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Lifestyle checks eyed in Philippines judiciary
Judges and court personnel may be subject to lifestyle checks as part of efforts of the Supreme Court (SC) and the Office of the Ombudsman to rid the judiciary of misfits.
Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno said she and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales “have initiated discussions on making use of the technical capability and legal mandate of the ombudsman to undertake lifestyle checks on members of the judiciary and court personnel.”
Sereno also announced that she had allowed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) under the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a parallel fact-finding probe into the activities of an individual – as reported in The STAR – “who allegedly exercises wide influence in parts of the judiciary, without being a member thereof, and the relation of this person to the electoral contest for the presidency of a judges’ association.”
Specifically, the SC chief wants the NBI to determine facts on two matters: possible violations of criminal laws in the recent election of officers of the Philippine Judges’ Association and the identities of individuals who may have unlawfully influenced specific members of the judiciary in ruling on cases.
Sereno said she has asked DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima to submit a report to her office after the NBI probe. The report will then be submitted to the SC for collegial disposition.
The Chief Justice announced the lifestyle check through SC spokesman Theodore Te in a press conference. The high court’s office of the court administrator is conducting an administrative fact-finding probe on the matter.
When asked about the issue of separation of powers since the NBI is under the executive department, Te only said the conduct of the bureau’s probe would be limited to the scope specified by Sereno. He declined to elaborate.
Te said the decision to tap the NBI in the probe was a unilateral move by the Chief Justice, which is supposed to be a collegial body.
De Lima, meanwhile, said it was upon the SC’s request that the bureau would look into reports on the activities of a certain “Ma’am Arlene” – reportedly the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
She confirmed meeting with Sereno yesterday during which they agreed to tap the services of the NBI for a probe.
“These are serious allegations and therefore we should determine if these are true. It speaks of alleged corruption within the judiciary. It’s a serious matter that has to be looked into,” she told reporters.
De Lima revealed she has already received information about the identity of Ma’am Arlene but refused to name her. “I’m assigning that to the NBI for preliminary verification,” she said.
As earlier revealed by court administrator Jose Midas Marquez, De Lima said the controversy over the activities of certain influence peddlers in the judiciary may have “something to do with the recent elections in the Philippine Judges Association, particularly with the rivalry of the contenders for the top post.”
She said that with such information, the NBI would probe not only the allegations involving Ma’am Arlene but also the “strong rivalry in the recent PJA elections.”
De Lima, however, stressed that the bureau has yet to plan the conduct of the probe – especially on whether the judges involved would be summoned.
“But basically, we will first validate basic facts and information from the series of items (from The STAR), especially the column of Mr. Jarius Bondoc,” she said. “We will start from there and we will see where the direction will be.”
Marquez, who supervises over 2,000 judges in the country, has already initiated an investigation into the Ma’am Arlene scam exposed by The STAR.
He said a supposed “smear campaign” against certain candidates in the PJA elections may have exposed the activities of influence peddlers colluding with some judges and moneyed litigants.
Quezon City regional trial court Judge Ralph Lee won the PJA presidency over Makati City RTC Judge Rommel Baybay and Marikina City RTC Judge Felix Reyes. Marquez was seeking comments from the three judges on the issue.
The SC official also revealed that they have identified three Ma’am Arlenes in the judiciary who are allegedly known fixers in the courts.
He declined to name them, but said they are a clerk from the Court of Appeals, a former employee at the Manila regional trial court, and a Manila City Hall employee.
Marquez also stressed that whatever transgressions one or any of the three had committed would pale in comparison to Napoles’ wrongdoing. He stressed that the case that may be leveled against Ma’am Arlene is “graft and corruption” as compared to plunder, which Napoles is facing.
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