Alvarez backs House panel's show cause order vs 3 CA justices

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez stood by the decision of the lower chamber's committee on good government and public accountability to issue a show cause order against three Court of Appeals justices amid the request of the heads of the country's top two courts for a reconsideration.

Alvarez, in a statement Thursday, said he appreciates the statement made by Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. but added that the three magistrates must face disciplinary action.

"While I appreciate the view of Chief Justice Sereno and Presiding Justice Reyes, it may also be best if they can discipline the said member of the Appeals Court for grave abuse of discretion and abuse of authority," he said.

"Accordingly, it also has the powers to rectify the 'uneasy situation' its recklessness has created," he added.

The House committee on good government and public accountability unanimously voted to issue a show cause order against CA Justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon and Nina Antonio Valenzuela. It also summoned the three magistrates as it wants to question their provisional release order of the six Ilocos Norte employees, known as the "Ilocos six," who are implicated in the tobacco excise tax fund anomaly.

For Alvarez, the lower House is simply doing its job based on jurisprudence and existing law and argued that it is the Special Fourth Division of the CA that has done otherwise.

Alvarez stressed that it has become necessary for a show cause order to be issued as the CA division "overstepped its authority" and "transgressed the committee’s contempt powers."

Subpoena vs CA magistrates to push through

Despite the top justice officials’ opinion, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the committee on good government, said in a televised interview that they could not reconsider the order unless Sereno and Reyes put their appeal in writing.

Pimentel said that the House panel’s subpoena against the three magistrates is now pending before Alvarez’s office and might be served next week.

The solon also said that they have given the six detained officials—Bids and Awards Committee and Provincial and Planning Development Unit Chairperson Pedro Agcaoili, Provincial Treasurer Josephine Calajate, accountant Edna Battulayan, Provincial Budget Officer Evangeline Tabulog and Treasury Office employees Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor—a chance to speak about the truth regarding the Ilocos Norte provincial government’s alleged anomaly but they refused to speak up. — Rosette Adel