Unnecessary petitions from Grace Poe’s camp

Following the two temporary restraining orders issued by the Supreme Court on the en banc ruling of the Commission on Elections removing Sen. Grace Poe from the list of presidential candidates, her lawyer petitioned the high court for the consolidation of Poe’s Comelec cases and the inhibition of the three justices who voted against Poe in the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) case.

I am kind of confused here! I stand corrected if, not being a lawyer, I turned out wrong. As far as I humbly but amply see it, the high tribunal has itself, in intent and effect, voluntarily consolidated all of Poe’s disqualification cases—meaning, the four with the Comelec plus the one with SET. Otherwise, the Court would not have scheduled the oral arguments thereon simultaneously on Jan. 19, 2016, starting at two o’clock in the afternoon. On the other hand, if I remember correctly, I three magistrates who voted against Poe in the SET ruling had also announced their intention and willingness to inhibit in the high court’s forthcoming en banc deliberations—well, even if, strictly speaking, methinks they may not be forced to since, as legitimate members of the Supreme Court, they must certainly participate in the oral arguments on the disqualification cases now awaiting final ruling from the high tribunal.

What more does Poe’s lawyer want?

—RUDY L. CORONEL, rudycoronel [email protected]