Carpio denies hand in complaint vs rival in chief justice post

Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio last Tuesday denied he had a hand in the filing of complaint against Associate Justice Renato Corona, his contender in the soon-to-be-vacated post of chief justice. In a letter to Chief Justice Reynato Puno dated February 9, Carpio denied colluding with lawyer Fernando Campos, who filed a complaint of impropriety against Corona before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the body that screens nominees for vacant judicial posts. Campos, in his complaint, alleged that Philweb, a firm that got a favorable decision from the SC’s First Division, funded Corona’s United States trip in May 2009. Carpio and Corona are members of the division. Carpio said in his letter that he had not communicated with Campos with regards to the filing of the complaint. “On my part, as I was the working chair of the First Division when Atty. Campos' petition was dismissed in 2009, I wish to state categorically that I have never discussed nor communicated with Atty. Campos, directly or indirectly, on any matter involving his petition or his complaint against Justice Corona," he said. Carpio and Corona are both nominated by the JBC as successor of outgoing Chief Justice Puno, who will retire on May 17. Philweb In separate resolutions in April 2009 and July 2009, the SC’s First Division junked the complaint of Campos, chair of Inter-Petal Recreational Corp. (IPRC), against Philweb. In a 21-page complaint to the JBC, Campos alleged that Corona committed impropriety for supposed undue haste in dismissing his petition. Campos further alleged that Corona received favors from Philweb in exchange for the dismissal of the case. Corona, however, refuted Campos and asked why he was being singled out when it was the First Division that junked the case. “Why the special interest in pinning me down as ‘sole author’ of the assailed resolutions while readily absolving another member of the First Division who participated in the dismissal of [the IPRC vs. Philweb case]?" Corona said. Corona also pointed out Campos’ “unusual effort" in distancing Carpio from the case, even if the latter chaired the First Division. Corona then said that a member of the First Division breached confidentiality rules and colluded with Campos in filing the complaint before the JBC. “Who breached the rule of confidentiality and colluded with Campos in filing this complaint against me? Was Campos’ ‘reliable source’ a member of the First Division," Corona said in response to Campos’ complaint against him. Carpio’s rebuttal Carpio, however, said he has not communicated with Campos in five years. “The last time I may have possibly talked to Atty. Campos was during the wake of his brother Justice Jose Campos, who died in January 2005," he said. Carpio then asked Puno to have the Supreme Court investigate Corona’s allegation that a member of the First Division leaked information to Campos and colluded with him in connection with the complaint against Corona. “This claim that a member of the First Division possibly leaked confidential information to a litigant, and colluded with a litigant to file a complaint against a Justice, is a serious charge that the Court must investigate thoroughly6 and resolve with dispatch…," Carpio said. Carpio, Corona on a warpath? Corona has accepted the JBC nomination, while Carpio said he was willing to be picked as Puno’s replacement but on the condition that the next President would do the appointment. Talks are rife that President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo would pick Corona, her perceived ally, instead of Carpio, who is more senior than Corona. Carpio was one of the founding partners of the prominent Carpio, Cruz and Villaraza Law Firm - also known as “The Firm" - which had close ties with President Arroyo. Other co-founders include former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz and Arthur Villaraza. “The Firm" supposedly had a falling out with President Arroyo after the “Hello, Garci" controversy broke out in 2005. Cruz and “The Firm" member, former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, resigned from the Arroyo administration in 2005 and 2006, respectively. A check on previous Supreme Court rulings on controversial cases involving the Arroyo administration would show that Corona voted in favor of the administration while Carpio voted against it. - KBK, GMANews.TV