Justice Velasco inhibits self from Junjun Binay’s TRO case

BAGUIO CITY – To prevent a misimpression of bias, Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. inhibited himself from handling the petition of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales that questioned the validity of the Court of Appeals’ issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction that stopped the implementation of the six-month suspension of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.

Velasco previously inhibited himself from handling a case of former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay, mother of the current Makati mayor.

“His continued participation in this case might create a misimpression of bias,” high court’s Information Chief Theodore Te said at a press conference.

“Mr. Justice Velasco maintains that he does not know nor has he even met respondent Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay and his previous recusation in the case involving the mayor’s mother was not due to his relation to Dr. Binay but that he know one of the parties in the earlier case,” Te added.

Aside from Velasco, Associate Justices Arturo D. Brion and Francis H. Jardeleza also inhibited themselves from the case.

Te said Brion’s wife is one of the confidential attorneys in the chambers of one of the respondent justices in the case while Jardeleza previously participated as solicitor-general “to a pending case, which might affect his participation in the current case.”

Earlier, Associate Justice Diosdado M. Peralta recused himself from the case for being related to a party to the case.