Midas Marquez plays down graft complaint as 'recycled issue'

MANILA, Philippines — A citizen on Monday filed a graft complaint against Supreme Court Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez over alleged anomalies in a  multimillion-dollar project.

In a report by The STAR, Rizza Joy Laurea of the United Youth for Social Change filed a graft and breach of conduct complaint against Marquez before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The complaint involves the allegedly anomalous implementation of the $21.9-million World Bank Judicial Reform Support project.

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The complaint was filed amid Marquez’s inclusion in the Judicial and Bar Council’s shortlist for the next SC justice.

Laurea first sought to challenge Marquez’s bid last month, before the SC.

Laurea accused Marquez of lacking “proven competence, integrity, probity and independence” over his alleged involvement in the World Bank’s Aide Memoire that there were procurements and disbursements uncovered by the SC under the leadership of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.”

Marquez: It’s an old issue

Marquez served as the spokesperson of Corona and also the court administrator during the implementation of the project.

In a message to reporters, Marquez denied his involvement in the project. “[World Bank] Project and funds never passed [through] me despite by numerous positions. That was under the Program Management Office or the PMP which was never under me.”

He added: “It’s an old recycled issue that does not even involve me. In fact, the JBC has already disregarded this.”

But Marquez said that he will “address the allegations later.”

Marquez was recently in the headlines for serving as a resource speaker in the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceeding against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He is one of the eight applicants included in the shortlist for the position to be vacated by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. created by the Judicial and Bar Council last week. 

Others who are in the shortlist are Court of Appeals Justice Jose Reyes Jr., Rosmari Carandang, Ramon Garcia, Amy Javier, Apolinario Bruselas and Ramon Paul Hernando. former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva is the lone lawyer from the private filed that made it to the shortlist. — Kristine Joy Patag with Elizabeth Marcelo