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Rights advocate opposes Midas Marquez application for SC justice

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Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - (UPDATE) A human rights advocate on Monday opposed the application of Supreme Court administrator Midas Marquez as associate justice before the Judicial and Bar Council.In his 10-page complaint, Rizza Joy Laurea urged the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Thursday to disqualify Marquez, alleging he “does not possess the Constitutional qualifications of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.&quot; Laurea accused Marquez of being involved in the procurement and disbursement of Supreme Court funds in connection with the $21.9-million World Bank loan for the Judicial Reform Support Project. He said a World Bank Aide Memoire to Philippine authorities identified “70 payments,” amounting to $199,900, as “ineligible” under the terms of the JRSP. Sixteen of these expenditures “relate” to the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), Laurea alleged. She added that a demand for refund of this amount was made by the World Bank. “The Aide Memoire further observed that ‘this senior official, due to the combination of his appointments and functions, was the requestor of the services, the approver of the terms of reference, the end-user of the services provided by the firm, the authorizer of contract extensions, and the authorizer of payments to the firm.“Although unnamed, it obviously pertained to Marquez,” Laurea said, stressing that at the time, Marquez was concurrently Court Administrator, head of the Public Information Office, and chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee on the Action Program for Judicial Reform or the Supreme Court’s Action Program for Judicial Reform. Marquez, according to Laurea, was authorized to approve, on behalf of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona, payments up to P200,000 later increased to P500,000.It may be recalled that hours after the start of his impeachment trial on January 17, 2012, Corona spoke before supporters regarding the JRSP issue.“What they (congressmen and detractors) did not tell the public is that this happened before I became Chief Justice . . . This program was started more than a decade ago. I have been Chief Justice for only one and a half years,” Corona said, stressing he never pocketed funds of the judiciary. At the time, Marquez also debunked the allegations against him, telling reporters he held “more positions” during the time of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Corona’s predecessor. Marquez was Puno’s chief of staff.Laurea accused Marquez of “intentionally” ignoring to answer and “downplaying” the World Bank’s observations as a preliminary report.“The environment provided by Marquez, i.e. as the simultaneous Court Administrator, head of the Public Information Office, and chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee on the Action Program for Judicial Reform or the Supreme Court’s Action Progam for Judicial Reform at the time of the project, did not foster transparency and accountability on the part of the Supreme Court as the implementing agency.”Laurea alleged Marquez committed graft and violated the lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility.Marquez told ABS-CBN News the allegations are “old, erroneous, non-issue that cannot even be attributed to me.” He said he was not involved in the disbursement of the subject funds and the project was under a different SC office. “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 said. He stressed no case has been filed by the high court nor the Commission on Audit on the matter. Marquez is already shortlisted by the Supreme Court En Banc for the post to be vacated by Velasco. In Tuesday’s en banc session, he obtained the second highest number of votes; others in the shortlist are CA Associate Justices Rosmari Carandang, Jose Reyes, and Ramon Garcia.The high court resumed its voting practice for impending vacancies, a practice scrapped by ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who voted for her own choice candidates during the Judicial and Bar Council poll instead of voting for those collegially selected by the SC en banc.Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio will vote for the SC’s shortlisted candidates when the JBC votes on the impending vacancy.

A human rights advocate on Monday opposed the application of Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez as Associate Justice before the Judicial and Bar Council.

A human rights advocate on Monday opposed the application of Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez as Associate Justice before the Judicial and Bar Council.

Rights advocate opposes Midas Marquez application for SC justice

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Rights advocate opposes Midas Marquez application for SC justice

Ina Reformina,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 21, 2018 04:16 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 21, 2018 07:47 PM PHT

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Midas Marquez

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