MANILA, Philippines - The election of officers of the Philippine Judges Association (PJA) will be a focus of an ongoing investigation on alleged case-fixing in the trial courts and the Court of Appeals (CA).
A source said yesterday the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) wants to know who funded the elections and shouldered the judges’ hotel accommodations as well as food and drinks.
“We want to ensure the integrity of elections,†the source said. “Did the officers win because they deserved it? Was it really the voice of the judges and not because of money?â€
The source said a candidate can be held liable if it is proven that he or she had shouldered the airfare of judges from the provinces to win their votes.
The NBI is checking the books of two 5-star hotels where the judges were reportedly billeted, the source added.
Another source said the NBI has formed a composite team to focus on the investigation.
“They will prioritize this case because of the seriousness of the allegations,†the source said.