PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III’s bashing of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice drew brickbats but his allies were quick to rally behind him.

A legal luminary yesterday compared Aquino to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro for continuously attacking the high court and revving up his offensive in his speech at the First National Criminal Justice System Summit the other day where he took to task the high tribunal and the top magistrate for frustrating his anti-corruption thrust.

Corona found an ally in the person of Fr. Joaquin Bernas who said that Aquino sounded like Fidel Castro when the Cuban leader was humiliating Cuba’s high tribunal and chief justice.

“I admire Corona,” he said, he “does not go down to the level of the president’s ranting."

Bernas also backed the statement of Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez that Aquino’s tirade was “disturbing and uncalled for.”

“Nakakabahala nga. I don’t know kung ano mangyayari diyan. In his (Aquino’s) speeches, he sounds like Fidel Castro,” Bernas said.

Even the biggest lawyers group in the Philippines, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, expressed concern over Aquino’s latest broadside against the SC and Corona.

According to IBP President Roan Libarios, the actuations of Aquino will serve as a bad precedent for the people to disobey the high court and the rule of law.

"The act of President Aquino is improper and inappropriate," Libarios said.

An anti-crime group also flayed Aquino over his antagonism towards the SC and Corona.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption chairman Dante Jimenez criticized Aquino for allegedly insulting the high court.

Jimenez described Aquino's tirade against Corona and the SC as "extremely rude and smacks of blatant arrogance and utter disrespect for the High Court."

In a statement to media, Jimenez said that Aquino’s comments were disgusting, adding that Aquino owes an apology to the people “for his ill-mannered unpresidential behavior.”

"Mr.  President, you seem to have gone overboard. Bastosan na ba ito? It's indeed disturbing," Jimenez said.

The dean of the San Beda College Graduate School of Law likewise said Aquino’s bashing of the SC is a sign of disrespect to the highest court of the land.

Fr. Ranhillo Aquino pointed out that the chief executive was in no position to advise or direct the SC what it must do.

Fr. Aquino cited the independence of the three branches of government.

“Kaya independent ang hukuman (upang) sila ay makakapag-desisyon nang hindi natatakot sa ehekutibo o lehislatura,” Fr. Aquino said.

“The president of the Philippines educates the nation. Kapag ang pangulo mismo ang nagpapakita sa taong bayan na wala nang paggalang sa kataas-taasang hukuman, ano na ang mangyayari sa atin?” Aquino said.

A critic of the President in the Senate also expressed dismay at Aquino’s assault on the judiciary.

Sen. Joker Arroyo said “it wasn’t right for the President who was invited there by the judges and justices precisely to hear… so that there could be some kind of agreement how to accelerate the criminal justice system. What happens is that he attacked the judges, justices.”

PNoy defended

Allies of Aquino in the House of Representatives on the other hand defended his tirade against the SC, asking the justices not to be onion skinned.

Speaking in a weekly forum, Ugnayan sa Batasan, Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo and Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat said that the President cannot be blamed because he is just expressing his opinion and sentiments on the rulings of the SC which for the administration are not favorable to Aquino’s “tuwid na daan” advocacy.

On Monday, Aquino slammed the SC, led by Chief Justice Renato Corona, in his speech at the National Criminal Justice System Summit.

“The President is entitled to make his own opinion. Huwag nating kalimutan that in terms of accountability, the President is the only national official to have garnered such a large mandate. No member of the SC got elected. They are there as appointees. In fact, the only accountability that the members of the SC has in the Constitution is through Congress, through an impeachment. But as you may know, that is a legal process,” Quimbo said.

Quimbo reminded the people that Aquino vowed to prosecute alleged irregularities and atrocities of the previous administration

The solon said the venue and the timing is appropriate because precisely it was a venue where all the different agencies and concerned institutions are present.

“What better venue to be able to present the frustrations of the President when it comes to the things that he wants to do,” he added.

For his part, Baguilat, also a member of the Liberal Party, said that Aquino's speech showed his usual, unconventional way of speaking his mind . “Ganyan naman talaga siya. Magsasabi siya when he feels he must say something,” Baguilat said.

Baguilat also said that the President is just expressing his opinion as part of executive privilege.

“Let's not overreact to the pronouncements of the President. He just expressed his opinion on what the SC has been doing, especially in its decisions that affect his good government campaign, yung kanyang kampanya laban sa katiwalian,” he added.

With Jester P. Manalastas, Bernadette E. Tamayo