The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Wednesday, May 29, it continues to probe the possible involvement of other persons in the alleged P6 million extortion by a Pasay City trial court judge and his clerk of court in exchange for a favorable decision on a civil case.
The NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) has filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal complaints against Regional Trial Court Judge Albert T. Cansino and his clerk of court Mariejoy P. Lagman for graft, direct bribery, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Cansino was also charged with violations of Code of Judicial Conduct.
Lagman was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI based on an email 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 has ordered the preventive suspension of Cansino and Lagman for 90 days pending the investigation.
“As of the moment continuous ‘yung collation namin ng mga material evidence (we continue the collation of material evidence) and at the same time our preparation in furtherance of this case,” said NBI-CCD Chief Jeremy C. Lotoc during a press conference.
Lotoc said "may mga hawak kaming mga electronic devices na subject for forensic (we have in our possession electronic devices that will undergo forensic examination).”
“Then from there kung sino ang makita namin definitely isasama namin sa ifinile namin na mga kaso (whoever we find there we will definitely include in the cases we already filed),” he said.
Lotoc dedlined to give details of the civil case pending before the sala of Judge Cansino.