Isko Moreno has close ties with one of three 'Ma'am Arlenes' – sources

One of the three alleged big-time fixers in the judiciary is believed to have close ties with Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and is a known figure at the Manila City Hall, a report on GMA News' “24 Oras” said Friday.

In her report, Sandra Aguinaldo said one of the "Ma'am Arlenes" — the name given by the media to the alleged fixers — now being probed by the Supreme Court for allegedly giving lavish gifts to judges is a familiar figure to some employees at the Manila City Hall as she is a frequent visitor there before she became the subject of a column in the Philippine Star.

The column, written by Jarius Bondoc, said "Ma'am Arlene," described as the judiciary's version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial court judges and finances their family trips abroad. Bondoc said this puts the judges and justices in her debt, which they pay by allegedly deciding in favor of her clients.

Court Administrator Midas Marquez said last week that initial investigation by his office points to three "Ma'am Arlenes" spoiling and influencing the decisions of justices in the courts.

The “24 Oras” report said one "Ma'am Arlene" is a clerk of court at the Court of Appeals while another previously worked in Malacañang. The third, meanwhile, is an influential figure at the Manila City Hall.

City Hall sources told GMA News that "Ma'am Arlene" is reportedly the go-to person for any party who wants to fix a case either at the city hall or at Metro Manila courts.

A City Hall employee whom Aguinaldo talked to, however, said the "Ma'am Arlene" at the Manila City Hall is not a frequent visitor to the building and is just a friend of Moreno.

GMA News tried to reach Moreno for comment, but was told he is currently abroad.

Marquez told reporters Friday that he met one of the "Ma'am Arlenes" being investigated by the Supreme Court two or three years ago at a convention of judges. She was reportedly with a vice-mayor whom he refused to identify.

The court administrator said in an interview with GMA News that although the "Ma'am Arlene" he met raffled off some small, inexpensive items to judiciary personnel who attended the convention, she did not hand out cash to them.

"Parang hindi cash at saka parang hindi GC (gift check) [yung pina-raffle niya]. Parang mga small items lang naman. Hindi ko lang ma-recall kung ano yun kasi umalis na rin ako agad. Nakita ko yun tapos kasi pag may convention yung mga judges minsan may mga raffle diyan pero small amount lang naman, hindi yung malalaking amount," he said.

On Thursday, Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore “Ted” Te said Associate Justice Marvic Leonen will head the committee that will investigate the three "Ma'am Arlenes" operating in the judiciary.

Te said the separate investigations being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation, Marquez, and the Court of Appeals on “Ma’am Arlene” will be consolidated under Leonen’s committee “to avoid confusion and conflicting results and supplication of efforts.” — Xianne Arcangel/KBK, GMA News