(Supreme Court of the Philippines}
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Atty. Lorna Kapunan, former counsel of pork barrel scam principal accused Janet Lim Napoles, has backtracked in divulging the alleged corrupt Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).
In a 10-page compliance filed by Kapunan on Monday before the SC en banc, she defended herself to evade the danger of being cited for contempt by the SC after her interview in the program “Umagang Kay Ganda” with Anthony Taberna.
Kapunan refused to disclose the name of the alleged corrupt SC Justice and instead argued that she uttered the statements as pure “hearsay.”
She said that no personal accusations were made against the SC but a general knowledge she received without any legal basis at all.
“This Honorable Court will please note from the replies above-quoted that no personal accusations were made and where information on corruption and bribe money was based on hearsay and/or general knowledge within the legal circles,” Kapunan told the SC en banc.
Kapunan said that “in the interest of candor and transparency, gave the appropriate caveats – “known to receive”, “I am told”, “Hindi ko po alam (I don’t know).”
She added that she has no intention to malign the Judiciary with her hearsay statements.
“In summary, undersigned counsel respectfully submits that the remarks made in the subject interview were not intended to insult, malign, embarrass the Court or bring it into disrepute,” Kapunan said.
Kapunan was in hot water after earning the ire of the SC Justices after learning the interview in national television.
In November last year, the SC issued a resolution where Kapunan was given a period of 10 days within which to explain her answers to the interview she made with television broadcaster Taberna of ABS-CBN.
“The Court Resolved to direct Atty. Lorna Kapunan to explain her answers in her interview in Umagang Kay Ganda on November 21, 2013 regarding corruption in the judiciary, within ten (10) days from notice hereof,” the SC resolution said.
The SC en banc made the motu propio order, even without any complaint or petition, by taking judicial notice of the interview made by Taberna with Kapunan.
During the interview with Kapunan when she was asked by broadcaster Taberna: “May kilala po ba kayong justice ng Supreme Court na nababayaran (Do you know of any justice of the SC who can be bought)?”
Kapunan immediately answered: “Opo (Yes)”.
She even said that she even knows about corruption in the Court of Appeals (CA).
“I am told that a restraining order in the CA can be as much as 5 million [pesos],” Kapunan said during the interview.
Kapunan also became a lawyer for actor-model Hayden Kho during the height of his sex video controversies.
She was a former law partner of the late Sen. Raul Roco. (MNS)