SC orders Cagayan governor to explain actions

FILE PHOTO: Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba. Photo from Cagayan Provincial Information Office Facebook page

The Supreme Court has ordered Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba and his lawyers to explain why they should not be disciplined or held in contempt for alleged abuse of court processes or trifling with the high court.

In a statement, the SC public information office said the justices, during their regular session on Tuesday, decided to require Mamba and the Macalintal Law Office “to show cause why they should not be disciplinarily dealt with or held in contempt for acts that constitute abuse of or any unlawful interference with the processes or proceedings of a court not constituting direct contempt’ and/or improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct or degrade the administration of justice within 10 days from notice.”

The court issued the order after Mamba surrendered to the House of Representatives, which had earlier cited him in contempt for ignoring the chamber’s summons for three months.

But the high court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the House order on Aug. 24. On the same day, Mamba surrendered to the House, which was probing supposedly illegal election expenditures.

The House released Mamba in deference to the court, which, however, was displeased at Mamba’s series of actions.

The high court said Mamba surrendered to the House “without promptly informing the court of such supervening development” and the governor filed a motion to withdraw his petition that the SC had already granted.Made insignificant

The court said Mamba’s actions effectively rendered the TRO nugatory and the SC now wants Mamba and his lawyers to explain the series of actions.

The House detention order was issued after a motion from Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop noted that Mamba failed to attend the joint committee hearings for the past three months.

The Cagayan governor is the subject of the House investigation as he was allegedly involved in the distribution of cash assistance during a period when such activities are prohibited by election laws.

Mamba was disqualified by the second division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in December 2022 for violating the public spending ban during the May 2022 polls.

In March 2023, however, Comelec reversed the earlier decision, saying that the poll body does not have the authority or jurisdiction to hear or resolve the case.

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