The Court of Appeals Journal Volume XV, No. 1 Manila, Philippines January-March 2015 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CA Fun Runner 4 CJ Graces CA Anniversary 5 A Decade of Public Service 6 On 01 February 1936, the Court of Appeals (CA) was created by virtue CA-CDO Celebrates 10th Year 7 of Commonwealth Act No. 3. On 02 February 2015, the CA community cele- CA Honors Loyal Employees 8 brated its 79th Founding Anniver- CA Augments Security Force 8 sary with the theme “Step Up @ Women’s Month 8 '79.” The theme of the anniversary Disposal of Old Cases 9 drew reference from the movie PJ’s 5th Anniversary 10 “Step Up” where talented individu- ALA General Assembly 10 als showcased their dancing prow- Update on Female Uniform 11 CMIS Training 14 ess in a much coveted dance com- RA 10653 15 petition. Virtually indistinguishable The People’s Pope 17 from the movie, the CA Anniver- Reflections on Pope’s Visit 18 sary is as remarkable in every way. 40 days of Lent 19 Recent CA Rulings 21 (Continued on p.2) CA employees posed for a picture with PJ Reyes (in PJ’s Cup Winners 23 green shirt) before the morning Fun Run. 2 Court of Appeals Journal Here are the highlights: Under the supervision of Hon. Supreme Court Kicking off with a real gas-burner, the festivities Justice Martin S. Villarama Jr. and Presiding Justice Andres started with an early morning fun run held at the Lapu- B. Reyes, Jr., old CA case rollos were ceremonially disposed Lapu Monument Oval in Luneta Park. pursuant to SC Admin Order No. 170-2008 at the Hallway (near the Cash Division), Centennial Bldg. at 11:00AM. Three Hundred twelve (312) contenders participated in the event, each exhibited tremendous effort to reach the finish line. Hon. Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes, Jr., Hon. Associate Justices Magdangal de Leon, Elihu A. Ybañez, Carmelita Salandanan-Manahan, Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, and Pedro B. Corales participated in the event. Chief Justice Sereno delivers speech before CA employees. At 1:30PM, the CA auditorium was at maximum CA employees sing the national anthem (right) as the Philippine flag is being capacity as the afternoon program began. Guest speaker hoisted (left) to commence the CA Anniversary celebration. Chief Justice Hon. Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno delivered her anniversary message to the CA community. With praise, the Chief Justice recognized the innovations At 8:30AM, the CA flag ceremony was attended by introduced in the docketing and Case Management most CA justices and employees to show their respect for Information System (CMIS) as well as the One-Stop Shop the Philippine flag and patriotism to the country. procedure in the filing of cases. In line with the colloquial import of “Step Up,” the Chief Justice challenged the CA community to further increase its efficiency and output quality to address the ever increasing demand of justice dispensation. (From left) Supreme Court Justice Martin S. Villarama, Jr., JBC Regular Member and Ret. CA Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman, and PJ Reyes lead the ceremonial disposal of old CA rollos. Filling the day with our Creator's grace and blessing, a Thanksgiving Mass was held at 10:00AM, presided by Reverend Father Roderick C. Salazar, Jr., SVD. PJ Reyes (right) and Justice Abdulwahid (left) with Service Awardee Mr. Teotimo Vallar (center). Court of Appeals Journal 3 CJ Sereno poses with incumbent and retired Justices of the CA. CA Justices with employees. Thereafter, invaluable members of the CA community were conferred the most prestigious Loyalty Award in recog- nition of their dedication and years of service in the Court of Appeals. This event was officiated by Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes, Jr., Justice Hakim S. Abdulwahid, and Ms. Juanita P. Tibayan-Castro. No true Filipino celebration is ever complete without the obligatory dance number. In the afternoon, brave mem- bers of the CA community participated in the line dancing segment of the program. The crowd cheered and applauded at the participants' mesmerizing performance. Someone from the audience shouted “more!!!” as an irrefutable proof of enjoyment. By 5:30PM, the CA Auditorium remained jam-packed as the audience enthusiastically awaited the much anticipated closing remarks of Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes, Jr. Shortly thereafter, the two (2) winning numbers were drawn from the tambiolo with Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes, Jr. announcing the Grand Raffle Prize winners. Everyone cheered when the two (2) lucky winners claimed their prizes. The CA Anniversary program featured dance performances, stand-up comedy, and raffle of prizes, among others. Anniversaries are held to commemorate significant events. They serve as markers for realized goals and the over- coming of adversities. The Court of Appeals’ 79th Founding Anniversary heralds the institution's traditions and achievements as it continues to push forward amidst changing times. Beyond the memorable festivities held on the 2nd of February 2015, we were reminded to take pride in the mission and traditions of the institution we serve in. Let us all look forward to an even more exciting and memorable 80th Anniversary!● 4 Court of Appeals Journal What is a CA fun runner made of? Could it be forti- your muscles start to say, “How much farther?” You pay tude, a sense of adventure, or a desire for delectation? You no mind to any kind of ache and continue to set your eyes must be willing to wake up earlier than the crack of dawn – on the prize. at around 3 o'clock in the morning to be precise. But you are not worried because your adrenaline will definitely prevail Fourth lap seems to quickly pass by since at this upon your lack of sleep. You eat a banana and sip hot green point your heart is already pumping at 148 beats per min- tea. After your cold shower, you get into your running gear – ute. But the finish line is getting nearer and nearer. At this your unofficial fun run shirt, your tight fit Nike jogging suit point you have three stickers with you and you cannot and socks, and your very comfortable Asics rubber shoes help but be proud of yourself. You have one lap to go. which are so much better than your Nike pair. And then off you go with your race bib that Atty. Dan Marqueses carefully You get to the finish line finally by a sprint! You designed for the 3.5k CA Step Up @ 79 Fun Run. feel fantastic! And one by one, officemates and familiar faces cross the finish line with a sense of achievement. You arrive at the Lapu-Lapu Monument at the Rizal Park at 5:15 o'clock in the morning. You see PJ Andy Reyes, You top the experience with a big group photo of Justice Eli Ybañez, and Justice Milet Manahan as early birds, all the runners, complete with PJ Andy, all the running all looking fresh, energetic and ready to run. Associate Justices (including Justice Magdangal de Leon and Justice Pete Corales), the very reliable CA security, And you see the running and fitness enthusiasts and the lively AFP and PNP contingent. Later, you savor a from CA, filling the field with zeal. cool down bonding moment at breakfast with members of the CA staff at a nearby McDonald's, replenishing your It's time for the warm up. You join in with Bong, fatigue with pancakes and coffee. the Zumba expert, with a little spice from Dax. You all do this together as one CA family which makes it even more You utter to yourself that you will definitely do fun. this again, maybe with more remarkable speed. You look forward to such frolic in the future, perhaps to celebrate Gun eventually starts at 6:00 o'clock in the morning CA's 80th. ● and you begin with an initial jog at about 5 kph for the first lap. Your trainer has advised that an alternate 1-minute run and 1-minute brisk walk would be good for your heart. You follow obediently. You see how great the venue is, and you cannot help but feel the cool morning breeze. It really is a delight to see members of the CA family on your right, left, front, and back, all in athletic mode. You hear one of them say after the first lap, “Apat pa na ganito, kaya ba natin?” And of course, the response of the rest is a resounding “Yes!” Second lap comes easily since you still have a lot of energy. And what a joy (and relief) to meet the marshals (like Atty. Mercy Corpuz and Atty. Marcus Trabajo) who are more than willing to award you a colored sticker after finish- ing a lap. (Top) CA Fun Runners performing warm-up exercises before the actual Third lap and you still fight to the finish although run. (Bottom) Participants pose after finishing the 3.5K run around Rizal Park. Court of Appeals Journal 5 The celebration of the Court of Appeals' 79th the changes and undertake the reforms themselves is a mo- Anniversary is made more meaningful and colorful this year mentous accomplishment, Chief Justice Sereno opined. by the presence of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes P.A. Sereno. Insofar as the Court of Appeals’ relationship with At noon, Chief Justice Sereno joined the the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice envisions that a level incumbent and retired Court of Appeals Justices for lunch of trust be established in order that a proper delineation of at the Alex Reyes Conference Hall. jurisdiction between the two be established. That reliance may be placed by the Supreme Court upon the Court of Thereafter, Chief Justice Sereno joined the Court Appeals as the final arbiter of factual questions so the for- of Appeals community in culminating the whole day mer may focus on its task of resolving constitutional issues.