MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a petition seeking to compel the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to release the full, unredacted text of a draft partial committee report on alleged irregularities in flood control projects nationwide.

The petition for mandamus and certiorari was filed by lawyer Eldrige Marvin B. Aceron, Sikini C. Labastilla and Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe following the leak of a draft partial committee report to several media outlets in February 2026.

The leaked draft reportedly recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges, including plunder, against several senators and other public officials.

In G.R. No. E-04961, Eldrige Marvin B. Aceron, Sikini C. Labastilla, and Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe v. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate of the Philippines, the SC said mandamus may only be used to compel a public official or body to perform a ministerial duty that is clearly required by law and involves no discretion.

The Court found no constitutional or statutory requirement for the Senate committee to release an unfinished draft report.

It explained that a draft report is merely a preliminary document and becomes part of the official Senate record only after it is finalized, approved by the committee and submitted to the Senate plenary in accordance with the chamber’s internal rules.

“Since no law requires the Committee to release an unfinished draft report,” the SC held, mandamus cannot be used to compel its disclosure.

Right to information not absolute

The Court likewise rejected the petitioners’ argument that the committee’s refusal to release the draft violated their constitutional right to information.

The SC stressed that the right to information is not absolute and is subject to recognized limitations, including the deliberative process privilege.

The privilege protects internal discussions while government officials are still deliberating on a matter, allowing them to freely exchange views without preliminary or tentative positions being mistaken for final decisions.

The Court said this protection applies to the committee’s deliberative process while its report remains unfinished.

SC cites separation of powers

The SC also emphasized the constitutional principle of separation of powers, saying courts generally cannot interfere with matters falling within the discretion of Congress or with its internal procedures, provided these are exercised within constitutional limits.

The ruling effectively allows the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to withhold the unfinished draft report while its deliberations and approval process remain ongoing.