De Lima to Inhibit on “Arlene” Probe

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said she will inhibit in the upcoming investigation over the alleged corruption in the judiciary, which will cover the alleged fixer identified only in media reports as “Ma’am Arlene”, Gma news online reported.

The justice secretary said she made the decision after someone called her attention on the contempt and disbarment charges that was filed against her before the Supreme Court, in connection with her alleged defiance on the high court’s order allowing former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to go abroad to seek medical treatment.

Reports said the Department of Justice (DOJ) barred Pampanga lawmaker Arroyo from going out of the country despite the SC order allowing her to do so.

“The better part of prudence tells me that I should inhibit from the investigation into this alleged corruption in the judiciary through the alleged fixer Ma’am Arlene,” De Lima told reporters.

“Ma’am Arlene,” described as the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, reportedly wields influence on judges. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court investigated a woman who may just be the judiciary’s version of Janet Lim-Napoles.

The SC investigation came after columnist, Jarius Bondoc, revealed in his column published in the Philippine Star that certain “Ma’am Arlene” allegedly throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial court judges and finances their family trips abroad, among other things.

Bondok has said this puts the justices and judges in her debt, which they pay by allegedly deciding in favor of her clients, Gma news online report said.

In place of De Lima, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer in charge Medardo De Lemos will head the investigation.

De Lima said the NBI will be submitting their report directly to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Gma news online said.

“Pag-submit ng kanilang report, kung meron pang ibang dapat gawin also in relation to that matter then they will seek the guidance from the CJ,” she said.

“So any supervision on my part as the head of the institution, DOJ and NBI, will just be nominal at best. There will be no real significant involvement on my part unlike other high-profile cases the NBI is handling,” De Lima said.

Source: Gma news online