MANILA, Philippines -- Candidates vying for the position of Supreme Court associate justice could be disqualified if they have pending cases although their nature would still have to be studied, Chief Justice Reynato Puno said Thursday.
Puno said it would be better for these candidates to inform them of these cases before they voted on the replacement of Associate Justice Ruben Reyes who would be retiring in January.
"We will determine the nature of the case," Puno said since there could be instances when these cases could have been filed as a form of harassment.
He cited one candidate, Solicitor-General Agnes Devanadera, who has a plunder case before the Office of the Ombudsman filed by former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson.
Singson alleged that Devanadera, along with 42 other authorities from the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Bulk Handlers Inc. (BHI) and Poro Poro Point Industrial Corp. (PPIC), allegedly benefited from the questionable supervision of the Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone in San Fernando, La Union.
Devanadera said Singson had withdrawn the complaint although the Ombudsman has yet to issue a resolution.
Another candidate, Jose Mario Buñag, former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue also has a pending case. During his interview, Buñag said the case against him had been submitted for resolution.
He assured Puno that he would submit the resolution as soon as possible.
Court of Appeals Justice Juan Enriquez is facing an investigation before the appellate court involving a complaint filed against him by Steel Corp. of the Philippines (SCP) last August, through its vice president and legal counsel Nonnatus Chua, questioning the justice’s July 3 decision terminating the rehabilitation proceedings of SCP.
Chua accused Enriquez of gross ignorance of the law and gross disregard of the Internal Rules of the Court Appeals. He said that the appellate court justice should have consolidated his case with an appeal that had been filed by the company.
Appeals Court Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez formed a committee to investigate SCP's complaint against Enriquez.
