THE SUPREME Court (SC) has dismissed the petition of a foundation that donated to the controversial Kapa-Community Ministry International, Inc., which is currently under probe for allegedly running an investment scam.

SC Public Information Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka on Tuesday confirmed in a text message that the court, in its en banc session, junked the June 21 petition of Rhema Int’l Livelihood Foundation, Inc., which also goes by the name of its project Cirfund.

Rhema was asking to be removed from the list of unregistered investment entities as issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and P3 billion in compensatory damages.

The petitioner also asked the SC to allow Kapa to resume its operations and for President Rodrigo R. Duterte and SEC Chariman Emilio B. Aquino to pay the compensatory damages.

It also asked that the President be subjected to impeachment proceedings for violation of Article II Section 6 (separation of church and state) and Article III (Bill of Rights) of the Constitution.

Cirfund, described as a project of Rhema, said that “it is in fear of being treated like the KAPA Ministry.” The petitioner also claimed that the President committed grave abuse of discretion by circumventing the judiciary’s power and “took lightly” of citizens’ rights under the Constitution.

Rhema also said the SEC committed grave abuse of discretion “amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and enjoyment of a right of office” with its issuance of the unregistered investment entities list.

The SEC issued a cease and desist order against Kapa last February and revoked its certificate of registration in April. It also secured a freeze order from the Court of Appeals on Kapa’s several accounts and assets last month.

Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 16 on Monday issued a precautionary hold departure order against eight members of Kapa while the preliminary investigation over their complaint is ongoing. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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