Corruption in judiciary, isolated —IBP president

Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president Atty. Allan Panolong on Monday acknowledged that there is corruption in the judiciary, or the country’s court system, but stressed that these are only isolated cases.

“Meron pong katotohanan na meron po talagang nangyayaring korapsyon pero ‘yung magnitude ng corruption sa hudikatura ay tingin ko po isolated case po ito,” Panolong said on Unang Balita.

(There is some truth that corruption does happen, but the magnitude of corruption in the judiciary, in my view, is an isolated case.)

“Mas marami pong tuwid at ethical na miyembro ng huwes,” he added.

(Upright and ethical members of the judiciary outnumber those who are not.)

This came after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said that the corruption in the judiciary is also severe, citing lawyers lobbying cases in the judiciary.

Panolong, meanwhile, cited “case fixing” or instances of lawyers lobbying in order to win the cases of their clients.

The IBP president also said that the Supreme Court has previously removed the license of a lawyer for claiming that he could win a case in exchange for cash.

“These are actually isolated cases. Hindi naman po ito rampant kasi mas maraming matitinong huwes at empleyado ng [hudikatura],” Panolong said.

(These are actually isolated cases. It is not rampant because upright judges and employees of the judiciary outnumber those who are not.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News