The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a petition seeking to compel the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to release its draft report on alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
In a ruling on Wednesday, August 12, the SC En Banc court said the petitioners failed to establish a legal or constitutional duty requiring the Senate panel to disclose its draft report, according to a report by RH Tina Nolasco.
The SC said a petition for mandamus may only be used to compel a public official or body to perform a ministerial duty that is clearly required by law and leaves no room for discretion.
The high court also upheld the Senate committee's discretion to keep its preliminary report confidential, noting that the constitutional right to information does not extend to preliminary legislative deliberations.
According to the SC, there is no constitutional or legal basis that requires the committee to release its draft report while it remains unfinished.
The Court clarified that a draft report is merely a preliminary document and only becomes part of the official Senate record once it has been finalized and approved by the committee and officially submitted to the plenary, in accordance with the Senate's internal rules.
Watch the full report below.
