Osmeña: SC justices shouldn’t meddle in political affairs

Sen. Serge Osmeña III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Justices are not supposed to interfere in political matters, Senator Sergio “Serge” Osmena III said on Wednesday.

“That might be a violation…” Osmena said when sought to comment on the reported attempts by two associate justices of the Supreme Court to coax presidential aspirant Roy Señeres to withdraw from the race in favor of another wannabe, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Two SC justices join Duterte bandwagon

Citing a source, the Philippine Daily Inquirer identified the two justices as Jose Catral Mendoza and Bienvenido Reyes, who, like Duterte, are graduates of San Beda’s College of Law.

But the senator, who has openly expressed his support for Duterte, warned the public against jumping into any conclusion until the report is proven true.

READ: 2 SC justices told: Back off DQ cases if ties with Duterte proven

“But I know that the justices are not supposed to be interfering in that political matters kasi ang dapat sa kanila neutral ‘yan kasi du’n din aabot lahat ng mga kaso galing sa Comelec (Commission on Elections ) or sa SET (Senate Electoral Tribunal) dito sa Senado…” he said.

(But I know that the justices are not supposed to be interfering in that political matters; they have to be neutral because they will ultimately have to decide on the cases before Comelec and SET.)

“So they should not put themselves in a position where they would have to abstain from voting…baka punahin ang voting sa Korte Suprema (Supreme Court’s voting may be questioned),” Osmeña added.

He noted that there were also calls for the three justices in the SET to inhibit from the disqualification case against Senator Grace Poe after they voted to unseat her in the Senate over her citizenship. The three are Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro and Arturo Brion.

READ: Carpio, SET justices to inhibit on DQ case vs Poe in Supreme Court

If the two justices who are now being linked to Duterte and the three justices at the SET would also inhibit from the case against Poe at the SC, then Osmeña said the fate of the lady senator would now be left in the hands of the remaining 10 magistrates. IDL