Lawyers filed a petition on Monday before the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to release its draft partial committee report on the anomalous flood control probe.
In an interview with reporters, lawyer Marvin Aceron said this is the first case brought before the High Tribunal against the Senate regarding a “draft report.”
“This is the first time we are challenging what they call privileged communication. It is not confidential anymore; it is a public matter. They used public funds to investigate the flood control scam, they used public hours for that,” he said.
He added that Senator Ping Lacson, who sits as Blue Ribbon Committee chairperson, is discussing the report publicly.
“Senator Ping Lacson himself said at least three senators signed it—Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Sen. Bam Aquino. The senators we trust were the ones who signed it, but it still lacks signatures,” he explained.
In a 29-page petition, they seek the issuance of a writ directing the Senate to release the unredacted report.
Likewise, petitioners also asked the High Tribunal to order senators Juan Miguel Zubiri, JV Ejercito, and Sherwin Gatchalian to submit written explanations for withdrawing their signatures from the draft report.
Aside from Aceron, the other petitioners are Sikini Labastilla and Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe, who are suing as citizens and in their professional capacities.
In a separate interview with Manila Standard, retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said the case will not prosper.
“[It] will not prosper because the committee report is still a draft and is still being finalized. It has not been voted upon by the committee and it could still change,” he said.
“The SC will not interfere in ongoing deliberations of a co-equal branch,” he added.
