SC approves TRO issuance on IBP W. Visayas elections

The Supreme Court has unanimously approved Chief Justice Renato Corona's issuance of an order that restrained the Integrated Bar of the Philippines' Western Visayas chapter from holding its elections. Court insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity due to lack of authority said the 14 magistrates gave their nod to the decision Corona made during the high court's six-week decision-writing recess. The unanimous vote was carried out during the resumption of the high court's en banc (full court) session on Tuesday. As such, a court document was unavailable as of Wednesday morning. On May 7, Corona, through his authority as chief justice, issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that suspended the election of a new governor for IBP's Western Visayas region. The court issued the order on the basis that the roster of nominees was confined to members from Capiz. Corona's move became controversial because aggrieved parties have alleged that the chief justice issued the order as a favor to his fraternity brother, lawyer Marven Daquilanea, who had reportedly bragged his close ties with the chief justice. But in a statement issued last Monday, SC spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez denied that Corona meddled in the elections. Marquez said that contrary to what was reported, Corona did not issue the TRO in response to the letter of Daquilanea, whom Corona "did not know as a fraternity brother" and "did not know personally." "The TRO was issued based on an Urgent Motion for Clarification with Prayer for Leave of Court to Admit Motion and to Intervene and for the Issuance of a TRO filed by immediate past IBP Iloilo President Atty. Marven B. Daquilanea," the statement said. Marquez also explained that the IBP Western Visayas elections was "postponed pending determination whether or not the elections should be confined to Capiz lawyers as nominees." SC asked to lift TRO Last month, a group of IBC officers from the region asked the SC to lift the TRO and claimed that its issuance was part of a conspiracy to deprive the Capiz chapter of its opportunity in the rotation for IBP governorship in Western Visayas. "Continuing effectivity of the TRO for an indefinite period of time would further wreak extreme damage and prejudice to Western Visayas Region still suffering from the adverse effects of its disenfranchisement," they argued. "The immediate holding of election for governor of Western Visayas Region will serve the paramount interest of IBP and will never spark chaos and confusion because they, in electing a governor for their Region, will be guided by law, reason, conscience and the best interest of IBP," the group added. — RSJ/LBG, GMA News