Justice bares P10-M Meralco(?) bribe

**Monseratto** · July 31st, 2008 07:07 AM

The Lopezes complain about corruption using their media outlet, but openly practices it?

MANILA, Philippines—By his own account, a Court of Appeals justice was offered P10 million to inhibit himself from a case that Manila Electric Co. had filed to stop an attempted takeover by the Government Service Insurance System.

The offer was made to him on July 1 through a Makati businessman, Justice Jose Sabio Jr. said in a letter dated July 26 to Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez Jr., a copy of which was obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer Wednesday afternoon.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Sabio said he would hold nothing back in the court’s en banc session scheduled Thursday to discuss the issue of the Meralco case.

Asked if he had informed Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez about any bribery offer made to him in relation to the case, Sabio replied: “Everything, all details, will be discussed. I can just say, no holds barred. If I’m asked to detail everything, I will. I’ll be honest.”

Sabio and Justice Myrna Dimaranan-Vidal of the appellate court’s former 9th Division had protested the issuance of the decision on the Meralco petition on July 23.

In that decision, the court voided the order of the Securities and Exchange Commission stopping the hotly contested May 27 election of the Meralco board, over which the power firm retained control.

Sabio and Vidal described the circumstances surrounding the decision as “fishy,” adding that they had heard the oral arguments on the case but were not among those who signed the decision.

Those who did sign the decision were Justice Vicente Roxas, the designated ponente, and Justices Bienvenido Reyes and Antonio Bruselas. The three make up the 8th Division, to which Roxas was transferred from the 9th Division, when the case was pending.

According to Sabio, the businessman, whom he has known for some time, requested an urgent meeting and waited to see him until his law classes ended at 8 p.m. on July 1.

“It turned out that he was brokering for Meralco,” Sabio said.

The emissary began by explaining the problem of who between Sabio and Reyes should preside over the Meralco case.

Sabio was surprised that the emissary knew about the matter, “an internal problem” that happened only “very recently.”

The emissary said his camp’s lawyers wanted to “directly challenge” Sabio’s insistence on presiding over the case, but that they were told it might “become messy.”

It was then that Sabio was offered P10 million, which he rejected.

“So, they were talking of a win-win situation, which meant offering P10 million for me to give way to Justice Reyes. I politely declined that offer and told the emissary that it was not only a matter of principle but that it will [also] affect the integrity of the court. Before he left, he told me that they were still hoping that I could see it their way,” Sabio said.

“In their eagerness to succeed on that aspect,” Sabio said, the emissary got in touch with a family friend in Cagayan de Oro City to convince him to accept the money.

‘Pestering’ calls

Sabio said that subsequently, he received frantic calls from the emissary.

He continued his account to Presiding Justice Vasquez thus:

In order to put an end to the “pestering” calls, Sabio told the emissary that his conscience would forever be bothered and he would be unable to face his wife and two daughters if he accepted the offer.

He also told the emissary that taking the money would be contrary to his being a member of the Philippine Judicial Academy’s Ethics and Judicial Conduct Department and Ateneo de Manila University’s pre-bar reviewer in legal and judicial ethics.

The emissary’s “feeble response” was: “We are not doing anything illegal since we do not ask you to decide one way or the other.”

His reply was that it was “a matter of principle.”

Before the conversation ended, the emissary told Sabio that his camp would be forced to employ other ways to ensure that Reyes would chair the division that would decide on the case.

Questions to Reyes

On July 7, Meralco filed an urgent motion for Reyes to assume the chairmanship of the 9th Division, which Sabio described as a “strange,” even “stupid,” motion.

Sabio also said in the letter that he had told Reyes of the P10-million offer, and asked the latter certain questions, including:

“If you will insist on assuming the chairmanship, after you have been told of the P10-million offer, what will I think of you now? Why should Meralco insist on you assuming the chairmanship and have me ousted?”

“Is it because they are certain of your loyalty and they are uncertain [of] mine?”

“Why did they (Meralco) actively participate in the hearing on the 23rd and never raised any question regarding the supposed irregularity of my presiding over the hearing?”

Sabio said Reyes’ “feeble” reply to him was: “I am afraid that they will file a case of nonfeasance against me.” (Nonfeasance means “the omission of an act that ought to have been performed.”)

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...es-P10-M-bribe

**CtrlAltDel** · July 31st, 2008 08:14 AM

The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was the ancient Chinese concept on the art of war:

"Mislead your enemy by false appearances."

What I dont know is which party is applying that. Abangan nalang, heheh=)

**Altis6453** · July 31st, 2008 08:17 AM

With due respect to Justice Sabio, he should've called the police instead of the press. Clearly, if what he's saying is true, then there's already attempted bribery on the part of the businessman who approached him. He should've divulged his identity and denounced him publicly.

Also, once this businessman-emissary broached the topic of the MERALCO-GSIS case, Justice Sabio should've terminated the conversation immediately since it is sub judice to discuss it while the case was being heard by the CA. All this would lead me to doubt if Justice Sabio was giving a complete story or if he's just being coy.

**Galactus** · July 31st, 2008 10:14 AM

Hmmm, so what else is new? Corruption in the judiciary is well-known in legal circles that its surprising nobody has ever been caught. Heck, even Ramon Tulfo has been writing about corrupt hoodlums-in-robes since way back.

Our law enforcers should learn a thing or two from the FBI and Operation Greylord. Marami-rami silang nahuling crooked judges dun.

IMO, mas mainam na din na sa press nilapit ni Justice Sabio 'to, so everyone will be aware & take note. This issue has been in the backburner for far too long.

**CVT** · July 31st, 2008 01:06 PM

Sin of omission, heh?....

We'll see how it goes.....:pepsi:

6505:Bath:

**Monseratto** · September 9th, 2008 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by CVT

Sin of omission, heh?....

We'll see how it goes.....:pepsi:

6505:Bath:

I wonder if the Lopezes will give Roxas and de Borja juicy positions, or they might do a Lozada and spill the beans on them...

5 CA justices committed lapses--SC probers’ report

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Five justices of the Court of Appeals committed lapses in handling the case of the Manila Electric Co. vs the Government Service Insurance System, according to a report by a three-man panel that investigated alleged irregularities in the appellate court.

Those found liable were Justices Vicente Roxas, Jose Sabio Jr., Bienvenido Reyes, Conrado Vasquez, and Myrna Dimaranan-Vidal.

The panel members, composed of three retired justices, said Sabio's version that he was offered a P10-million bribe by an unnamed Meralco emissary to inhibit himself from the case was "more credible" than that of businessman Francis de Borja.

The panel also recommended that businessman Francis de Borja, who allegedly bribed Sabio, undergo a preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice since he is a private individual.

In the case of Roxas, the panel found him "dishonest and untruthful" since he attached a fabricated transcript of deliberations. There were also falsehoods in the supposed transcript, he added.

Roxas also showed "undue interest and unseemly haste" in light of his "rush to judgment."

The panel said Roxas prepared a decision even before the parties had filed their memoranda, and added that he "cheated the parties' counsel of time, effort and energy they invested in the preparation of their ponderous memoranda."

"He made a mockery of his own order for the parties to submit memoranda, and rendered their compliance a futile exercise," it said.

The panel also found "completely false" Roxas’ account on why he brought a copy of the decision to Vidal.

The report, quoting "reliable sources," said the SC, voting 11-1, ordered the relief of Roxas, who penned the controversial July 23 decision stating that the Securities and Exchange Commission has no jurisdiction to validate the proxy votes counted in favor of the Lopez-bloc of the Meralco.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakin...probers-report

**uls** · September 9th, 2008 06:06 PM

welcome to the Philippines...

That's how things work here.

Everyone has a price.

**Horsepower** · September 10th, 2008 01:42 AM

Is this supposed to be a surprise? This is what govt people refer to when they say "SOP lang po boss".

**Isuzoom** · September 10th, 2008 12:15 PM

mga kawatan!!! walang patawad!!! mga putong inamoy nyo!!!

**CVT** · September 11th, 2008 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by Monseratto

I wonder if the Lopezes will give Roxas and de Borja juicy positions, or they might do a Lozada and spill the beans on them...

Ayan,- puwede na nilang bigyan ng posisyon si Roxas,- sipa na siya sa CA at sa kahit ano'ng puwesto sa gobyerno..... Ang lakas pang mandamay ng vlvp*ng na iyan....

6707:choir: