Supreme Court justice inhibits self from GMA case

MANILA, Philippines - A Supreme Court (SC) justice inhibited himself from deciding on a petition filed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stop her indictment in Sandiganbayan for allegedly plundering P365.9 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, one of 11 justices in the SC appointed by Arroyo, inhibited himself out of delicadeza, saying his brother-in-law, Cornelio Aldon, served as legal counsel of former PCSO director Raymundo Roquero during the Senate investigation involving the alleged PCSO fund scam.

Roquero, a co-accused of Arroyo in the plunder case, is running for congressman of Antique while Aldon is seeking the gubernatorial post in the same province.

Because of Peralta’s inhibition, the high court was not able to deliberate on the petitions during a full-court session of the high court last Tuesday. The deliberation was reset to another session once Arroyo’s petition is re-raffled to another justice who will study if there is a need to grant the immediate relief sought by Arroyo.

Arroyo filed her petition last Oct. 24, a day after the last full-court session of the high court before it went on a two-week holiday recess. The SC has since not acted on her plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The high court acted only on the petition filed earlier by another co-accused, former Commission on Audit Intelligence Fund Unit head Nilda Plaras. It issued a TRO last Oct. 29 preventing the Sandiganbayan from proceeding with her arraignment.

Without the TRO on Arroyo’s case, the anti-graft court’s First Division proceeded with her arraignment despite her refusal to enter a plea. A “not guilty” plea was then entered on her behalf.