Group asks SC to probe Associate Justice De Castro for ‘leaked’ documents
A cause oriented group filed on Monday a complaint against Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro before the Supreme Court for allegedly leaking internal documents now being used as evidence against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the impeachment proceedings against her at the House of Representatives.
The Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment (FATE) said an investigation against De Castro should be in order for violation of the New Code of Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary.
Based on the complaint, De Castro violated Rules 9 and 10 of the high court’s Internal Rules; and Section 9, Canon 4 of the New Code of Judicial Conduct regarding the confidentiality of information acquired by jurists in their judicial capacity.
“Considering the unauthorized leak of these confidential Court matters, it is most respectfully requested that the Honorable Court En Banc forthwith look into this matter and investigate the Hon. Justice de Castro,” FATE said.
“Should it be found that the Hon. Justice de Castro was the cause of, or had participation in, the leakage of confidential Court matters, she should be penalized accordingly by this Honorable Court En Banc,” the group added.
De Castro’s name came out after Atty. Larry Gadon testified during the House justice committee’s impeachment hearing against Sereno that a reporter told him that the magistrate was the source of a supposed confidential information from the SC.
Gadon is the complainant in the impeachment case against Sereno at the House of Representatives. The House panel resumed its impeachment proceedings on Monday to determine the probable cause to remove Sereno from office.
Gadon filed the impeachment complaint Sereno as the chief magistrate allegedly falsified a stay order preventing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from proclaiming the five remaining winners in the party-list race during the May 2013 polls.
When asked if he has direct knowledge of the matter, Gadon said a reporter, later identified as Jomar Canlas of the Manila Times, told him about the issue.
Last week, however, De Castro issued a statement denying that she released confidential information to the media.
Canlas is currently testifying before the House justice committee’s hearing on the impeachment case against Sereno as of this posting
Canlas has denied telling Gadon information on such matter. /kga
