Pharmally exec seeks sanctions vs CA justice

MANILA, Philippines — After four months in jail, Pharmally Pharmaceuticals Corp. executive Mohit Dargani asked the Supreme Court (SC) to impose administrative sanctions on Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr. for reportedly delaying action on his petition for habeas corpus.

On April 5, Dargani filed his 16-page complaint-affidavit with the SC’s Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) against Bruselas, who is the CA’s presiding justice for the Special Fifth Division handling his plea.

Dargani asked the JIB to find Bruselas administratively liable for undue and capricious delay in the disposition of an urgent case, contrary to the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Dargani said Bruselas’ “continued inaction… as the presiding justice and ponente of the case shows he has decided to shirk on his duty as a magistrate and to turn a blind eye to the plight of a person whose constitutional rights have been gravely violated.”

He said his petition should have been deemed submitted for resolution on Dec. 12, 2021 after the lapse of the 10-day period given to respondents in the petition to comment or explain their side.

Dargani and his sister, Twinkle, filed the petition after they were arrested for contempt for refusing to answer questions during a Senate Blue Ribbon committee inquiry into the procurement of COVID supplies and equipment.

While Twinkle was detained at the Senate until her release in January on humanitarian grounds, Dargani was transferred to the Pasay City Jail in November 2021.