SC panel invites ‘Ma’am Arlene’ in probe on judiciary ‘fixers’

A Supreme Court committee probing alleged influence-peddling in the judiciary has invited one of the alleged "fixers" previously known only as a certain "Ma'am Arlene."

In a statement issued Friday, the SC Public Information said the committee led by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen has decided to invite Arlene Angeles Lerma to help shed light on the controversy.

"It has served its invitation to Ms. Lerma at her last known address and also through other persons who know Ms. Lerma personally," said the SC PIO, without saying her address or the persons to whom the invitations were sent.

"Ma'am Arlene,” described in earlier news reports as the judiciary's version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, first came into national consciousness through Jarius Bondoc's column in the Philippine Star last year.

According to Bondoc's column, "Ma'am Arlene" throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial court judges and finances their family trips abroad, among other things, in exchange for their favors in cases.

But last year, the Bureau of Immigration confirmed that Lerma had already left the country for Singapore. She reportedly did not purchase a return ticket.

Leonen is joined in the investigating committee by retired SC Associate Justices Alicia Austria-Martinez and Romeo Callejo Sr.

Confidential

The body has already held 13 sessions and received sworn testimonies from 32 resource persons, among them members of the judiciary and Supreme Court officials and employees, and other government officials.

The committee also said it has so far gathered both from official and unofficial sources many documents, photographs, and reports as well as information and tips on the matter.  

The committee is expected to submit a preliminary report to the high tribunal's en banc by April, during its summer session in April.

The committee proceedings are confidential "to allow greater freedom on the part of resource persons to speak and to give the Committee members the flexibility to probe more deeply."

Also last year, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she has instructed the National Bureau of Investigation to proceed with its parallel probe on "Ma'am Arlene." 

The results of the NBI's parallel probe on the anomaly would be consolidated with that of the SC committee's.

The SC committee said it has also been "relying" on information provided by the NBI, which has been "in close coordination" with Leonen's committee.

Previous reports said there are at least three notorious fixers working in the judiciary, one of them 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. — RSJ, GMA News