Group asks DOJ, NBI to probe ‘Ma’am Arlene,’ ‘justice for sale’ scheme

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to pursue an investigation into the "Ma'am Arlene" controversy, following recent reports of "justice for sale" in the Court of Appeals.

In a statement over the weekend, VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez alleged that bribery in the appeals court was not new, and that this was the reason his group had awarded the CA its so-called "Kalabasa Award" twice in the past.

Jimenez urged the CA’s clerks of court "who are privy to the illegal transactions not to be afraid and come into the open to expose the anomalies," adding that the VACC "is willing to give them support."

"There are many cases filed by VACC against drug lords, but these were dismissed because the judges were bribed," claimed Jimenez.

The VACC's appeal came a week after the Coalition of Filipino Consumers' appeal for an investigation into the supposed "justice for sale" in the judiciary, in exchange for temporary restraining orders.

The group said it learned that some members of the Court of Appeals have accepted money from “influential individuals” with pending cases.

“But not all justices are for sale. There are just exceptions,” CFC's Jaime Tagalog had said, adding that only few of the justices are tainting the judiciary.

Reacting to the CFC’s call, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Malacañang supports calls for Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to probe corruption in the judiciary.

In 2013, De Lima had said the DOJ and the NBI were willing to assist the Supreme Court in investigating the "Ma'am Arlene" controversy, or even conduct their own parallel probe.

"The chief justice has formally requested already that even if iniimbistigahan na rin daw iyan ng Supreme Court... she still wants the NBI to do the investigation, also kasi siyempre wala namang imbestigador ang judiciary," said De Lima at the time.

"She [chief justice] welcomes my assignment that we would be willing, the DOJ and the NBI would be willing to assist in that investigation," De Lima had added.

Last year, the Supreme Court ordered the Court of Appeals to investigate four regional trial court judges dragged into the alleged influence-peddling in the judiciary involving  “Ma’am Arlene.”

“Ma’am Arlene” is described in earlier news reports as the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

“Ma’am Arlene” allegedly 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.

Sereno had admitted being aware of complaints about judges who are allegedly corrupt and biased in their resolutions and decisions.

Describing these judges as “hoodlums in robes” and “scalawags in purple robes,” Sereno appealed to lawyers to help the high court in the fight against corruption in the judiciary. — Mark Merueñas/BM, GMA News