Private citizen hopes to disrupt Midas Marquez’s bid for SC justice post
A private complainant is hoping to disrupt and eventually disqualify Court Administrator Midas Marquez from applying as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).
Rjhay Laurea, founder of “Group of Unified Youth for Social Change,” filed a complaint for graft and corruption against Marquez before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, July 2, over the alleged misuse of a $21.9 million loan from the World Bank intended for reforms in the judiciary.
READ: Court admin faces raps over ‘misuse’ of $21.9-M judiciary fund
Asked if her complaint against Marquez would disqualify him at the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for having a pending case before the Ombudsman, Laurea said: “I hope so.”
Section 5 of Rule 4 of the JBC Rules and Regulation states that “those with pending criminal or regular administrative cases” are disqualified from being nominated for appointment to any judicial post.
Likewise, Laurea also called on Marquez to resign “while the people still has respect for him.”
Resign, give way
“Just give way. Back off from your candidacy for the position of Associate Justice at the Supreme Court,” Laurea said in Filipino in a chance interview.
“Marquez should also resign from his position (as Court Administrator), so (the SC) can get its integrity back,” she stressed.
Laurea has accused Marquez of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019 and Section 7(e) of Republic Act No. 6713.
Questionable procurement
Laurea’s complaint stemmed from the World Bank’s aide memoire dated December 28, 2011 which disclosed questionable procurement and disbursements by the SC under the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Laurea, citing the World Bank, said that $199,900 (US dollars) covering 70 payments were deemed to be “ineligible or unauthorized” under the terms of JRSP.
However, Marquez has dismissed the allegations, calling the complaint “an old recycled issue that does not even involve me.” /vvp
