JBC to probe leak of Sereno’s psychological test

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. AP

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced Monday that it would investigate the alleged leak to reporters of the results of the psychological test of new Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Aurora Lagman, who represents the private sector on the council, called for the investigation following reports that Sereno scored lowest in the psychological assessment conducted among 20 nominees for the replacement of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

“We will investigate whether there was indeed such a leakage,’’ said Jose Mejia, who represents the academe on the council and is a member of its executive committee.

Explaining the investigation, Mejia said the JBC had always maintained that psychological evaluations were confidential.

“We are concerned that it was allegedly leaked,” he told reporters.

Speaking after the first meeting of the council presided by Sereno Monday, Mejia said the JBC had not yet discussed how it would conduct the inquiry but that it would be done by its secretariat. Asked whether journalists  would be questioned, he said it was the “reasonable thing to do.”

Asked what Sereno said when the JBC tackled the alleged leak of her psychological test, he said he could not recall because it was just mentioned “in passing’’ during the council’s meeting Monday.

Mejia also said the JBC executive committee denied last week the request of Associate Justice Arturo Brion, who was also a nominee for Chief Justice, to release the results of his psychological evaluation.

He said it was not the policy of the JBC to release psychological evaluation results of  nominees “because these are  confidential, even to the candidate himself.’’