SC sacks judge tagged in ‘Ma’am Arlene’ court bribery

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court has dismissed a trial court judge tagged in an alleged large-scale bribery within the judiciary through a fixer dubbed “Ma’am Arlene.”

Two other judges were suspended, while another one has been removed from a Manila court.

In a 33-page June 10 decision released Thursday, July 31, the SC en banc found Biñan, Laguna Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 24 Judge Marino Rubia administratively liable for conduct unbecoming of a judge and consequently violating the New Code of Judicial Conduct.

The SC ruled that “Rubia’s actions belittled the integrity required of judges in all their dealings inside and outside the courts.” He “lost the requisite integrity, impartiality, and propriety fundamental to his office” and “cannot be allowed to remain a member of the judiciary.”

The dismissal of Rubia comes after a probe into an alleged fixer in the Philippine judiciary known in media reports as Ma’am Arlene. 

Businesswoman Arlene Angeles Lerma was tagged as the big-time fixer.

A preliminary report was already submitted by the investigating committee headed by SC Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to the SC en banc.

Acting on the report, the SC referred to the Court of Appeals (CA) further investigation on Judge Rubia and 3 other trial court judges. They are: Makati RTC Branch 132 Judge Rommel Baybay, Quezon City RTC Branch 83 Judge Ralph Lee, and Manila RTC Branch 24 Judge Lyliha Aquino.

Judges Lee and Aquino were likewise suspended as officers of the Philippine Judges Association until further orders from the SC.

Aquino’s designation as Acting Presiding Judge of Manila RTC Branch 24 was recalled. She was ordered to return to her station in the Tuguegarao, Cagayan RTC Branch 4.

How he got caught

On March 3, 2010, Judge Rubia dined with a litigant before his court and suggested that she should talk to the opposing counsel in her cases.

Emilie Sison-Baria, the litigant and later on the complainant in Rubia’s administrative case, alleged that the judge showed bias in favor of the opposing counsel during their dinner. This later on showed in Rubia’s subsequent orders in relation to Baria’s cases.

The SC found merit in the complaint of Baria, who narrated among others a conversation through text messaging with a data encoder in the Laguna RTC.

Eileen Pecaña, the court employee Baria spoke with and who was also present during Baria’s meet-up with Judge Rubia, was likewise found guilty of gross misconduct. Pecaña was suspended for a year from her post.

The SC en banc ruled that Rubia “failed to live up to the standards of his office” by participating and the dinner meeting and failing to admonish Pecaña for impropriety.

As a result, Rubia’s retirement benefits except accrued leave credits are forfeited. He is also disqualified from reinstatement or appointment in any public office, including government-owned or -controlled corporations.

Up to CA

CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr was directed to assign through raffle the investigation of each judge facing administrative cases in relation to the bribery probe. The CA justices are obliged to conduct a probe and submit their report to the SC 90 days from the raffle.

“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 ordered. 

The “Ma’am Arlene” scandal erupted last year following news reports that she is the Janet Napoles of the judiciary, in reference to the detained alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam. 

The High Court formed the Leonen-led committee in October 2013 to investigate the reports. – Rappler.com