By Perfecto Raymundo
MANILA, (PNA) — The Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman are now on initial talks to address corruption issues in the Judiciary.
In a press conference Monday, SC Public Information Office Chief and Spokesman Atty. Theodore Te relayed a statement from the Office of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno, disclosing plans are underway for the conduct of lifestyle checks on members of the SC, Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and all lower courts.
The announcement came after news broke of an alleged fixer in the Judiciary named “Ma’am Arlene”.
“The Chief Justice and the Hon. Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales, have also initiated discussions on making use of the technical capability and legal mandate of the Ombudsman to undertake lifestlye checks on the members of the judiciary and court personnel,” the statement read.
Sereno also requested Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima to “investigate stories circulating about a person who exercises wide influence in parts of the judiciary, without being a member, and the relation of this person to the electoral contest for a presidency of a judges’ association.”
De Lima earlier told members of the media Sereno has requested the Department of Justice to investigate the controversy involving “Ma’am Arlene,” who, also reportedly influenced the outcome of the recently-concluded elections of the Philippine Judges’ Association.
“The Chief Justice will submit to the disposition of the Supreme Court En Banc, the result of her request that Secretary De Lima use the investigative resources of the Department of Justice to determine facts concerning the following:
“(1) possible violation of applicable criminal provisions in the recently-concluded election of the Philippine Judges’ Association by any or all of the presidential candidates;
“(2) the identity of private persons who, prima facie, appear to have unlawfully influenced specific members of the judiciary in the outcome of specific cases, which facts may crop up in the course of its investigation into the matter covered above,” the OCJ statement read.