Court judges yesterday denounced the alleged plot to oust Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno even as they considered the recent events as ?a political maneuver? to destroy the integrity of the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court.

In separate manifestos of support, the Philippine Judges Association, the Regional Trial Courts of Manila, and the Las Pi?as City Judges Association expressed their support for the Chief Justice.

Their show of support followed reports that the Chief Justice was in danger of being impeached by Congress over the alleged non-promulgation of a purported high court decision in a case questioning the citizenship of Representative-elect Jocelyn Limkaichong.

The Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines, headed by its executive vice president Judge Jaime B. Santiago of the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court disclosed that it will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to discuss its course of action.

?We see the recent events as a political maneuver to destroy the integrity of the Chief Justice and the institution he is representing as a whole,? the judges said.

PJA president Antonio M. Eugenio Jr. said that the PJA is ?opposing any ?contrived plot? against Chief Justice Puno and any attempt to oust him before he retires in May 2010?? and that the judiciary ?should be spared from ?partisan manipulations.??

?The PJA calls upon everyone to observe the Rule of Law, not to callously trample upon it for self-serving aims or purposes,? the group said.

The PJA, an organization of 900 RTC Judges nationwide, said that the attempt to impeach Puno is ?a sickening reflection of how low ?power-hungry? individuals would go in order to put [the Chief Justice] in a bad light and promote their ?sinister agenda.?? Rey E. Requejo