SC backs Court of Appeals in clash with House

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) supports the Court of Appeals (CA) in its clash with the House of Representatives on the case of six officials of Ilocos Norte being detained by lawmakers for contempt, an official said yesterday.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the joint statement earlier issued by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. represents the position of other magistrates and the high court as an institution.

“Yes, the SC supports the three CA justices against threats of contempt and detention by the House,” Te said in a text message.

Sereno and Reyes had asked the House committee on good overnant and public accountability to recall its show cause order on Associate Justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonio of the CA Special Fourth Division, which ordered the release of the so-called “Ilocos 6.”

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Philippine Bar Association and law deans Pacifico Agabin and Fr. Ranhilio Aquino also urged the House to recall the show cause order.

The show cause order required the CA justices to explain why they should not be cited in contempt for ordering the release of six Ilocos Norte officials being detained for contempt in connection with the probe on the alleged misuse of P66.45 million in tobacco funds to buy motor vehicles.

The CA ordered the release of Pedro Agcaoili, provincial planning and development office head; Josephine Calajate, treasurer; Eden Battulayan, Encarnacion Gaor and Genedine Jambaro, provincial treasurer’s office staff; and budget officer Evangeline Tabulog.

The appellate court ordered House sergeant-at-arms Roland Detabali to explain why he should not be cited in contempt for the defying the order and twice rejecting the service of the CA ruling.

But House officials refused to accept the order and reportedly insisted that they were invalid because the appellate court has no jurisdiction over the matter.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez threatened to disbar the three CA justices and abolish the CA.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, who chairs the House committee on good government and public accountability, said they have reserved the former office of the Congressional Spouses Foundation Inc. (CSFI) as detention room for the magistrates.

 “I was told by Detabali that Speaker Alvarez called him and authorized the use of the CSFI office as detention center for the justices, should they defy our show cause order,” Pimentel said.

On Monday, Pimentel showed reporters a makeshift room at the Batasang Pambansa building where Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos will be detained if she snubs the scheduled hearing on July 25.

 Alvarez had described the CA justices as “idiots and stupid” for issuing the order.

 House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas ordered the detention of the six Ilocos Norte officials after citing them in contempt on May 29.