Justices face SC panel on ‘Arlene’

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) now has a clearer picture of a certain “Ma’am Arlene” who is reportedly behind influence peddling in the judiciary.

The ad hoc committee chaired by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen reportedly gathered “very telling” details about “Ma’am Arlene” in meetings with several Court of Appeals (CA) justices and trial court judges.

“The committee has met almost every week since the New Year started... All have been very candid with their accounts and very helpful to the committee,” according to a statement released by the probe panel.

The names of the members of the judiciary who faced the SC panel were not disclosed pending verification of information gathered from them.

Leonen’s committee continues to coordinate with the

National Bureau of Investigation and other relevant agencies and is confident of meeting its self-imposed deadline to submit a report before April.

The other members of the committee are retired SC justices Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez and Romeo Callejo Sr.

In December last year, a photo of a woman, said to be Ma’am Arlene, with lady justices and judges was published in two newspapers. She was identified as Arlene Lerma, reportedly a former staff of Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.

The photo was taken during the retirement of deputy court administrator Antonio Eugenio Jr. on Nov. 20, 2013.

Eugenio confirmed that the photo was taken during his retirement ceremony, and admitted knowing Lerma but said there is nothing malicious about it.

The SC had initially traced the source of the reports to a supposed smear campaign in the electoral contest in the Philippine Judges Association (PJA).

Newly elected PJA president and Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Ralph Lee and his rivals Makati City RTC Judge Rommel Baybay and Marikina City RTC Judge Felix Reyes have denied any involvement in the allegations.