SC compels JBC to release psychological test results

MANILA (Updated, 3:37 p.m.) -- Magistrates of the Supreme Court granted the request of Associate Justice Arturo Brion to require the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to reveal the results of psychiatric and psychological tests taken by the nominees for the post.

In Tuesday's en banc session, the justices agreed that the candidates have the right to access the results despite the JBC rule barring its disclosure.

Section 2, Rule 7 of the JBC rules provides that the document shall only be available to the members of the council, which vets nominees to all judicial posts including the Office of the Ombudsman and its deputy.

A court source said Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, whose psychological state was reportedly questionable, decided to defer the voting to another month but the rest of the justices prevailed this time.

Senator Francis Escudero, JBC member representing the Senate, on Monday said they will abide with the decision of the High Court, which has direct supervision of the constitutional body.

Even before Sereno was appointed on August 24, a newspaper reported that the female justice flunked the test and should have been disqualified from the race. There are 20 candidates for the post but only eight including Brion made it to the shortlist submitted to President Benigno Aquino III.

Both Sereno and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza reportedly obtained "four."

Under the supposed rating system used by psychologists and psychiatrists tapped by the JBC to conduct the exams, the rating of "one" is the highest or most superior, while "three" is the median; "5" is the lowest or a failing mark. Having the grade of "four" means the mental state of the taker is "not satisfactory." (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)