Baguio judges in mess gag selves

BAGUIO CITY — Three of four city judges accused by a colleague of ethical and court improprieties have decided to keep mum about the mess following the order of Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. for an investigation.

Davide has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the allegations of Judge Ruben Ayson against Executive Judge Antonio Reyes and colleagues Amado Caguioa, Clarence Villanueva and Edilberto Claravall.

Ayson exposed the "can of worms" in an executive order dated Jan. 24.

"It is the Chief Justice who will determine the course of action of everything," said Reyes, speaking on behalf of Caguioa and Villanueva.

"As far as our sides are concerned, we will give (them) to him (Davide), but not to the press," Reyes added.

He clarified though that there was no official gag order from the High Court.

Reyes, however, resented how the controversy has tainted the image of the city’s Regional Trial Court, saying he does not want a Badoy-Garchitorena kind of situation here.

He was referring to the exchange of barbs between Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francis Garchitorena and Justice Anacleto Badoy, which prompted the Supreme Court to intervene. — Artemio Dumlao