Thursday, October 09, 2008 Judge holds on to Sison’s case
REGIONAL Trial Court Judge Soliver Peras is not inhibiting himself from the case of the murder of lawyer Richard Sison.
For lack of merit, Peras turned down yesterday the motion for inhibition filed by suspect Nemuel Sumabong, through lawyer Wendell Quiban, last July.
The judge quoted a Supreme Court (SC) ruling in saying that being members of the same group does not imply bias.
The defense had earlier alleged that Peras and Sison had been “brothers” in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Army Reserve Command.
Peras stated in a three-page order that the AFP Reserve Command and the Army Reserve Command of the Philippine Army are two different groups.
He further asserted that the defense lawyer and the private prosecutor might even be members of the Army Reserve, as are all Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC) graduates.
“A trial judge who is or was a member of... various other fraternal organizations is not expected to automatically inhibit himself or herself from acting whenever a case involving a member of his or her group happens to come before him or her for action,” the Supreme Court (SC) ruled in Bellosillo vs. the Board of Governors of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Judge Peras, quoting from the same SC ruling, stressed that “higher standards of probity, integrity and honor” are demanded of members of reputable organizations.
“The active reservists of the Army Reserve Command seek and aim for truth, justice, peace, equality and prosperity for all Filipinos regardless of color, gender, creed and regional affiliation. It would, therefore, be against the ideals and principles of the corps for one to be partial and biased toward his fellow member,” Peras wrote.
He added that being a member of both the Army Reserve Command the judiciary demands even higher standards of integrity, which he assured he would uphold.
Peras is a member of the 7th Regional Community Defense Group, where Sison used to hold the rank of major. (KAB)
