In a statement sent to media on Monday, Coalition of Filipino Consumers (CFC) secretary general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog said they have learned that some members of the Court of Appeals have accepted money from “influential individuals” with pending cases.
“This should not happen as cases should be decided based on merits,” Tagalog said. “They are supposed to be living and leading decent lives as magistrates.”
“But not all justices are for sale. There are just exceptions,” Tagalog added, stressing that only a small percentage of them are tainting the judiciary.
Reacting to the CFC’s call, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Malacañang supports calls for Sereno to probe corruption in the judiciary.
“We are all against corruption in all its forms. We are, however, recognizing the role of the separation of powers and the existence of the three branches of government. We will defer to the Chief Justice as to how the Supreme Court handles corruption cases within their branch,” he said.
The CFC’s appeal came barely a year after the Supreme Court ordered the Court of Appeals to investigate four regional trial court judges dragged into the alleged influence-peddling in the judiciary involving a certain “Ma’am Arlene.”
“Ma’am Arlene” is described in earlier news reports as the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
“Ma’am Arlene” allegedly throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial court judges and finances their family trips abroad, among other things, in exchange for their favors in cases.
Describing these judges as “hoodlums in robes” and “scalawags in purple robes,” Sereno appealed to lawyers to help the high court in the fight against corruption in the judiciary. —Mark Merueñas/KBK, GMA News
