Thursday, April 17, 2008
Pangilinan appeals to SC justices to reconsider inhibition (12 p.m.)
MANILA -- The call for the three Supreme Court (SC) justices to inhibit themselves is being done in the interest of justice and fair play, sparing the High Tribunal from issues of perceived impropriety, Senate Majority Leader and Independent Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan said Thursday.
In a press conference, Pangilinan said while the inhibition cannot be forced upon the justices, the three justices cannot escape public's scrutiny.
"It's most unfortunate that they (three justices) have refused to consider it and spare the court from accusations of bias and impartiality," he said.
The senator further explained that the inhibition is for the institution's own good, since the participation of the concerned justices will ultimately taint their collective decision on Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Romulo Neri's invocation of executive privilege.
"We urge the good justices to reconsider their decision and instead consider voluntarily inhibiting themselves in deciding the Neri petition," he said.
In a voting by members of the High Tribunal, the court ruled that Neri properly invoked executive privilege on three questions related to the chamber's investigation on the US$329 million National Broadband Network-ZTE project.
Pangilinan appealed to the three members of the High Tribunal to consider some sense of delicadeza so as to spare the whole institution from the allegations of bias and partiality. (CPB/Sunnex) |
