House probe sought on SC’s alleged misuse of World Bank funds

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published January 17, 2012 10:25am

(Updated 1:46 p.m.) While Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial is ongoing at the Senate, two party-list lawmakers on Tuesday called on their colleagues at the House of Representatives to probe another issue involving the judiciary — this time concerning the Supreme Court’s alleged misuse of World Bank funds.

Bayan Muna party-list Reps. Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares filed House Resolution 2049 urging the House committee on good government and public accountability to conduct a congressional inquiry on the alleged irregularities with the Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) funded by the World Bank.

“In light of the present impeachment proceedings, it is imperative that the House of Representatives investigate said program to shed light on the current workings inside the Supreme Court. It is the responsibility of the legislature to ensure the checks and balances between the different branches of government,” the resolution read.

The resolution was filed despite a previous statement from the World Bank that it never released a supposed memo to the media regarding the “unsatisfactory” implementation of the JRSP under Corona.

Erika Leann Lacson-Esguerra, World Bank program assistant for external relations, said the financial institution never sent a press release on the JRSP.

Corona, for his part, said the supposed anomalies on the World Bank funds were only meant to “deceive” the public, since the JRSP has been implemented a decade ago.

“Hindi po ako ang may responsibilidad dito. Naganap ito hindi pa ako Chief Justice… Mahigit isang dekada na po itong World Bank project na ito,” he said in a speech on Monday before court employees, hours before he went to the Senate .

Earlier news reports said the financial institution rated as “unsatisfactory” the implementation of the JRSP under Corona, who is facing impeachment charges for betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution and graft and corruption.

The World Bank also supposedly noted the use of funds outside the project’s procurement plan, such as for the purchase of information technology equipment and for foreign trips of high court justices.

Corona’s camp earlier dismissed the issue with the World Bank funds as part of the “black propaganda” against the chief justice. — RSJ, GMA News

Tags: worldbank, supremecourt