Carpio’s a decent man, Drilon attests

Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio is a decent man who would not do anything to ruin his name, according to Senate President Franklin Drilon, amid questions being raised about Carpio’s impartiality in handling the disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe.

Carpio is well aware of the rules on inhibition, said Drilon, commenting on the calls for Carpio to recuse himself from the disqualification case against Poe being heard at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

“Inhibition is governed by the rules of the Supreme Court. If there is basis to do so, Justice Carpio would not think twice [about recusing himself from the case]. But if there is no reason to do so, he would not be swayed by [these] claims,” Drilon said in a radio interview.

The senator said he knows Carpio would not do anything that would put himself in a bad light.

“He has always been a very decent man and one of the most brilliant minds I know,” he added.

1BAP party-list Silvestre Bello, a former justice secretary, earlier said Carpio should inhibit himself from the Poe case because of his supposed ties to Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Poe’s rival.

Carpio was a founding partner of the influential law office, referred to as “The Firm,” with Avelino Cruz Jr., who is Roxas’ legal counsel.