Marquez shrugs off opposition to SC justice bid

“The ‘vehement opposition’ is nothing but an inventory of general accusations, and instantly erroneously assumes that undersigned is the instigator,” Supreme Court (SC) Administrator Midas Marquez. (PNA photo)

MANILA — Supreme Court (SC) Administrator Midas Marquez on Monday dismissed the opposition letter calling for his disqualification from the roster of aspirants vying to replace Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr., who will retire in August.

In a three-page reply submitted to the JBC, Marquez called the accusations “hearsay, unsubstantiated, misplaced” and “[a]t best, they are recycled non-issues”.

Marquez was referring to the accusation of Rizza Joy Laurea who urged the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to disqualify him, alleging that he“does not possess the Constitutional qualifications of “proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.’

In questioning Marquez’s eligibility for the post, Laurea raised the same issue used against the late Chief Justice Renato Corona in the run up to his impeachment: alleged questionable fund disbursements by the high court in connection with World Bank-funded Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP).

He stressed that the World Bank project has been “closed and terminated without any issue.”

“[T]he ‘vehement opposition’ is nothing but an inventory of general accusations, and instantly erroneously assumes that undersigned is the instigator,” Marquez said.

He denied any hand in the World Bank projects and funds, stressing he was not the disbursing officer of any of the projects despite his numerous positions and responsibilities during the period referred to.

“The administration and management of the projects and funds of the development partners, e.g., the World Bank, are with the Project Management Office (PMO), then headed by its chief, now Sandiganbayan Justice Geraldine Faith Econg. It was never the undersigned,” he said.

Marquez further explained that Laurea “utterly failed” to identify the specific “questionable” contracts and services, the particular terms of reference, the said questionable services provided, the firm providing the questionable services, the particular contracts which were supposedly extended, and the payments allegedly authorized by him.

Marquez also stressed that there was no irregularity in his concurrent positions, rather “it is a recognition of his reliability, trustworthiness, efficiency, and exemplary worth ethic.”

“The undersigned, with all due respect, does not wish to further dignify the instant ‘vehement opposition’ with a point-for-point refutation of all the accusations as they do not specifically point to him with certainty as the Court official responsible for the alleged irregularities, if any.

“All told, [Laurea] may have appreciated the information supplied to her,” Marquez stressed.

Laurea’s opposition was apparently ignored by the JBC after it included Marquez in the shortlist of nominees for the post to be vacated by Velasco.

This prompted Laurea to seek another recourse by filing a graft case against Marquez before the Ombudsman.

Laurea specifically charged Marquez for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Section 7(a) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“It’s an old recycled issue that does not even involve me. In fact, the JBC has already disregarded this,” Marquez said.

He added that the WB projects was under the Program Management Office or PMO, which was never under his office.

He cited the failure of the accuser “to identify the specific questionable contracts and services, the particular terms of reference, the said questionable services provided, the firm providing the questionable services, the particular contracts which were supposedly extended, and the payments allegedly authorized by the undersigned.”

Aside from Marquez, others in the shortlist of nominees for Velasco’s post are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Jose Reyes Jr., Amy Lazaro-Javier, Ramon Garcia, Associate Justices Apolinario Bruselas, Rosmari Carandang and Ramon Hernando; and former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva.

Marquez, who is vying for a seat in the 15-member high court for the third time, has been serving the SC for 26 years.

He started his career in the SC in 1991 as a law clerk for several justices, including retired Associate Justice Abraham Sarmiento, Senior Justice and former Philippine Judicial Academy chancellor Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera, and retired Senior Associate Justice Josue Bellosillo.

He rose from the ranks and was appointed as SC spokesperson in 2007 during the term of retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno until the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.

Marquez finished both his degree in Economics and juris doctor degree at the Ateneo de Manila University.

The current court administrator was among those who testified as resource persons in the House of Representatives’ hearing on the impeachment complaint against ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Velasco was among the six justices who voted against the quo warranto petition that ousted Sereno from the top judiciary post.

His replacement would be President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth appointee to the high court, the others being Associate Justices Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo.

The JBC is constitutionally mandated to screen applicants to the Judiciary and top Ombudsman positions.

The President has 90 days to name Velasco’s replacement in the high court.