SC, CA chiefs ask House panel to rethink order vs 3 CA justices

MANILA, Philippines —The heads of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals on Wednesday expressed “deep concern” over the show cause order issued by a House committee against the three magistrates of the appellate court.

In a joint statement, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals Andres Reyes Jr. are urging the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which voted to issue a show cause order against CA justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonio Valenzuela, to review its order.

In issuing the statement, Sereno and Reyes stressed that they are aware of the court’s implications on separation of powers and judicial independence. They added that the courts are not ignoring the merits of the issues currently pending before the CA Special Fourth Division and the subject of the House committee’s inquiry.

The three CA magistrates are members of the appellate court’s Special Fourth Division, who ordered the release of Ilocos Norte government employees, now known as the “Ilocos Six”, who are implicated in the allegedly anomalous use of tobacco excise tax funds.

“We note that the House of Representatives is not without any speedy legal remedy that is consistent with the separation of powers should it disagree with the action of the Court of Appeals, such as appeal,” the heads of the two courts said.

 “In this light, it is our hope that the House of Representatives reconsiders its order and that it instead, avail of all legal remedies that are provided to it under the Constitution, the law, and the Rules of Court,” they added.

On Tuesday, House panel voted unanimously to summon the three CA associate justices and have them explain why they should not be cited in contempt for acting on a petition filed in court for the release of the provincial government employees.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez,  Justice committee chair Rey Umali and Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas earlier questioned the CA magistrates’ move to order the provisional release of the six. Alvarez also threatened to have them disbarred.

Alvarez, a lawyer himself, also previously said that he would tear up any order from the Supreme Court to have Congress convene in joint session to discuss the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.