By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court yesterday found retired Associate Justice Ruben Reyes guilty of grave misconduct for leaking a draft decision and fined him P500,000.

In its decision, the entire Court agreed with an investigating panel that concluded that Reyes had leaked the draft decision on the disqualification case involving Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong, and said the fine would be deducted from his retirement benefits of P4.5 million.

Reyes denied any wrongdoing when asked to comment on the decision.

?I don?t see any reason why the blame should be put on me,? Reyes said.

?I have the least reason to do that and the least motive. I?m totally innocent. I can?t believe they are holding me responsible.?

Reyes said he would withhold further comment until he had read the committee report.

The panel said that ?based on circumstantial evidence... and particularly the undue interest of Justice Reyes to circulate a draft ponencia [decision] of the case soonest even before the memoranda of all the parties fell due... it was Justice Reyes himself who leaked a photocopy? of the draft.

?The foregoing proven facts and circumstances constitute more than substantial evidence which reasonably points to Justice Reyes, despite his protestations of innocence, as the source of the leak,? the Court said, citing a portion of the panel?s report.

The Court also barred Reyes from employment in any branch of government, including government-owned corporations.

The Court also ordered him to show why he should not be disciplined as a member of the bar.

Two other court employees, lawyer Rosendo Evangelista and Armando Del Rosario, were held liable for simple neglect of duty and fined P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

The leaked draft decision refers to a disqualification case involving Limkaichong, which was filed by her political opponents led by Olivia Paras, wife of former congressman Jerome Paras.

The Reyes decision, which found its way into the hands of one of the parties, Louie Biraogo, last year became the basis for calls to impeach Chief Justice Reynato Puno, with Biraogo accusing the chief magistrate of withholding the promulgation of the decision.

In asserting its authority to discipline Reyes, who retired last Jan. 3, the Court said: ?The breach of duty amounts to breach of public trust as the committee believes that the leak was motivated by self-interest.

?If only for reasons of public policy, this Court must assert and maintain its jurisdiction over members of the judiciary and other officials under its supervision and control for acts performed in office which are inimical to the service and prejudicial to the interests of litigants and the general public,? the justices said.

The Court said any release of an unpromulgated decision infringed on its confidential internal deliberations.

?It is settled that the internal deliberations of the Court are confidential. A frank exchange of exploratory ideas and assessments, free from the glare of publicity and pressure by interested parties, is essential to protect the independence of decision-making of those tasked to exercise judicial power,? the Court added.