DOJ to file in court criminal charges vs clerk of court arrrested by NBI in P6M extortion
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the filing of criminal charges in court against an acting clerk of court of a Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) for demanding and receiving P6 million in exchange for a favorable decision in a civil case pending before RTC Judge Albert T. Cansino.
Ordered charged in court was Mariejoy P. Lagman for direct bribery under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), as amended; violation of 3(b) of Republic Act (RA) 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; and violation of RA 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The resolution on the filing of the case was issued by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Phillip L. Dela Cruz. It was approved by Prosecutor General Benedicto A. Malcontento on recommendation made by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony D. Fadullon.
In the same resolution, the complaint against Judge Cansino of RTC Branch 108 will be subjected to "a regular preliminary investigation.”
“Subpoena will be issued to give him (Cansino) the opportunity to submit his counter-affidavit," the resolution stated.
Lagman was presented for inquest proceedings after her arrest last May 23 at the staff office of the RTC branch during an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD).
The entrapment operation was conducted based on an e-mail complaint filed before the Supreme Court's (SC) Judicial Integrity Board (JIB).
After verification, the NBI was able to locate the e-mail sender who reportedly implicated the judge and his clerk of court in the extortion.
The SC had preventively suspended Cansino and Lagman due to the formal administrative proceedings initiated against them.
Earlier, the NBI had said it will continue to probe the possible involvement of other persons in the alleged P6 million extortion.