Justice Carpio denies leaking secret info, seeks probe
MANILA, Philippines - The controversy on who should name the next Chief Justice has the gods of Padre Faura warring.
Stung by suggestions that he was the possible source of a leak, senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has formally asked the Supreme Court to look into the alleged breach of confidentiality that his strongest rival, senior Associate Justice Renato Corona, has raised.
Carpio and Corona, the two most senior Supreme Court (SC) justices, are both battling it out to be the next Chief Justice. Of the two, Corona has the inside track in Malacañang, while Carpio, who was the first Arroyo appointee to the SC, has fallen from grace with Malacañang.
In his letter to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Monday, Corona refuted the allegations of businessman Fernando Campos that the magistrate was bribed to favor a particular party in a case. (Read: Justice Corona suggests rivals behind smear job)
Campos’ Inter-Petal Recreational Corp. (ICPRC) lost a certiorari case before the SC to stop the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and PhilWeb from developing and operating the online cockfight betting or tele-sabong. Campos had claimed that it was his company that first broached the project.
Campos had reported to the JBC about Corona’s alleged impropriety, which supposedly explained the record time that his case was dismissed. Campos said that Corona, who penned the decision for the SC’s First Division, allegedly sought free airline tickets to Las Vegas from the other party to watch the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight in May last year. (Read: Frontrunner for Chief Justice accused of impropriety)
Corona draws first blood
In his rebuttal, Corona described as “vicious and malicious” Campos’s allegations, and implied that his rivals for the Chief Justice post could be behind the smear campaign against him.
“Who breached the rule of confidentiality and colluded with Campos in filing this complaint against me? Was Campos’ reliable source a member of the First Division?” Corona asked.
Carpio is a member of the First Division, which also includes Chief Justice Reynato Puno, and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Lucas Bersamin.
Drawing first blood, Corona further said: “It is unfortunate that, in their quest to control the judiciary, some people have no qualms about destroying the reputation of those they perceive to be stumbling blocks to their ambition.”
Probe alleged leak
In his letter to Puno on Tuesday, Carpio asked the Court “to formally and publicly investigate this allegation of breach of the rule of confidentiality and alleged collusion with Atty. Campos in the filing of the complaint against Justice Corona.”
Carpio said he was the working chair at the time Campos’s petition was dismissed last year, but denied that he talked with Campos over the case.
“I have not talked with Atty. Campos for at least five years now. The last time I may have possibly talked to Atty. Campos was during the wake of his brother, Justice Jose Campos, who died in Jan. 2005,” Carpio said.
In seeking a public inquiry, Carpio said: “This claim that a member of the First Division possibly leaked confidential information to a litigant, and colluded with a litigant to file a complaint against a justice, is a serious charge that the Court must investigate thoroughly and resolve with dispatch to maintain the integrity and dignity of the Court. I believe that any justice committing such misconduct should voluntarily resign from the Court out of delicadeza.”
Carpio’s letter was also distributed to the justices of the SC and the members of the JBC.
The investigation, if it pushes through, would mark the first time that the reclusive members of the SC will be openly scrutinized.
Its probes on erring members, like the case of former Justice Ruben Reyes for alleged impropriety, are held in secret. Reyes was found to have leaked the draft ruling on the citizenship of one legislator and was fined P550,000.
In contrast, the probe into the alleged bribery attempt on some members of the Court of Appeals justices 2 years ago was open to the public.
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In the past, supreme court
In the past, supreme court justices are respected and reverred - their wisdom often sought and upheld, and their lofty image the envy and obsession of any student of law.
Unfortunately, even this supposed to be hallowed branch of the government was not spared from the fangs and poison of dirty politics. Justice Carpio called for delicadeza, but it seems that delicadeza is no longer a part of their vocabulary. For if indeed there is still some ounce of self-respect amongst these wise men, then none of them should have succumed to the lure of the most glorified post of SC Chief Justice.
Instead, they should have collectively called for the witholding of JBC action on the selection process until after a new president is sworn into office. Apparently, for millions of reasons (only they could count), some of them openly salivated for the position as if almost shouting to the world - " Ako ay senior associate justice, kaya dapat sa akin masalin ang corona!!!".
Preparing the field....
This is how the Arroyo administration has tarnished the independence of our judiciary...... to keep her playing field safe when she steps down, she wanted to make the supreme court safe and sound in case, a thunderous number of cases will be filed against her and time will come that it will need a supreme court's decision, she will be safe. Hopefully, the high magistrate will be true to its promise that they will upheld the rule of law, not the rule of those power hungry and corrupt persons, and NOT because they're noiw paying an UTANG NA LOOB for it was PGMA who appointed them.....
GOD SAVE THE PHILIPPINES!!!!! and PLS> ENLIGHTEN AND GUIDE OUR JUSTICES....
SUPREME POLITICS OF ARROYO
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF ARROYO...SUPREME DIRTY POLITICS OF THE SUPREME COURT...OF ALL THE COURTS...CORONANG MAITIM...WHAT NOW DEFENSOR... WHAT IS YOUR NEXT MOVE...ARROYO WILL TELL YOU...CALL HER ..HAHAHA...
It is unbelievable how
It is unbelievable how politicized our judiciary is. It is supposed to be an independent branch as part of checks and balances in government. Gloria must be very happy.
God Save Our Country
The ugly head of politics is really eating up all the remaining civility and ethical ideals of the Philippine society. Very clear, the name of the game is "Dog Eats Dog". Though its a common knowledge, "Pinos Eat Dogs", everything now seems to go down to the dog level mentality. Nobody trusts nobody anymore. Hate, anger, accusations, name calling is done on national media, as if they are the cleanest, purest dog inside the kennel. The religious is the one only to blame here with some of them even joining in the chaos. A total breakdown of morality and ethical standards across the society, it won't be long that it will explode into something that everybody will regret. Well, maybe the Pinoys need to learn the lesson the hard way in order to appreciate civility and unity. God Save The Pinoy Nation!