SC junks bid to probe CA justices for bribery

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) thumbed down a bid to investigate several justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) over insinuations they received a P30-million bribe for stopping an order to suspend Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri. 

In a ruling released last week, the high court dismissed the Aug. 16, 2011 request of Vice Mayor Edgar Erice “for investigation of the newspaper reports” after he failed to comply with the SC’s Sept. 6, 2011 resolution “to name under oath the respondents he seeks to be investigated, within 10 days from notice hereof.”

Last year, the CA issued a temporary restraining order stopping the implementation of a six-month suspension order against Echiverri by the Office of the Ombudsman in July for allegedly failing to remit over P37 million in city employees’ contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales later cleared Echiverri and three other city officials – City Treasurer Evelina Garma, City Budget Officer Jesusa Garcia and City accountant Edna Centeno – of charges of violating Republic Act 8291 (the GSIS Act of 1997), Section 3(e) of RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act) and for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service due to lack of substantial evidence.