Press Release
March 20, 2009

ALLEGATION AGAINST CHIEF JUSTICE UNFAIR TO HIM

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the allegation of impropriety against Chief Justice Reynato Puno being aired in the media is patently unfair to him in the absence of any iota of proof, and which is tantamount to a hearsay or rumor mongering.

Pimentel was referring to a newspaper story about an anonymous letter allegedly sent by a "concerned employee" of the Supreme Court alleging that Puno received a P20 million bribe to favor the dismissal of a disqualification case against Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong due doubts over her Filipino citizenship.

He said that the allegation appears defamatory to the person concerned and the institution he represents, if its only basis is an anonymous letter or e-mail which can be easily fabricated by anyone who has an ax to grind against the object of the letter.

The veteran legislator said it is unfortunate that Mr. Louis Biraugo has chosen to dignify the anonymous letter by drawing media's attention to it as if to lend credence to the insinuation.

"Mr. Biraugo has no business bandying about the anonymous letter unless he can present even a semblance of proof of the alleged bribery. Otherwise, he must answer for it as a terrible indictment that shakes the judicial system and is bad for the country," he said.

"The Chief Justice has a solid reputation that should not be trifled with."

The senator from Mindanao said Biraugo's gesture in making a fuss about the letter is suspect because he is the subject of contempt proceeding by the Supreme Court after he distributed to the media in December copies of the draft decision on the Limkaichong case that had not been officially promulgated by the tribunal.

Pimentel noted the explanation of the SC, through its spokesman Jose Midas Marquez, that the members of the court had decided not to release the decision due still unresolved issues.

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