether the judiciary itself is responding with the urgency that these times demand.
Unresolved legal questions
If the call is to protect our freedoms from within, then the courts must confront unresolved legal questions of national consequence with vigor and timeliness. These include the ongoing constitutional challenge to the General Appropriations Act for 2025 amounting to Php 6.326 trillion and the legal ramifications of the Department of Finance’s transfer of PhilHealth funds to the General Fund. This is made more pressing by Secretary Ralph Recto’s own admission during oral arguments that the Supreme Court’s directive to return the funds may not be implemented within the year
There is also the question of judicial consistency in politically sensitive cases. The government moved swiftly in the arrest and transfer of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in The Hague on March 11, 2025. In contrast, equally urgent matters such as the legality of specific congressional appropriations and the delayed action on multiple petitions involving the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte remain stalled or unresolved.
The disparity in judicial response times has become more visible to the public. While some cases seem to enjoy priority, others of comparable constitutional magnitude wait indefinitely. In the impeachment case against the Vice President, the Senate’s failure to act on the Articles of Impeachment before adjourning sine die raises procedural questions that may reach the High Court. Yet the Supreme Court has not yet taken firm steps, even as legal and academic communities call for clarity and leadership.
Challenge: Judiciary as a sanctuary of clarity
This moment demands more than solemn declarations. It demands visible, measurable commitment to the rule of law across all branches of government. The judiciary is not exempt. The credibility of the courts is reinforced not just by principles but by decisive action.
Chief Justice Gesmundo’s message reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as our will to defend it. To tolerate institutional silence on matters of accountability is to invite decay into the heart of our public service. His words must be matched by the judiciary’s readiness to meet the moment.
Let the judiciary be a sanctuary of clarity, not an echo chamber of delay.
Ray G. Talimio Jr. is the corporate secretary and division head of the CdeO-based IT company Syntactics. As a private sector representative, he co-chairs the economic development committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC-X). He also serves as Northern Mindanao chair for the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area. BIMP-EAGA is an intergovernmental economic cooperation program in Southeast Asia.
Talimio was also the former president and trustee of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) and former national officer of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).
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