Sacked CA justice says politics behind his dismissal

MANILA, Philippines - Dismissed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Roxas on Thursday broke his silence and said that an “unseen hand” played a role in penalizing the magistrates involved in the disposition of the ownership case of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). “It’s partly political in nature in the sense that from the very beginning, an unseen hand has been manipulating these things,” Roxas said in a television interview, referring to the sanctions handed down by the Supreme Court to the justices involved in the case. Roxas particularly questioned why the SC handed him the most severe penalty of dismissal while it was Associate Justice Jose Sabio Sr who had violated many laws with regards to the handling of the case. Roxas, who penned the controversial July 23 decision favoring Meralco, noted Sabio’s admission during the hearings conducted by the SC’s investigating panel that he had allowed his elder brother, Camilo Sabio, to influence him in helping the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) gain control over the Lopez-owned power utility firm. “I feel na talagang, mukang inisahan ako. Ano ba ang ginawa kong labag sa batas? Sino ba ang nakikiusap sa labas, diba si Sabio? Sino ba ang in-offer-an, sino ang tumanggap ng suhol?” Roxas said. (“I really feel that I’ve been had. What did I do that was against the law? Who admitted that he had talked with somebody outside of the CA? Who was the one who claimed to have been offered a bribe?”) Sabio, who was only meted with a two-month suspension, had earlier admitted that an alleged emissary of Meralco had offered him P10 million to inhibit from the case. His disclosure prompted the Supreme Court to form a three-man panel of retired justices that would investigate the alleged bribe offer and other irregularities surrounding the Meralco-GSIS case. He also admitted that he had talked with his brother, Camilo, chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), regarding the case. In Thursday’s television interview, Roxas accused the Sabio brothers of having strong connections inside and outside the Court. “The Sabio brothers, baka protektado sila sa loob ng powers that be. Di ko maintindihan kung paano nakakalusot ang mga tao na ito (The Sabio brothers seem to enjoy protection from the powers that be. I don’t understand why these things happen),” he said. Despite his claims, Roxas said he is not interested in filing a motion for reconsideration, at least under the Arroyo administration. He also said that the present composition of the SC is not likely to reverse its decision since even before the panel – chaired by retired SC Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino with members Flerida Ruth Romeo and Romeo Callejo – could submit its report, the high court had already penalized him for another case. Roxas was referring to the administrative case filed by a litigant who claimed that the justice did not act on his motion for reconsideration immediately. While the panel hearing was ongoing, the SC handed out its resolution on that complaint, fining Roxas with P15,000 with a stern warning that a repetition of another offense will be dealt with a more severe penalty. The Court’s ruling in that complaint, Roxas said, was the writing on the wall. “I’m questioning not only timing, parang iniimpluwensyahan ang desisyon ng panel. Parang advance warning na ang susunod sa iyo ay sisibakin ka na (Seems like the ruling was to influence the panel’s decision and at the same time warn me that the next penalty on me would be dismissal),” he said. - GMANews.TV