SC junks plea to replace 3 HRET justices

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed yesterday a petition filed by Marinduque Rep. Regina Ongsiako Reyes to disqualify its three justices as members of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) where she is facing disqualification cases.

At yesterday’s session, the high court did not give due course to the petition or require the respondent-magistrates to answer Reyes’ allegations in writing.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said Reyes’ petition sought the wrong remedy and there was no grave abuse of discretion alleged or shown. 

In her petition filed through lawyer Harry Roque Jr. last week, Reyes questioned the membership of Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco, Lucas Bersamin and Diosdao Peralta in the HRET, which is tasked to resolve electoral protests against members of the House of Representatives.

She cited alleged conflict of interest on the part of Justice Velasco, whose son, former representative Lord Allan Velasco, stands to benefit should the HRET decide to unseat her. 

Velasco, being the most senior of the three justices, chairs the HRET. He has inhibited himself in the proceedings of the tribunal as well as in the SC involving his son’s case.

Reyes argued that although Velasco has inhibited himself from the cases, he could still influence the other members of the tribunal. 

She said Velasco and Bersamin must admit that coming from political families, their job as part of the HRET is hampered by questions about their impartiality.

Velasco’s wife is a representative of a party-list group while his son ran against Reyes.

Bersamin comes from a family of politicians in Abra.