SC court administrator faces graft for misuse of $21.9M World Bank loan 

SUPREME Court Administrator Midas Marquez is facing a graft and corruption complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged misuse of $21.9 million worth of World Bank loan for a judiciary reform project.

Rizza Joy Laurea, head of the Group of Unified Youth for Social Change, filed the complaint against Marquez, who accused him of allegedly diverting the World Bank loan for Judicial Reform and Services Program to the Supreme Court goodwill games, conference registrations, hotel accommodations, restaurant bills, airfare, payment for resource speakers, and travel expenses, among others based on the World Bank’s Aide Memoire, which monitors the implementation of the loan.

The Aide Memoire also showed inaccurate/incomplete information on the project’s financial management report; diminished existing internal check-and-balance mechanism; purchase of Information Technology (IT) equipment outside of the agreed procurement plan; and the practice of borrowing funds from the loan proceeds for foreign travels of justices paid to a travel agency owned by lawyer Estelito Mendoza.

Laurea argued that given such misappropriation, Marquez—who is bidding to be the next Supreme Court justice—lacks integrity to sit as a High Court magistrate.

“Mr. Marquez wants to climb to the top of the ladder. But if we are really for judicial reforms, we should have someone with integrity. We ousted a Chief Justice on questionable SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). How much more if the issue concerns a World Bank loan which has been misused?” Laurea told reporters.

Laurea was referring to the Supreme Court decision ousting former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto, which questions the validity of her appointment based on her failure to submit the complete copies of her SALNs to the Judicial and Bar Council that screens candidates for positions in the judiciary.

“The World Bank has already asked for the refund of this loan. Mr. Marquez embarrassed the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the people’s court of last resort. How can the High Court serve its purpose when one of its justices lack integrity?” Laurea asked.

“This issue has dragged on for so long, and we hope that this complaint will put pressure on the Ombudsman to take action,” Laurea said. LLANESCA T. PANTI

 

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