CA probes 4 judges linked to ‘Arlene’

MANILA, Philippines - Four regional trial court (RTC) judges are facing investigation before the Court of Appeals (CA) after they were implicated in alleged fixing of cases and influence peddling by a certain “Ma’am Arlene”  in the judiciary.

The cases were assigned to Associate Justices Ramon Garcia, Romeo Barza and Celia Librea-Leagogo.

The STAR learned yesterday that the four judges are Rommel Baybay of Makati RTC Branch 132, Ralph Lee of Quezon City RTC Branch 83; Marino Rubia of Biñan, Laguna RTC Branch 24, and Lyliha Aquino of Manila RTC Branch 24.

They have been summoned and asked to explain their links with Ma’am Arlene.

An insider said the investigation aims to determine if the judges committed violations of the New Code of Judicial Conduct.

“The respondents were ordered to appear before the investigating justices or submit judicial affidavits. Several witnesses were also summoned,” the insider said.

Last July, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the investigation after an ad hoc committee chaired by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen found that the four judges violated laws and rules in the conduct of elections of officers of the Philippine Judges Association (PJA).

The CA was given 90 days from raffle to conclude the investigation and submit reports to the SC.

“Upon raffle, the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court is ordered to furnish the investigating judges confidential copies of the attached summary of preliminary findings of the investigating committee pertaining to the judges,” the SC said.

“The investigation shall be conducted with utmost confidentiality and the report and recommendation shall be directly submitted to the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope.”

The SC issued the order based on the recommendations of the Leonen-led panel last May.

Ma’am Arlene was identified as Arlene Lerma, a former employee of Manila City Hall.

The SC had initially traced the source of the reports to a supposed “smear campaign” in the electoral contest in the PJA.

It ordered the suspension of the recognition of Lee and Aquino as PJA elected officers “until such time that this Court will issue a resolution revoking the suspension.”

Changes in the PJA leadership were withheld pending dialogue among its remaining officers and the SC through Leonen.

The SC also ordered Aquino to return to her previous station as judge of Tuguegarao, Cagayan RTC Branch 4.

 It has already ordered the dismissal from judicial service of Rubia in connection with another administrative case.