The practice has been going on for a long time to the extent that it has reached a non-issue proportion. As if there is nothing wrong or immoral about the whole state of affair. It has developed a situation that further promotes the “if others are doing it, why can’t I” mentality among some judges in the region and, may God forbid, the entire judiciary itself.

        In the ordinary legal terminology, it is called nepotism. In the political and journalistic lingo, the term is patronage. Padrino system in its ugliest form. Unfair. Dirty. A practice which the Civil Service Code ought never to tolerate. And yet, it has been going on almost with impunity.

        We are referring to the practice of some judges and others in the judiciary who resort to the “bata-bata “system in the hiring of court personnel. Something that those entrusted with the power and responsibility to dispense justice should never engage in.

        Vacancies in the different salas are filled up not so much on the basis of qualifications but through connections, either by blood, marriage, or even by friendship. To avoid detection, those entrusted with the authority to recommend or appoint, enter into under the table deals, so that a judge’s kin or friend gets hired in another sala, with the assurance that such favor shall be reciprocated.

        That is pure and simple nepotism. Only that it is done through the backdoor. Foul means are also employed so that the requirement for the publication of the notices of vacancies are made to appear to have been duly complied with.

        In reality, such irregularity has long been resorted to in other branches of the government, where the “padrino” system has been in practice. This is particularly scandalously prevalent in local government units. This principally explains why the quality of service in these agencies is far from ideal. Those truly qualified for the positions are left out simply because they have no connections.

        Be that as it may, those in the judiciary should exhaust whatever is left of their idealism and resist the temptation to employ the same tactics which may superficially be legally permissible, but are never morally acceptable nor ethically tenable.

        Otherwise, what makes the judiciary different from the rest of the government agencies? Those who promote backdoor nepotism in the judiciary may also yield to backdoor justice.