Court admin’s candidacy for SC associate justice opposed

The candidacy of Court Administrator Midas Marquez for an upcoming vacancy in the Supreme Court (SC) has been formally opposed by a private citizen in connection with his alleged involvement in "ineligible expenses" incurred by the tribunal.

In a letter to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) filed Thursday, private complainant Rjhay Laurea alleged that Marquez was "unfit" for the associate justice position because he violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Professional Responsibility.

The opposition letter cited Marquez's "questionable acts" in relation with the SC's Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP), a judicial system accessibility initiative funded by a loan from the World Bank.

In particular, the letter cited a 2011 review from the World Bank, an aide memoire, that listed over P8.6 million worth of "ineligible expenses disallowed" by the bank: conference registrations abroad, hotel accommodations, restaurant bills, foreign travel expenses, and computer equipment, among others.

Sixteen of these payments, the letter citing the aide memoire said, "relate" to the Office of the Court Administrator, which Marquez headed at the time and still heads today.

The aide memoire, as quoted in the letter, said “[T]his senior official, due to the combination of his appointments and functions, was the requestor of the services, the approver of the terms of reference, the end-user of the services provided by the firm, the authorizer of contract extensions, and the authorizer of payments to the firm.”

"Although unnamed, it obviously pertained to Marquez," Laurea said in parenthesis.

Marquez was court administrator, SC spokesperson, Public Information Office chief, and Office of the Chief Justice chief-of-staff during the term of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.

"Marquez’s presence as the then multi-hyphenated Supreme Court senior official for the JRSP has contributed to the breakdown of the control, increased fiduciary and reputation risks, and irregular/inappropriate procurement and expenditure decisions of the Supreme Court," the letter said.

The opposition largely cited a few news reports and the World Bank.

In response to the opposition, Marquez said: "It's an old, non-issue, erroneous complaint that cannot even be attributed to me."

"WB (World Bank) Project and funds never passed me despite my numerous positions. That was under the Program Management Office or PMO which was never under me," he said in a text message.

Marquez is one of the 12 aspirants for the post to be vacated by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. when he retires in August. —KBK, GMA News