SUPREME Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. have asked the House of Representatives to reconsider its order requiring the appellate court's justices to attend its hearing.
Three justices from the CA were asked to explain why they should not be held in contempt following their order to release from detention six employees of the Ilocos Norte provincial government.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Sereno and Reyes said the judiciary expressed deep concern over the show cause order issued on Tuesday by the House committee on good government and public accountability against CA Special Fourth Division Justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonio-Valenzuela.
"Without inquiring into the merits of the issues currently pending before the Special Fourth Division and subject of the House committee's inquiry, 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 an appeal," the statement read.
"In this light, it is our hope that the House of Representatives reconsider its order and that it instead, avail of all the legal remedies that are provided to it under the Constitution, the law and the Rules of Court," it added.
The motion requiring the justices to explain their decision was initiated by Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali.
In the motion, approved unanimously by the House, Umali said that the CA is an inferior court, not co-equal with the Congress.
On May 29, the House of Representatives acting on the motion of House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas cited the employees in contempt and ordered them detained for refusing to answer questions of the committee, invoking their right against self-incrimination.
The employees are Pedro Agcaoili, chair of the bids and awards committee and the provincial and planning development unit; Josephine Calajate, provincial treasurer; Edna Battulayan, accountant; Evangeline Tabulog, provincial budget officer; and Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor.
The six are being probed for the alleged anomalous purchase of P66.4 million worth of vehicles in 2011 and 2012.
They are still detained at the House of Representatives as the committee ignored the order of the CA allowing them to post bail.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the CA has no jurisdiction over the Congress. He also said he would file disbarment charges against the justices for "gross ignorance of the law." (VoxPop Philippines)
