Tribunal cracks whip on judges, lawyers

Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh pulled back the curtain on the judiciary’s intensified push for transparency and accountability, revealing hard numbers from 2024 that she says are meant to restore and strengthen public trust.

Speaking before business leaders and justice advocates at the 10th anniversary of the Justice Reform Initiative (JRI), Justice Singh walked her audience through the Supreme Court’s ongoing “Integrity Initiative,” a key pillar of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI).

And she didn’t mince words. Nor did she hold back the data.

According to Singh, the Supreme Court took administrative action last year against 42 judges, 166 lawyers, and 109 court officials and personnel from the lower courts — concrete proof, she said, that the judiciary is actively policing its own ranks.

“These efforts aren’t just about punishing wrongdoing,” she explained. “They’re about defending the institution’s reputation and acknowledging a truth we sometimes forget — that the rule of law and economic development are deeply intertwined. The law is a means to stimulate growth, create jobs and opportunities, and fight poverty.”

To make the system more responsive, Singh highlighted reforms now rolling out under the SPJI. Among them is the streamlining of the disciplinary process, including the transformation of the Judicial Integrity Board into the more agile Judicial Integrity Office. Citizens can now also file complaints more easily through email via the Judiciary Public Assistance Section (JPAS) — a shift aimed at removing bureaucratic barriers for ordinary Filipinos.

Justice Singh also announced the Supreme Court’s approval of two new ethics codes:
• The Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability, and
• The Code of Conduct and Accountability for Court Officials and Personnel.

Both will be launched nationwide in January 2026 through a mass oath-taking ceremony led by the SC Justices and streamed online. These new codes complement the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, introduced in 2023 to govern the behavior of lawyers as officers of the court.

Before wrapping up, Singh turned to the JRI and its members with a call for continued partnership.

“Integrity requires external support,” she said, underscoring that meaningful reform doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it needs institutions, advocates, and citizens working together.

In her keynote message, Justice Singh painted a picture of a judiciary trying to evolve: not just by tightening rules, but by rebuilding the trust essential to an economy and democracy that work for everyone.