(Eagle News) — “Stop it.”
This was the message of President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday to unscrupulous judges who he said made an interpretation of the law a mere business, as he appealed to the Supreme Court to “do something” about corruption in the judiciary.
Duterte, who arrived in the country from China past 3 a.m., said during his speech at the Davao International Airport that it was an open secret that some judges received money from the issuance of temporary restraining orders.
The President insinuated such was the case with some from the Court of Appeals, which he said recently again issued a TRO on the Supreme Court decision awarding a property in Makati to the government.
The President said the Mile Long property is being claimed by the Prieto family, who are also the owners of the Inquirer.
“Stop it..I am asking the Supreme Court, do something about (corruption in the judiciary),” he said.
Duterte noted that courts could “paralyze government.”
He said because of the issuance of many TROs on some government projects, some of these get stalled for very long.
Instead of issuing TROs that disrupt the progress of a project, he said the courts should just decide immediately on the case.
“Because the government project has to start,” he said.
Before China, the President went to Cambodia and Hong Kong for official visits.