Third CA Justice inhibits from Mayor Binay’s case

THE supposed third Court of Appeals Justice tapped to handle the case of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay has inhibited himself from handling the mayor’s latest petition questioning the second preventive suspension imposed on him by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando announced Wednesday that he would inhibit from Mayor Binay’s case. The reason was not immediately known because it was deemed as CA’s “internal matter.”

Hernando was supposed to take the case after Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla recused herself.

Hernando was supposed to act as chair of the appeals court’s ninth division in place of Padilla.

Prior to Padilla, Associate Justice Celia Librea-Leagogo inhibited from the case because her husband’s co-partner in his law office is the first cousin of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, one of the respondent in Binay’s petition and tasked to implement the suspension order.

Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda will replace Hernando after another raffle of the case conducted by the appeals court.

The two other members of the CA special division who will resolve the case are Associate Justices Melchor Sadang and Amy Lazaro-Javier, who will now sit as acting chair.

But Javier took a leave of absence from Monday until August 3, which means the court would not be able to act on the case until next month.

The appeals court has held in abeyance in acting on Binay’s bid to stop his suspension order. Instead, it ordered Roxas and the Office of the Ombudsman to comment on his petition.

Binay’s suspension order was in connection with his alleged participation in the rigged bidding for the construction of the Makati Science Building.