The justice Beat
by Marieton Pacheco
I will never forget the Supreme Court’s 84-page decision on the legality of the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law. Barely a week into covering the judiciary, I could not believe that I had to produce a report on the decision, which the High Court’s Public Information Office had distributed at 6 p.m.—30 minutes before our network’s primetime newscast. I distinctly remember that while former SC spokesman Ismael Khan Jr. was giving a press conference to explain the court’s decision on the added tax that would further burden Filipinos, I was already in front of the cameras explaining to viewers why the Evat was inevitable. This despite the fact that I had not read the main petition, nor the arguments for and against it.
It was my baptism of fire. While I would rather forget about my live report that night, I learned three important things about covering the judiciary during that two-and-a-half minute experience.
First, I am not expected to fully explain all the ramifications of the Supreme Court decision. My role as a justice beat reporter is to inform the public that the court has decided on an issue, and then to make the issue understandable to ordinary viewers in the two minutes that I have to do the report.
Second, it pays to do your homework. That means reading the petition when it is filed so you have enough background to understand and to be able to explain the case once the decision is issued.
And third, don’t forget to ask why it’s important. Sometimes we get so caught up in the legal arguments that we tend to take for granted why we do reports on court decisions in the first place. Many resolutions emerge from the Supreme Court’s en banc sessions, but only a few are printed in the newspapers or aired over radio and television. There must be a reason why. Knowing why the decision is important makes it easier to go straight to what it means for the ordinary viewer.
My three years in the judiciary beat may seem relatively short compared to the terms of those who have been there for as long as some of the justices themselves. There are only a handful of these veterans. Lucky for us newbies, these veterans of the beat never fail to share with us inside information and even insights when they are most needed. While it takes some time to build trust among old and new reporters alike, I believe there will always be those who deserve our trust outright. We call them “kaka” in the beat, and no further introduction or explanation is necessary.
Other reporters have come and gone to and from that small press room at the Department of Justice (DoJ) building along Padre Faura. Many get reassigned to juicier beats, but given the choice, I have always wanted to stay. For me, there is nothing like covering the judiciary. Let me tell you why.
It is about seeing a pregnant woman jump for joy upon learning she has passed the Bar exams, as well as the long faces and tears of those who failed, and the clapping and cheering and shouting of those who made it as they search for their loved ones’ faces in the crowd.
It is about feeling your back ache and your butt go numb as you sit through 10 hours of oral arguments, witnessing how the Supreme Court justices think just by listening to the questions they ask during the proceedings. It is watching that high profile and brilliant lawyer stutter and buckle as he tries to answer the questions thrown at him by the justices. It is also about betting with your fellow beat reporters on who will lose or win a case based on the oral arguments presented.
While many dread the long hours, fellow beat reporter Joseph Morong from GMA-7 says it is actually what he likes most about the judiciary beat. He says he sees democracy in action when covering oral arguments, and how the principle of checks and balances operates, especially in cases where certain acts and policies of the executive department such as the Calibrated Peemptive Response policy, Presidential Proclamation 1017, and the People’s Initiative are questioned.
Covering the judiciary also means interesting reading and a quick political education once you refuse to be intimidated by the thick ponencias or decisions by the High Court. The issues that have reached the court vary from the legality of the President’s state of emergency proclamation to a person’s sex change. Sometimes it is entertaining enough to just read and listen to legalese that even lawyers themselves find hard to understand. Add to that the pressure of translating the court’s work into something the ordinary viewer or reader can appreciate—while you’re trying to beat a deadline. I mean, lawyers have days to go over the court’s decision before they comment on the issue at hand, but justice reporters have only an hour or two to file their stories. It is no mean feat for people who have never been to law school.
Covering the justice beat also means listening to, waiting for and sometimes even anticipating what Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez will say next. Covering the judiciary also means covering the colorful, often-criticized man behind the DoJ as well. While many cringe in expectation, I for one admire Secretary Gonzalez for saying the unexpected—whether it be on the President’s enemies, the DoJ’s cases, or even Susan Roces.
And yes, it is about the friendships among court reporters. Among members of the Justice and Court Reporters Association or JUCRA, every good thing, whether big or small, is celebrated. Pizza, pancit, ice cream, and more are but regular fare as we celebrate birthdays, new reporters assigned on the beat, banner stories, new cell phones, promotions, and even our own children’s accomplishments in school! I think it is our way of reminding each other to always look at the glass as not half empty but half full.
Lastly, and perhaps most important of all—covering the judiciary enables us to inform people about the law. For many who have never really read the Constitution from its preamble to the end, covering the justice beat is almost like taking Law 101–and it is something we as well as our readers or viewers learn not from teachers or books but from real people’s experiences with the law through the stories that we tell. Most of us hope to remind people of their rights as individuals. We hope to remind them of their rights as citizens of this country, and to instill in them the faith that they should not lose hope in the justice system even if it has been criticized often. We can sense ourselves succeeding in some cases, but failing in some. But that’s the way it is in the justice beat.
- Marieton Pacheco covers the justice beat for ABS-CBN 2. |
