2 SC justices silent as ‘sphinxes’ during frat meeting, says Señeres

The two Supreme Court Associate Justices were silent as “sphinxes” during the exclusive meeting of the San Beda College fraternity Lex Talionis, contrary to reports that they attempted to coax presidential aspirant Roy Señeres to give way to “brod” Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Señeres, together with Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre, told reporters Wednesday that Associate Justices Jose Catral Mendoza and Bienvenido Reyes, also members of the said fraternity, were not aware that the presidential race will be discussed during the get-together.

READ: Two SC justices join Duterte bandwagon

“Along the way, may isand brod nagtanong, ‘Tol, mukhang ang ganda na ng rating ni Rody (Duterte) sa survey. Ano kaya, pwede ba kayo magsanib pwersa para pag-isahin na lang natin?’ Si Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre ‘yun, and he was so polite in bringing that up… that was about it.

“Ang dalawang justices smiled and did not utter anything; para silang sphinx ang nakaupo lang, hindi nag-participate sa usapan,” Señeres said.

He said neither the Justices nor Mayor Duterte asked him to give way.

“In fairness naman to Mayor Duterte, hindi siya mismo. Hindi naman siya nakikiusap sa akin… Akala niyo ganyan kabrusko yung brod ko na ‘yan, pero mahiyain din ‘yan,” Señeres said.

“Out of character para sa justices na magsabi nang ganoon sa akin kasi ano naman mapapala nila kung ipu-push nila si Mayor Duterte, eh justices na mga ‘yan; ano pa ba hinahangad nila sa buhay?” Señeres said.

READ: Osmeña: SC justices shouldn’t meddle in political affairs

Aguirre, on the other hand, said he was the one who initiated the get-together to discuss the possibility of Señeres giving way for Duterte.

Also present during the meeting was former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes, their former professor in law school.

Aguirre said the report about the two justices is wrong.

“Hindi ganun ang nangyari. Sinikap ko po na maimbitahan ko silang lahat. Nung naimbitahan ko yung justices, ni hindi nila alam ano pag-uusapan eh akala nila simple luncheon meeting lang yun,” Aguirre said in a phone patch interview with reporters.

Aguirre said the purpose of the get-together was because of the calls made to him by Señeres who told him he is willing to back out from the presidential race and give way to Duterte on the condition that he will be included in his senatorial lineup and pursue his anti-contractualization advocacy.

“Tatlong beses po ako tinawagan ni Señeres. Sinabi nya sa akin, he is finding it very hard to campaign; ‘yung resources ay kulang,” Aguirre said, adding that it would be better that the fraternity only has one candidate for president.

But Aguirre said Señeres no longer reiterated his plan to give way to Duterte and slide down to being a senatorial candidate when they met.

“Hindi na niya inulit ‘yung kanyang [plano na] maging senatoriable when we were already face to face with one another,” Aguirre said.