Supreme Court urged to dismiss petition on Chief Justice appointment issue

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the petition seeking to resolve the legal and constitutional issues involving the appointment of the next chief justice.

Lawyer Peter Irving Corvera, IBP Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa chapter president, said no “justiciable controversy” exists that would require action from the high court.

In a motion to intervene in the petition filed by lawyer Arturo de Castro, Corvera said judicial notice must be taken of the fact that the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) continues to screen nominees for the post of chief justice.

In his petition, De Castro asked the SC to order the JBC to submit its shortlist to President Arroyo immediately after the retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno on May 17.

However, Corvera said no actual case or controversy was raised in De Castro’s petition.

Corvera said the next chief justice cannot be named until Puno’s retirement, which falls within the election ban rule.

Meanwhile, Justice Renato Corona faces another objection to his nomination for the post of chief justice after a leader of a women’s group accused him of misconduct.

In a letter to the JBC last Monday, Maria Daryl Lardizabal Leyesa of Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan sought Corona’s removal from the list of candidates for chief justice for supposedly violating the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Leyesa said Corona violated the provisions requiring officers of the court to exercise their function independently on the basis of their assessment of the facts.

Leyesa said Corona failed to meet such standards for judicial conduct when he refuted the impropriety charges of lawyer Fernando Campos.

Campos accused Corona of dismissing his petition for certiorari last April 20, 2009 and his motion for reconsideration in exchange for a free ticket to Las Vegas to watch the Pacquiao-Hatton fight on May 3, 2009.

In his reply, Corona presented the official receipt proving he had paid for the tickets with his own money. He also said it was Campos who actively tried to pressure him into deciding the case in his favor.

Retired Associate Justices Angelina Gutierrez, Santiago Kapunan and Leonardo Quisumbing also tried to intercede for Campos, he added.

Replying to Leyesa’s letter to the JBC, Corona said her allegations are wrong, misleading and baseless.

“I never admitted any wrongdoing in connection with my actions in G.R. No. 186711,” he said.

“Leyesa claims that I made a mea culpa when I stated that various persons tried to influence me on behalf of Atty. Campos.

“Leyesa’s fertile imagination is obviously unable to distinguish between ‘attempting to influence’ and ‘succeeded in influencing.’ 

“The fact is that none of these attempts ever reached the discussion stage because the conversations(s) were cut off promptly and abruptly the moment Campos’s case was mentioned. Of that I am sure 100 percent.”

Corona said Leyesa likens her interpretation of events in the Campos case to that of Court of Appeals Justice Jose Sabio’s acts of discussing Meralco’s case against the Government Service Insurance System with his brother and businessman friend.

“Nothing can be farther from the truth as my situation was materially and substantially different from that of Justice Sabio,” he said. – Edu Punay