By Benjamin Pulta/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) will closely scrutinize irregularities in the issuance of injunction orders by lower courts, in connection with contracts for local gaming operations run by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
In a chance interview with newsmen in Manila Wednesday, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, however, clarified that the judges are presumed to have acted in good faith in issuing these injunctions.
“We cannot presume these judges had committed irregularities, the Court Administrator is very fair and he will look at these reports and see if there are grounds for further investigation,” the top magistrate said.
“You know the status report is only one element of proof. These reports are made by the judges and their clerks of court and their personnel and the (Office of the Court Administrator) is a very experienced office, there are many personnel there who are very, very capable of detecting efficiencies or non-compliances. If they noticed anything irregular, then they will determine if there is a need to investigate deeper or just call the judges’ attention to whatever shortcomings there were,” Bersamin told reporters.
Bersamin said the circular, recently issued by the Office of the Court Administrator for all trial court judges and clerks of court to submit a list of their PCSO-related cases beginning January 2018 up to present, is only a preliminary move to determine whether there is a need for further investigation as to the circumstances surrounding the issuance of these injunctions.
On Monday, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez issued the circular following President Durterte’s order to stop all gaming activities of PCSO due to massive corruption involving its officials and stakeholders.
Marquez said the list should include all pending and terminated cases and should be submitted on or before August 15.
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