Youth leader files graft complaint against SC administrator

A youth group leader on Monday filed a graft complaint against Court Administrator Midas Marquez, reviving a years-old accusation the latter misused P8.6 million in World Bank loans in an admitted attempt to block his bid to become a Supreme Court justice.

Rizza Joy “Rjhay” Laurea of the Group of Unified Youth for Social Change (GUYS) said she filed the complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman hoping to trigger the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) rule disqualifying aspirants for judicial positions “with pending criminal or regular administrative cases.”

“We don’t want him to go further in the Supreme Court because his integrity to be an associate justice is questionable,” Laurea told reporters after filing the complaint.

SC bid unaffected?

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the JBC, said the disqualification rule would “no longer apply if the shortlist has already been submitted to the Office of the President.”

“By then, the JBC screening process is over. Unless, of course, the Ombudsman indicts the subject within the 90-day period that the President has to make a choice, a scenario which is rather remote to happen,” Guevarra told the Inquirer.

Marquez denied Laurea’s accusations. “It’s an old recycled issue that does not even involve me,” he told the Inquirer in a text message.

In fact, Marquez said, the issue brought up by Laurea had already been “disregarded” by the JBC when he was shortlisted by the body for the Supreme Court seat to be vacated by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr.

Marquez, who had served as Supreme Court spokesperson, is believed to be President Duterte’s top choice to fill Velasco’s seat.

He is said to have been instrumental in the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, as his office has administrative supervision over all lower court judges and personnel, many of whom supported the government’s move to remove Sereno.

Pressuring Ombudsman

Laurea admitted to rehashing an old issue in her complaint, but she justified it as a way of pressuring the graft buster into holding Marquez criminally liable.

“This case was already old. Many have complained about it for so long, but it’s not enough,” she said. “More pressure has to be applied because our court administrator seems to want to rise up and become a Supreme Court magistrate.”

The complaint was based on the World Bank’s Dec. 28, 2011, reminder to the Supreme Court to refund $199,900 (P8.6 million) worth of “ineligible expenses” incurred that year.

These include P6.33 million worth of computers, P965,620 spent on printing services, P564,450 to reimburse travel expenses, P291,763 in conference fees, and P212,339 in airfare.

Other expenses include P127,010 in restaurant bills racked up in three instances, P104,327 in hotel accommodations, and P9,080 for a January 2011 sports event.

Laurea claimed in her complaint that a conflict of interest allegation raised in the World Bank reminder “obviously pertained” to Marquez even if his name was not specifically mentioned.

Laurea also accused Marquez of violating Section 4 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which required public officials to “uphold public interest over and above personal interest.”

Opposed in JBC

Before going to the Office of the Ombudsman, Laurea filed a formal opposition to Marquez’s application in the JBC on June 21.

Marquez responded on June 25, telling the JBC in a letter that Laurea’s accusations were false.

“At the outset, [the] undersigned categorically denies that he directly had anything to do with the World Bank projects and funds, and neither was he the disbursing officer of any of these projects,” Marquez said.

“Just the same, all the accusations, aside from being hearsay and unsubstantiated, are misplaced. At best, they are recycled nonissues,” he said.

He said he believed Laurea “misappreciated” the information she had gathered on the judicial reform projects financed by the World Bank.

He said it was actually Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg who was tasked to oversee the projects as the head of the Supreme Court’s Project Management Office in 2003.

“In fine, [Laurea’s allegations are] nothing but an inventory of the general accusations and instantly erroneously assumes that [I am] the instigator,” he said.

Marquez made it to the JBC shortlist released on June 25.