SC sends team again to look into other court controversies

Three months after the investigation into the alleged “marriage scam,” the Supreme Court has once again sent a team to Cebu City to look into other controversies allegedly involving the local courts.

Judicial Supervisor Rullyn Garcia, also head of the team that investigated the alleged marriage coordination scam, said their return is in response to reports of alleged manufacturing of court documents and activities that involve facilitating the release of suspects allowed to post bail.

He said their presence is also upon directive of Chief Justice Reynato Puno to show that the Supreme Court is not sleeping over controversies that involve the courts and court personnel.

A close-door meeting between the investigating team and judges was held yesterday afternoon to formally inform them of the fact-finding inquiry.

Regional Trial Court Vice Executive Judge Ramon Codilla said they welcome the arrival of the investigating team so the controversies can be resolved once and for all.

“We welcome the coming of the personnel from the Supreme Court… it’s good para mahibaw-an nato ang mga sayop,” Codilla said.

Garcia clarified that unlike the investigation into the marriage scam, their investigation this time would focus on court personnel. He said an assessment of initial reports would show that judges are not involved in the new controversies.

Although no direct reference was disclosed, Garcia said they already have information of a court worker who may be involved in either of the controversies.

“Based on initial inquiry, the problem does not involve judges but court personnel,” Garcia said.

Early on, a lawyer has alleged that an employee at the Office of the Clerk of Court had demanded money from his client and had allegedly processed a fake decision on his client’s annulment.

Lawyer Eugene Sumampong had alleged that his client reportedly gave P22,000 to the court employee supposedly as payment for the processing of the annulment documents.

The lawyer said his client received a copy of the decision granting her petition to annul her marriage on June. But it was later discovered that the decision was fake.

The decision was purportedly promulgated by Judge Manuel Patalinghug of Branch 22, a family court. But when the lawyer tried to obtain a finality of the judgment, he was told that there was no record of his client’s case in Branch 22. The staff also said the decision did not bear Patalinghug’s signature.

Shortly after this, RTC Judge Gabriel Ingles has called on the Supreme Court to look into activities that involve facilitating the release of suspects allowed to post bail, which something that Ingles had feared might be a scam in itself.

This concern came after a mother of a drug suspect told Ingles she has given money to two people at the Palace of Justice even before the court could hear the suspect’s motion to reduce his bail.

Ingles said his staff was baffled why the mother repeatedly went to court and asked if the reduction of his son’s bail has already been granted considering that she already allegedly gave P20,000 to a certain Arante Aranas. Another court employee also allegedly helped facilitate the bail.

Alarmed by the report, Ingles issued a subpoena for the two persons to appear during the hearing of the motion to reduce bail last September 11. It was then discovered that Aranas is not a court employee but has merely helped to facilitate the bail. He also admitted having received the money from the suspect’s mother before the hearing but promised to return it.

The court also discovered that the court employee the mother mentioned did not receive any money but was, nevertheless, advised to be careful next time to avoid controversy. The court eventually reduced the suspect’s bail to P100,000 from the recommended bail of P200,000.

Ingles said it is better for the Supreme Court to also look into the matter, as coordination of cases is getting alarming. In fact, he said he has received information that a lawyer allegedly manufactures court decisions to pry out money from his clients.

During a forum with lawyers and judges last week, Ingles said he is willing to divulge the name of the lawyer if and when a formal investigation would be initiated.

The city and provincial chapters of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines had said they are willing to start an investigation as long as there will be witnesses that could substantiate the report. 

The investigation into the alleged “marriage scam” last June has placed four Municipal Trial Court in Cities judges under preventive suspension.

The investigating team will hold its inquiry for the remaining of the week. — Joeberth M. Ocao/LPM