Carpio denies hand in impropriety charges vs Corona

MANILA, Philippines - A contender for the chief justice post yesterday denied leaking information used in the allegation of impropriety leveled against a fellow contender by a losing litigant in a case.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio even sought an investigation on the supposed “breach of the rule of confidentiality and alleged collusion with Atty. (Fernando) Campos in the filing of complaint against Justice (Renato) Corona.”

“I wish to state categorically that I have never discussed or communicated with Atty. Campos, directly or indirectly, on any matter involving his petition or his complaint against Justice Corona,” he said in his letter to Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Carpio believed that allegations raised by Corona 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,” he added.

Carpio admitted he was working chair of the first division when Campos’ petition was dismissed in 2009.

Earlier, Corona denied charges of Campos and said he was not bribed into dismissing the certiorari case the lawyer filed against the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and PhilWeb Corp. over the operation of online cockfight betting, arguing it was a unanimous decision of members of the First Division of the Supreme Court (SC).

“There is something more than meets the eye in this case, which the JBC should review. Why did Justice Corona, after dismissing it on April 20, 2009, leave hurriedly for Las Vegas to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton fight on May 3, 2009? And why, after being informed by the Chief Justice that there is a complaint for undue haste against him, Justice Corona did not inhibit himself from dismissing it with finality on July 8, 2009,” Campos said in his letter to Judicial and Bar Council last Jan. 31.

Corona and Carpio are top contenders for the chief justice post.

Meanwhile, the controversy involving a proposal to allow President Arroyo to appoint the successor of Chief Justice Puno who will retire on May 17 was submitted for resolution of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday.

This after a lawyer asked the High Court to compel the JBC to submit its shortlist of nominees to the Palace upon completion of its ongoing selection and deliberation process.

In a 12-page taxpayer suit, lawyer Arturo de Castro wants the SC to prevent the JBC from committing grave abuse of discretion by deferring the submission of the list of nominees to the incumbent President.  – With Delon Porcalla