Pasay court employee faces bribery, graft raps

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of charges against a Pasay court employee for allegedly accepting a P6-million bribe.

In a resolution dated May 27, DOJ prosecutors recommended the filing of charges of direct bribery as well as violation of Section 3(b) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against Mariejoy Lagman, the acting branch clerk of Pasay Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 108.

The DOJ prosecutors, however, recommended that the complaint for violation of Section 3(c) and (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act be dismissed for lack of merit.

The complaint against RTC Judge Albert Cansino was referred for preliminary investigation.

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Lagman for allegedly accepting P6 million from a litigant in exchange for a favorable judgment in a civil case.

During the arrest, a copy of a court order bearing the judge’s signature on the civil case was also confiscated, the Supreme Court said.