Who is Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong?
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory S. Ong was dismissed by the Supreme Court (SC) Tuesday for “gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety” over his links to the alleged pork-barrel scam architect Janet Lim-Napoles.
Who is Ong?
He became a head of a law fraternity.
Ong was born on May 25, 1953 in San Juan City, Manila. He graduated with a degree in Political Science from the Far Eastern University in 1975 and obtained his law degree in San Beda College in 1979 where he became the Grand Judex or the head of the Lex Talionis fraternity. He pursued his Master of Laws in the Manuel L. Quezon University where he graduated in 1992.
He is the most senior associate justice in the anti-graft court.
Ong was appointed associate justice and the chair of the fourth division of the Sandiganbayan by former president and Manila City mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Oct. 5, 1998, making him the longest sitting justice.
He is scheduled to retire May 25, 2023 when he reaches 70.
Ong is the seventh richest associate justice in the Sandiganbayan.
Ong is the seventh richest associate justice in the Sandiganbayan with a net worth of P16 million, according to his 2014 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Ong is allegedly a cousin of pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
The associate justice was put in hot water when pork barrel scam witnesses Benhur Luy and Marina Sula testified before a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing last Sept. 26, 2013 stating that Ong and Napoles were cousins and that they talked about the developments of her case. Sula added that Ong visited Napoles in her office at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City.
Ong, as the Sandiganbayan fourth division chairman, acquitted Napoles in the malversation charges filed against her over the military’s alleged anomalous purchase of 500 Kevlar helmets in 1998.
In 2013, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation on Ong’s case which confirmed that he has close ties with and received money from Napoles for fixing her case.
The investigation also recommended that administrative charges be filed against Ong “for gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety.”
The Supreme Court unanimously decided last July that Ong was guilty of receiving a payoff from the acquittal of malversation charges filed against Napoles.
Sources: Inquirer archives, Sandiganbayan website
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