Nothing now can be done by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) or Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, to block the release of the psychiatric and psychological test results of the shortlisted candidates to the highest Supreme Court seat. The SC has spoken, ruling that these exam results will have to be made public.
Sereno, who has asked, for the second time, for a month’s deferment of the SC ruling on the release of the tests, was spurned by the associate justices.
Sereno at first asked for a two-week deferment of the ruling, claiming as an excuse, time to give the JBC the opportunity to deliberate on this issue.
When the two weeks were up, Sereno again asked for a deferment of a month or so, again to give the JBC time.
That SC decision came after the majority of the court’s justices rejected the last ditch efforts of Sereno to block the disclosure of the results of the psychiatric examinations of those who had aspired for the position.
Evidently, what Sereno wanted was time for the JBC to amend its rule, to evade making the results public.
A heated discussion during Tuesday’s en banc session reportedly erupted, with Sereno said to have gotten a beating. In the end, the SC ordered the JBC to release the psychiatric exam results of the candidates.
This poses a big problem of credibility and integrity for both Sereno and the JBC, especially if it is shown that the leaked psychiatric and psychological exam result is proven accurate, which it probably is, since the JBC never denied it.
It will be recalled that all the JBC members, save two — the presiding justice of the JBC then and a retired SC justice — voted for the inclusion of Sereno as a candidate for the SC top post, thus giving her six votes, and at the same time, violating their own rule.
The psychological and psychiatric test is a requirement under Resolution 009 Rule 6 of the JBC.
Rule  6  states that “good physical health and sound mental/psychological and emotional condition of the applicant play a critical role in his capacity and capability to perform the delicate task of administering justice. The applicant or the recommending party shall submit together with his application or the recommendation a sworn medical certificate or the results of an executive medical examination issued or conducted, as the case may be, within two months prior to the filing of the application or recommendation.”
Reports on the leaked psychological exams said that Sereno obtained a grade of four out of five, one being the highest number while five is failure. Four, under that grading system is termed as  “Very Unsatisfactory” and disqualifies the nominee. Yet Sereno made it despite her low grade of four.
No other associate justices who were candidates for the post obtained a grade lower than three.
Moreover, Sereno was also said to “keep a smiling face to project that she is happy,” describing her as “dramatic and emotional.”
“She appears energetic and all smiles and agreeable but has religious preoccupation in almost all significant aspects of her life.”
It was also said in her exam result that Sereno “projects a happy mood but has depressive markers, too. There is a strong tendency to make decisions based on  current mood, thus the outcome is highly subjective and self-righteous.”
Obviously, despite Sereno’s unfitness for the high post, and the JBC rule being violated by its members, as they all voted for her inclusion, they may have been pressured by Noynoy to include Sereno, especially after his favorite puppet, Leila de Lima, was disqualified, as Noynoy then wanted Sereno as his chief justice.
All the other justices concerned will probably also ask for the release of their exam results. And if Sereno will not ask for the release of her psychiatric testing, it will be evidence that indeed she had obtained a very low mark that should have disqualified her from being in the shortlist.
Both Sereno and the JBC members’ cerdibility and integrity are on the line either way.