Ex-justice on Vitug book: Sailing in uncharted area

MANILA, Philippines - Perhaps the 13 counts of libel filed last week by a justice of the Supreme Court against veteran journalist Marites Dañguilan Vitug further heightened public curiosity over the latter’s book, Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court, which was launched Tuesday.

Prominent figures in the judiciary and legal profession, the academe, civil society, and the media attended the book launch at One Serendra in Taguig City, where guest speakers emphasized the importance of transparency in the highest court in the land.

Shadow of Doubt, which is published by Public Trust Media Group Inc. (Newsbreak), is the first journalistic work on the workings of the Supreme Court. It discusses the politics and maneuvering among the justices, how the personal interests of magistrates affect their decision on cases, and the hidden scandals of this sacrosanct institution.

(Read excerpts from the book: Chief Justice Puno: The Chameleon) 

Before its printing, the book had generated much interest because of its original publisher and later distributor backed out of the project. A major chain of bookstores also refused to sell copies of the book.

The libel cases filed by Justice Velasco was in relation to an online report by Vitug about the propriety of the magistrate getting involved in partisan activities, with his son preparing to run for congressman of Marinduque. It was published in December, but the complaints were filed a few days before the launch of Vitug’s book.

In Shadow of Doubt, Vitug further  elaborated on Velasco's interference in local politics. Velasco is asking P1 million in damages.

(Click here for the author’s account on the difficulties encountered by the book.)

'To be chewed and digested'

Among those who graced the occasion were former President Fidel Ramos, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, former Senate Presidents Jovito Salonga and Franklin Drilon, former justices Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, Vicente Mendoza and Bernardo Pardo; former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo; retired Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio; former poll chair Christian Monsod, UP professor Solita Monsod; former Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad, Aurora Rep. Eduardo Angara and former Solicitor General Frank Chavez.

In her review of the book, Sandoval said Shadow of Doubt belonged to those kinds of books that had to be "chewed and digested."

She pointed out that the book "covers an entirely novel and complex subject, an uncharted area no writer has ever sailed."

She lauded the book for espousing transparency in the Court, adding that the personal integrity of justices  "should be above reproach."

“Transparency is the responsibility of the Court to inform the public the whole truth about it and its work without betraying those aspects of the judicial process which require utmost confidentiality,” Sandoval said. (Newsbreak)

Marites Vitug, the book’s author, is the chairperson of Newsbreak, a content provider and editorial consultant of abs-cbnNEWS.com. 

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The book is available at Popular Bookstore (Tomas Morato, Quezon City), La Solidaridad (Padre Faura, Manila), UP College of Law; Filipinas Heritage Library (Ayala, Makati); and the Newsbreak office at Unit 202, S & F Condominium, 137-B Panay Avenue, Quezon City; telephone 920-0997; fax 920-3611; email admin@newsbreak.com.ph.