Tuesday, September 25, 2007 SC probers in Cebu to look into scam
INVESTIGATORS from the Supreme Court (SC) arrived yesterday and met with judges of the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Lawyer Rullyn Garcia, the SC’s judicial supervisor for Central Visayas, told the judges that they are here upon the instructions of SC Chief Justice Reynato Puno.
Garcia had a one-hour closed-door meeting with the RTC magistrates to explain to them their presence and asked for their support.
Garcia is the head of the four-man investigation to look into the so-called “annulment scam” inside the Palace of Justice.
Another item on the agenda is the alleged involvement of court personnel in facilitating the reduction of bail for the accused.
RTC Judge Gabriel Ingles believed that employees get commissions from the bail company.
“This is a demonstration of how swift the chief justice is in dealing with problems of the judiciary,” said Garcia.
Garcia said they are still in the process of gathering information.
He said that what they have now is only the newspaper clippings of the alleged scam.
Garcia also said the annulment scam is not as big as the marriage scam where four Municipal Trial Court in Cities judges were suspended.
Going after source
He explained that unlike the marriage scam, their investigation now is directed towards employees behind the anomaly.
RTC Acting Executive Judge Ramon Codilla, for his part, welcomed the presence of Garcia’s team.
“Maayo na aron mahibaw-an ang sayop kay (It’s good that they get to the bottom of this because) sometimes people will think it’s the judges when in fact, there are people behind it,” he said.
He said that another victim visited his sala.
The victim told him she paid P50,000 to her lawyer for him to facilitate her annulment. The decision handed to her was a fake.
Like the first victim, Sheila (not her real name) pointed to the utility worker of the court as the person she approached.
The worker (name withheld pending his comment) has not reported for work since the issue cropped up. (KNT)
