Alvarez warns justices over Ilocos execs: Congress can dissolve CA anytime

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday warned that Congress can “dissolve” the Court of Appeals (CA) amid the House of Representatives’ clash with the court over the detention of six Ilocos Norte provincial government employees.

“They are merely a creation of Congress, 'yung Court of Appeals. Kaya iyan nag-e-exist, dahil nga na-create iyan ng Congress. Anytime pwede namin silang i-dissolve,” Alvarez said in a radio interview.

“Kaya ito, dapat mag-isip-isip naman sila. Huwag naman 'yung ganyan. Ito ay ginagawa natin 'yung ating tungkulin sa bayan,” he said.

Alvarez also threatened to have Associate Justices Stephen Cruz, Edwin Sorongon, and Nina Antonino-Valenzuela of the court’s Special Fourth Division disbarred for their supposed “gross ignorance of the law.”

“Kaya itong mga tatlong g*gong justices na ito, dapat ito, mayroon kaming ano, na magpa-file kami ng disbarment cases for ignorance of the law, itong justices na ito,” Alvarez said.

The House leader said this as he continued to defy the CA division’s order to release the employees of the Ilocos Norte government after they were cited in contempt for “dismissive” answers during an investigation over the alleged irregular purchase of P66.45 million worth of motor vehicles using tobacco funds.

The CA has directed, through a writ of habeas corpus, the House sergeant-at-arms to bring to the court the six provincial government employees. It has also started its contempt of court proceedings against Alvarez and the sergeant-at-arms.

Alvarez insisted that the CA has no jurisdiction over Congress.

“Para sa akin, ay talagang wala silang jurisdiction sa amin. Sino sila para mandohan 'yung Kongreso kung ano ang dapat naming gawin? Mayroon kaming karapatan,” Alvarez said.

“Dapat itong mga justices na ito, siguro mag-ayos-ayos na, lalo na itong tatlo. Kung para sa bayan, medyo tingan naman nila… Napaka-walanghiya na ng ginawa, tapos ganyan pa, kakampihan pa nila. Hindi na siguro tama ito,” he added.

Alvarez said the release of the employees also depend on their willingness to tell the truth.

“This is a simple thing, na 'yung liberty o kung kalayaan ng mga naka-detain, 'yung susi hawak-hawak nila,” he said.

The six employees detained since May 29 are Pedro Agcaoili, chair of the bids and awards committee and the provincial and planning development unit; Josephine Calajate, provincial treasurer; Edna Battulayan, accountant; Evangeline Tabulog, provincial budget officer; and Genedine Jambaro and Encarnacion Gaor, who are assigned at the treasury office. —KG, GMA News