Members of a collegiate body are supposed to influence one another
Section 13 of Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution states: "The conclusions of the Supreme Court in any case submitted to it for decision en banc or in division shall be reached in consultation before the case is assigned to a Member for the writing of the opinion of the Court." (Emphasis supplied) The above provision of the Constitution is an example of how collegiate bodies work, especially in courts or in offices and commissions exercising quasi-judicial powers. It is normal -- and frankly, expected -- for members of a collegiate court or body to influence one another. Otherwise, there would be no need for collegiality. In fact, collegiate bodies are often called and cited as " influence-oriented social system ."[1] The issue on whether a colleague can influence another was raised due to the recent in-fighting in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), especially between Commissioner Aimee Ferolino and Presiding Commission Rowena Gua