Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The investigation into alleged judicial corruption is part of a ploy by Malacañang Palace to intimidate Supreme Court justices into ruling in favor of the administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program, according to United Nationalist Alliance secretary general Toby Tiangco.
Tiangco believes the Palace has a hand in the ongoing investigation of the alleged corruption in the judiciary.
“It would be difficult to imagine the [Department of Justice] and the [National Bureau of Investigation] investigating a co-equal branch of government unless it has the tacit approval of higher-up,” he said.
Tiangco said the Palace was dredging up its old practice of making whomever they intend to go after look bad in the media. According to him, this was related to the impeachment threat against the justices dangled by one of the Palace’s allies in Congress.
He said the same ploy was deployed before the impeachment cases were field against then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Gutierrez resigned before her impeachment trial, while Corona was found guilty by the impeachment court.
“Now that the DAP is on the line, the Palace is set to employ the same formula and strategy which they used before, during and after the Corona impeachment. The plan is simple: Target the justices, save the DAP,” Tiangco said.
“This time, they are trying to discredit the Supreme Court in the media. They are scaring the justices with impeachment to pressure them into ruling in favor of the DAP,” he added.
The National Bureau of Investigation as well as a Supreme Court committee are looking into allegations of corruption and influence peddling in the judiciary. They are checking claims that a “Ma’am Arlene” played a key role in bribing judges and justices to rule in favor of her clients.
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