A Napoles in the judiciary?

Come out, CJ urges whistle-blowers

MANILA, Philippines - Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno has called on whistle-blowers to come forward to bolster allegations that the judiciary has its own version of Janet Lim-Napoles.

In a recent speech before the Philippine Bar Association, Sereno had appealed to lawyers to help in identifying and gathering evidence against “scalawags in purple robes and the unscrupulous members of our profession.”

Sereno said her office had received dozens of letters accusing certain judges of corruption and bias, citing their supposed unjust decisions or rulings.

In her speech, she made no mention of a certain “Ma’am Arlene,” who reportedly wields influence in the judiciary the way alleged pork barrel scam operator Napoles influenced lawmakers.

“She throws birthday bashes for CA justices and trial court judges, and bankrolls their family junkets abroad. She is allegedly the magistrates’ go-to girl if they need to give an offspring an expensive graduation or wedding gift,” Jarius Bondoc wrote in his Oct. 7 column in The STAR, describing “Ma’am Arlene.” The CA is the Court of Appeals.

Bondoc alleged that the woman “is notorious as a fixer of cases, with investigators, prosecutors and magistrates, mostly in Metro Manila.”

“If Napoles controls Congress, Ma’am Arlene allegedly ‘owns the judiciary,’” he wrote.

Bondoc did not provide the full name of Arlene, but court sources said she is married to a former judiciary official who is close to a prominent member of the prosecution service. She reportedly worked in the Arroyo administration.

Yesterday, Bondoc said “Ma’am Arlene” paid for the food during a recent convention of trial judges in the Visayas.

“At the dining halls, she would hop from table to table, loudly proclaiming that food and drinks were on her. She also announced, for everyone at the tables to hear, to give her their spouses’ birthdates so she could gift them with expensive, branded bags. Some attendees unabashedly mentioned to her their wish to travel with their families to Hong Kong or Macau,” Bondoc said.

He alleged that “Ma’am Arlene” planned to shoulder the food expenses during the Philippine Judges Association convention in Manila this week but she got sick and failed to attend.

Evidence needed

Sereno said charges against members of the judiciary should be backed by solid evidence.

“I assure you that if the cases filed are serious and supported by evidence, the justices of the Supreme Court will see to it that the ax will fall on whoever deserves it, even if it falls close to us,” Sereno said.

If the whistle-blowers are personally involved in the anomalies, Sereno said they could serve as state witnesses and be spared from prosecution, subject to discussions between the SC and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Sereno lamented that talks of corruption have become rife in legal circles, “but in hushed tones and through blind items.”

“It is seldom that a lawyer comes up to the Supreme Court, armed with evidence to kick these culprits out of the bench and bar,” she said.