Senators want 3 justices to inhibit

But Villar, Pimentel are hesistant

BY DENNIS GADIL

THE Senate wants Associate Justices Arturo Brion, Renato Corona and Presbitero Velasco to inhibit themselves from acting on its motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court’s March 25 ruling upholding the petition of former Planning Secretary Romulo Neri to invoke executive privilege.

The Senate legal team and majority leader Francis Pangilinan said the petition for inhibition would be filed after the filing today of the Senate’s motion for reconsideration.

Pangilinan said the petition for inhibition against Brion, Corona and Velasco was due to their supposed close ties with President Arroyo and Neri.

Brion is the President’s latest appointee to the high court. He was Arroyo’s labor secretary.

Brion and Neri, as then budget secretary, sat together during Cabinet meetings.

Brion was criticized for participating in the voting on the Neri petition despite having been appointed to the SC post shortly before the SC decision was promulgated.

Corona is a former chief of staff of President Arroyo. Velasco is perceived as "rabidly" pro-Arroyo and had been reported as a golfing buddy of Neri.

At least nine senators signed the petition for inhibition. Among them are Panfilo Lacson, Jamby Madrigal, Mar Roxas, Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada and Pangilinan.
The petition needs 13 signatures to make it a majority action of the Senate.

As of press time, Senate President Manuel Villar and minority leader Aquilino Pimentel, a lawyer, had not signed.

A Senate source said Villar and Pimentel have strong reservations, fearing this might antagonize the high court as a whole and adversely affect their motion for reconsideration.

"Simply put, here we are wooing two SC justices to change position and then, here comes Sen. Kiko with a petition to inhibit not two but three justices! Eh, di lalo kaming nawalaan ng pag-asa," the source said.

The source said Villar "will not" affix his signature to the Pangilinan petition.

Senators are expecting that at least two of the nine justices who signed the majority position will change their minds.

In his briefing, Pangilinan announced the certainty of filing the petition for inhibition.

But hours later, he said the filing of the petition for inhibition was still being considered. He even said he was not sure if the petition would be directed against three justices or just one.

The Senate source said Pangilinan’s turn-about could be because he failed to get the support of Villar and Pimentel and some senator-lawyers including Richard Gordon and Joker Arroyo