Sereno says release of 'narco-judges" list premature, asks judges not to surrender

None of the seven judges President Rodrigo Duterte named as having links to the illegal drug trade are being investigated by the Supreme Court at the moment, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said Monday.

In a four-page letter, Sereno told the President that the SC is already investigating a judge "who may be so involved" in the sale of illegal drugs.

While in Davao City visiting the wake of soldiers killed fighting communist rebels early Sunday, Duterte read out a list of government officials allegedly involved in the sale of narcotics.

The judges on the list were:

• Judge Lorenda Mupas of Dasmariñas City, Cavite
• Judge Antonio  Reyes - Baguio City, RTC branch 61
• Judge Adriano Savillo - Iloilo City, RTC branch 30
• Judge Domingo Casiple - Kalibo, Aklan, RTC branch 7
• Judge (retired) Rene Gonzales - Iloilo City, MTCC
• Judge Roberto Navidad - Calbayog City, RTC branch 32
• Judge Exequil Dagala - MTC Dapa-Socorro, Surigao

"He is not on the above list," Sereno said of the judge being investigated by the Supreme Court. She also called Duterte's announcement "premature."

"However, Mr. President, a premature announcement of an informal investigation on allegations of involvement with the drug trade will have the unwarranted effect of rendering the judge veritably useless in discharging his adjudicative role," she said.

"Thus this Court has been careful, all too aware that more often than not, a good reputation is the primary badge of credibility and the only legacy that many of our judges can leave behind."

Admitting that they were "caught unprepared" by the President's revelation, Sereno believes that announcement is expected to cause problems with the scheduled hearings and conferences of the judges involved.

"It would matter greatly to our sense of constitutional order, if we were given the chance to administer the appropriate preventive measures without the complications of a premature public announcement," she said.

Sereno also directed the judges not to surrender to the authorities even if Duterte only asked them to report to the high court, a co-equal branch of the Executive department.

"I would caution them very strongly against 'surrendering' or making themselves physically accountable to any police officer in the absence of any duly-issued warrant of arrest that is pending," she said.

Sereno asked Duterte not to recall the firearms of judges involved pending investigation.

"We request that you reconsider your reported order that the judges you named, with the above clarification on who these are, continue to bear these licensed self-defense weapons, if any, until a proper investigation concludes that fonnal criminal charges should be brought against them," she said.

She added the SC "would consider it important" to know the source and basis of any allegation that specific judges are involved in the trade in line with its duty to exercise administrative supervision over all lower courts.

The chief justice, however, acknowledged the ability of dangerous drugs in destroying public institutions,"thus our proactive investigation of any report that judges and court personnel abet the drug trade."

"Mr. President, the judiciary shares with you and the Filipino people a common desire to see a country that is rid of drugs, in the same manner that you share with the judiciary and the Filipino people a common desire to see a country that is governed by the rule of law," Sereno said. —KBK, GMA News