Sereno to lawyers: Enough with blind items, expose erring judges

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes has urged the country's lawyers to blow the whistle on erring judges, saying such “hoodlums in robes” are besmirching the reputation of the judiciary.

In her speech at a gathering of the Philippine Bar Association (PBA) Wednesday night, Sereno said she is aware of complaints about judges who are allegedly corrupt and bias in their resolutions and decisions.

"It is common in lawyers' circles to talk of judges engaged in below-the-table dealings, which has besmirched the reputation of the bench. You talk about law firms and lawyers with vaults in their offices that are ready to churn out hard cash for pay- offs," Sereno said.

"Yet, you discuss these evils in hushed tones and through blind items. It is seldom that a lawyer comes up to the Supreme Court, armed with evidence to kick these culprits out of the bench and bar," she added.

Describing these judges as "hoodlums in robes" and "scalawags in purple robes," Sereno appealed to lawyers, especially members of the PBA, to help the high court in its fight against corruption in the judiciary.

"I understand the dangers in becoming a crusader against hoodlums in robes. There are professional risks involved when lawyers become whistleblowers... The PBA may want to submit proposals on how the Supreme Court can encourage more whistleblowers to come out," the first female chief justice said.

The PBA is the voluntary national organization of lawyers in the Philippines formed in 1900. In contrast, membership in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, another national organization of lawyers, is mandatory.

Sereno said the PBA has "sufficient talent and resources" to identify and gather evidence against these notorious members of the judiciary.

"I hope you will start by naming judges who have initiated discussions or actually demanded bribes," she said.

Sereno assured lawyers who would turn into "whistleblowers" that they could possibly get "administrative amnesties (if they) report their past dealings with judges who have built a reputation for being available to the highest bidder."

These whistleblowers may not be disbarred or administratively penalized and can even be turned into state witnesses and given immunity, Sereno said.

Sereno clarified that these were not yet her "definite position" on the issue of corruption in the judiciary, as she has still yet to discuss these proposals with her 14 other fellow magistrates in the high court.

Sereno said testimonies of these lawyer-whistleblowers would be "indispensible" since the judiciary does not have "hard-nosed investigative capacity" like that of formal investigating bodies like the National Bureau of Investigation.

"I assure you that if the cases filed are serious and supported by evidence, the justices of the Supreme Court will see to it that the axe will fall on whoever deserves it, even if it falls close to us," Sereno said, citing as an example recent rulings of the court dismissing several erring judges in Cebu.

"The image of the judiciary will probably temporarily suffer with the filing of these cases, but in the long run, a cleaning of the house will help lead to the gold standard status that we want for the judiciary," she added. — KBK, GMA News