The source told The Times that Leonen circulated last Tuesday his 30-page draft resolution among the members of the court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). Leonen’s draft “per curiam” (by the court) resolution did not name the ponente of the case. In the show-cause order, Leonen argued that the contents of the documents revealed by The Times were confidential and must not be disclosed to the public, the source said. A retired Supreme Court justice who refused to be identified said Leonen was weaponizing the powers of the court to put a “chilling effect” on the journalism profession. The Times has reached out to Leonen for comment through the Public Information Office, but he has not replied.

Source: Manila Times November 19, 2020 16:18 UTC