Marquez on $21.9M judiciary fund ‘misuse’: ‘It’s an old, recycled issue’

Jose Midas Marquez —LYN RILLON

Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, one of the shortlisted candidates for the Supreme Court Associate Justice post, has dismissed as a “recycled issue” allegations that he misused a $21.9-million loan from the Word Bank.

Marquez has been slapped with a criminal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman by a certain Rjhay Laurea for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

READ: Court admin faces raps over ‘misuse’ of $21.9-M judiciary fund

“It’s an old, recycled issue that does not even involve me. In fact, the JBC (Judicial and Bar Council) has already disregarded this,” Marquez said hours after the case was filed against him on Monday.

“The World Bank Project and funds never passed me despite my numerous positions. That was under the Program Management Office or PMO, which was never under me,” he added.

Laurea is the same person who filed before the JBC an opposition to the nomination of Marquez for Associate Justice of the high court in place of Presbitero Velasco Jr., who will retire this August.

Marquez said he never had a copy of the aide memoir of the World Bank that was used as basis for the criminal complaint and JBC opposition.

He pointed out that he “was never ordered or even requested, by any authority to comment on the same (Aide Memoir or the World Bank report).”

Marquez said the aide memoir is strictly confidential and usually not disclosed to the public.

The aide memoir was first made public when the impeachment case was filed against the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, and was one of the issued raised against him.

“It was never substantiated even by the succeeding leadership in the court. Not then. Not now,” Marquez said.   /kga