Supreme Court junks disbarment case against Miriam

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court dismissed the disbarment case against Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, ruling that allegations in the complaint had no factual basis, the senator’s office said yesterday.

In a resolution dated Feb. 22, the Supreme Court ruled the complaint had no merit and dismissed it outright.

The Court found the allegations in the complaint filed by one Efren Battad to be “mere generalizations, speculations, malicious insinuations, and conclusions without any factual basis.”

Santiago hailed the resolution of the Supreme Court as a “triumph of good versus evil.”

The feisty senator earlier said the disbarment case against her was not an ordinary smear campaign, but part of a plot to malign and threaten her for her recent exposés on massive government corruption such as the road users’ tax scandal and the “euro-generals” controversy.

The dismissal of the disbarment complaint against Santiago follows the dismissal last Feb. 10 of the disqualification case filed against her before the Commission on Elections.

The disqualification case was filed by lawyer Nombraan Pangcoga. Battad and Pangcoga are both members of the Ako’y Moro group whose application for party-list accreditation was denied by the Comelec.

Meanwhile, the High Court said that its power to disbar lawyers will be exercised only in clear cases of misconduct that seriously affect the standing and character of lawyers as officers of the court and as members of the Bar.