MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) The Supreme Court has ordered Senate President Manuel Villar and House Speaker Prospero Nograles to answer the petition filed by Senator Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal questioning the proceedings of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Villar is ex-officio chairman of the Commission on Appointments.

The high court gave Villar and Nograles 10 days to comment.

In June, Madrigal asked the high court to stop the CA from conducting confirmation hearings on presidential appointees until the body has been reorganized. She also called on the members of the powerful bicameral body to resign out of propriety.

In her petition for special civil action for prohibition with mandamus, with prayer for issuance of temporary restraining order, Madrigal said "the conduct of proceedings with its [CA?s] hearings and confirmations is a patent grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction."

Madrigal alleged that some members of the CA are not qualified and that the representation of political parties in the body is inequitable.

But Nograles maintained on Monday there is nothing illegal in the CA?s proceedings and that no "abuse of discretion" has been committed in either the conduct or composition of the body.

"The House is prepared to justify its election of CA members," Nograles said in a statement. "There's nothing illegal, there's no abuse of our discretion and we welcome the opportunity to answer and argue [the charges before the] Supreme Court," he said.

Madrigal said the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP, Party of the Filipino Masses)) in the Senate is entitled to only one CA seat but has two members in the body.

The Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi, Partner of the Free Filipino) and the People's Reform Party (PRP) are not entitled to a seat but have members in the CA, Madrigal said. Neither can independent Senators Richard Gordon and Pia Cayetano be members of the CA, she added.

From the House of Representatives, she said the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats has five members in the CA when it is entitled to only four, while Kampi has three members although it is entitled to only two.

The Liberal Party is not represented at all although it is entitled one seat, while the party-list Cibac (Citizens? Battle Against Corruption) has a member in the CA when it its not entitled to a seat, she said.

Madrigal also alleged the P292-million budget of the CA is being wasted because its members allegedly take advantage of their seats for their personal interests.