By Perfecto Raymundo
MANILA, (PNA) — Amid the heating up of the issue on the corruption in the Judiciary, one of the alleged suspects in the controversy was confirmed to have already left the Philippines.
Immigration Commissioner Sigfried Mison on Saturday confirmed that Arlene Angeles Lerma left the country on Oct. 16, 2013.
Mison said Lerma travelled through a Philippine Airlines flight bound to an Asian country he did not identify.
Lerma is one of the three “Ma’am Arlene” now subjects of investigation for their alleged influence among judges of the Regional Trial Courts and justices of the Court of Appeals.
One of the three “Ma’am Arlene” was purportedly involved in the outcome of the Oct. 9, 2013 elections of officials of the Philippine Judges Association.
Lerma allegedly underwent medical treatment and for the past two to three months, she often travelled back and forth to the country for medical treatment.
The Supreme Court earlier created a committee to be headed by Associate Justice Marvic F. Leonen to conduct an investigation into the issue of “Ma’am Arlene”.
Two retired justices of the SC will be members of the committee.