In Re Allegations Made Under Oath at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT (CANON 4)

RE: ALLEGATIONS MADE UNDER OATH AT AT THE SENATE SENATE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE HEARING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 AGAINST ASSOCIATE JUSTICE GREGORY S. ONG, SANDIGANBAYAN 2014-09-23  A.M. N!. SB-14-21-J P"# C$#%&': (ACTS: In the middle of 2013, the “pork barrel scam” controversy controversy spawned massive protest acons all over the country country !ome "overnment o#cials and other individuals were menoned by $whistle%blowers$ who are former employees of the alle"ed mastermind, &anet 'im%(apoles )*rs (apoles+, wife of an e%military o#cer  -mon" the said personalies who alle"edly transacted with *rs (apoles was the incumbent  !andi"anbayan -ssociate &usce .re"ory ! /n" The Kevlar Case:  Based on the teson!es o" Benh#r L#$% &ar!na '#la and Ar!es #"o% the Invesan J#s*e "or#lated the *hares aa!nst the res+ondent% as "ollo,s: es+ondent a*ted as *onta*t o" Na+oles !n *onne*on ,!th the Kevlar *ase ,h!le !t ,as +end!n !n the 'and!an-a$an o Fo#rth D!v!s!on ,here!n he !s the Cha!ran. es+ondent% -e!n Na+oles/ *onta*t !n the 'and!an-a$an% 'and!an-a$an% 01ed the Kevlar *ase res#ln !n her a*2#!3al. o es+ondent re*e!ved an #ndeter!ned ao#nt o" one$ "ro Na+oles +r!or to the +ro#laon o" the de*!s!on !n the o Kevlar *ase th#s% she ,as s#re (5a+ante)o" her a*2#!3al. es+ondent v!s!ted Na+oles !n her o6*e ,here she handed to h! eleven (77) *he*5s% ea*h ao#nn to 899%;;; !ll!on BDO *he*5 she de+os!ted !n her +ersonal a**o#nt es+ondent a3ended Na+oles/ +ares and ,as +hotora+hed ,!th 'enator Estrada and Na+oles o  es+ondent th#s stands a**#sed o" ross !s*ond#*t% +aral!t$ and *orr#+on or -r!-er$ d#r!n the +enden*$ o" the Kevlar *ase% and !+ro+r!et$ !+ro+r!et$ on a**o#nt a**o#nt o" h!s deal!n and so*!al!?!n ,!th Na+oles a@er her a*2#!3al a*2#!3al !n the sa!d *ase< Add!onall$ Add!onall$%% res+ondent "a!led to d!s*lose !n h!s 'e+te-er 9% 9;7= le3er to Ch!e" J#s*e 'ereno that he had a*t#all$ v!s!ted Na+oles at her o6*e !n 9;79% as he veheentl$ den!ed hav!n +ared ,!th or a3ended an$ so*!al event hosted -$ her< e+ort and e*oendaon o" the Invesan J#s*e  es+ondent J#s*e reor$ '< On -e "o#nd UILT UILT o" ross !s*ond#*t% d!shonest$% d!shonest$% and !+ro+r!et$% all !n v!olaons o" the Ne, Code o" J#d!*!al Cond#*t "or the 8h!l!++!ne J#d!*!ar$ and -e eted the +enalt$ o" DI'&I''AL "ro the serv!*e IT FOFEITUE o" all rereent -ene0ts% e1*l#d!n a**r#ed leave *red!ts% and IT 8EJUDICE to ree+lo$ent to an$ overnent% !n*l#d!n overnento,ned overnento,ned or *ontrolled *or+oraons<  Benh#r Benh#r and '#la tes0ed !n a *and!d% *and!d% stra!hG stra!hGor,a or,ard% rd% and *ateor!* *ateor!*al al anner< The!r teson!es teson!es ,ere ,ere !nstanta !nstantaneo#s neo#s%% *lear% *lear% #ne2#!vo*al% and *arr!ed ,!th !t the r!n o" tr#th< In "a*t% the!r ans,ers to the #nders!ned/s +ro-!n 2#esons ,ere *ons!stent ,!th the!r teson!es -e"ore the 'enate Bl#e !--on Co!3ee< D#r!n *rosse1a!naon% the$ d!d not ,aver or "alter< It ,as "o#nd "o#nd that the t,o ,h!stle -lo,ers -lo,ers are *red!-le ,!tnesses ,!tnesses and the!r stor$ stor$ #nta!nted #nta!nted ,!th -!as and *ontrad!*on% *ontrad!*on% reHe*ve reHe*ve o"  honest and tr#st,orth$ ,!tnesses and there"ore "o#nd #ner!tor!o#s res+ondent/s *la! that Benh#r and '#la ,ere l$!n< es+ondent/s transress!on transress!on +erta!ns to h!s +ersonal l!"e and no d!re*t relaon to h!s #d!*!al "#n*on< It !s not !s*ond#*t -#t +la!n  d!shonest$< !s a*t !s #n2#esona-l$ d!sra*e"#l and renders h! orall$ #n0t as a e-er o" the J#d!*!ar$ and #n,orth$ o" the +r!v!lees the la, *on"ers on h!< F#rtherore% res+ondent/s *ond#*t s#++orts Benh#r/s asseron that he re*e!ved one$ "ro Na+oles<  D!shonest$ l!5e,!se v!olates Canon 9 (7 and 9) on Inter!t$ o" the sae Code +rov!d!n !n +art that #des #st ens#re that the!r *ond#*t !s a-ove re+roa*h and #st rea6r the +eo+le/s "a!th !n the !nter!t$ o" the J#d!*!ar$<

ISSUE: hether or not J#s*e reor$ On !s #!lt$ o" ross !s*ond#*t% d!shonest$ and !+ro+r!et$% !+ro+r!et$% th#s v!olan the Ne, Code o" the J#d!*!al Cond#*t<

COURT)S RULING:  

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The Co#rt ADO8TED the 0nd!ns% *on*l#s!ons and re*oendaons o" t he Invesan J#s*e< &!s*ond#*t !s a transress!on o" soe esta-l!shed and de0n!te r#le o" a*on% a "or-!dden a*t% a derel!*on o" d#t$% #nla,"#l -ehav!or -ehav!or%% ,!ll"#l ,!ll"#l !n *hara*ter *hara*ter%% !+ro+er !+ro+er or ,ron ,ron -ehav!or. -ehav!or. ,h!le ross ross has -een de0ned as o#t o" all eas#re -e$ond allo,an*e. Harant. shae"#l. s#*h *ond#*t as !s not to -e e1*#sed< The Co#rt aree ,!th Invesan J#s*e 'andoval#erre? that res+ondent/s asso*!aon ,!th Na+oles d#r!n the +enden*$ and a@er the +ro# +ro#la laon on o" the de*!s!on de*!s!on !n the Kevlar Kevlar *ase *ase res#l res#ln n !n her a*2#!3al% a*2#!3al% *onst *onst#te #tess GROSS MISCONDUCT not,!thstand!n the a-sen*e o" d!re*t ev!den*e o" *orr#+on or -r!-er$ !n the rend!on o" the sa!d #dent< Br!-er$ !s *o!3ed ,hen a +#-l!* o6*er arees to +er"or an a*t !n *onne*on ,!th the +er"oran*e o" o6*!al d#es !n *ons!deraon o" an$ oer% +ro!se% !@ or +resent re*e!ved< A #de ,ho e1torts one$ "ro a +art$l!ant ,ho has a *ase -e"ore -e"ore the *o#rt *o#rt *o!ts *o!ts a ser!o#s ser!o#s !s*ond#*t !s*ond#*t and the Co#rt has *ondened *ondened s#*h a*t !n the stronest stronest +oss!-le +oss!-le ters< ters<

CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT (CANON 4)

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8ar*#larl$ -e*a#se !t has -een *o!3ed -$ one *hared ,!th the res+ons!-!l!t$ o" ad!n!ster!n the la, and render!n #s*e% !t 2#!*5l$ and s#rel$ *orrodes res+e*t "or la, and the *o#rts< The ev!den*e !n th!s *ase !s !ns#6*!ent to s#sta!n the -r!-er$ and *orr#+on *hares aa!nst the res+ondent< Both L#$ and '#la have not ,!tnessed res+ondent a*t#all$ re*e!v!n one$ "ro Na+oles !n e1*hane "or her a*2#!3al !n the Kevlar *ase< Na+oles had *on0ded to L#$ her alleed -r!-e to res+ondent< Not,!thstand!n the a-sen*e o" d!re*t ev!den*e o" an$ *orr#+t a*t -$ the res+ondent% the Co#rt "o#nd *red!-le ev!den*e o" h!s asso*!aon ,!th Na+oles a@er the +ro#laon o" the de*!s!on !n the Kevlar *ase< The total!t$ o" the *!r*#stan*es o" s#*h asso*!aon stronl$ !nd!*ates res+ondent/s *orr#+t !n*l!naons that onl$ he!htened the +#-l!*/s +er*e+on o" anoal$ !n the de*!s!ona5!n +ro*ess< B$ h!s a*t o" o!n to res+ondent at her o6*e on t,o o**as!ons% res+ondent e1+osed h!sel" to the s#s+!*!on that he ,as +aral to Na+oles< es+ondent/s a*t o" vol#ntar!l$ een ,!th Na+oles at her o6*e on t,o o**as!ons ,as GROSSLY IMPROPER  and v!olated 'e*on 7% Canon 4 (8ro+r!et$) o" the Ne, Code o" J #d!*!al Cond#*t% ,h!*h too5 ee*t on J#ne 7% 9;;4<

C&+!+ 4 P#!#%"/, S".1 : J#des shall avo!d !+ro+r!et$ and the a++earan*e o" !+ro+r!et$ !n all the a*v!es o" a #de< 

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A #de #st not onl$ -e !+aral -#t #st also a++ear to -e !+aral and that "ratern!?!n ,!th l!ants tarn!shes th!s a++earan*e< 8#-l!* *on0den*e !n the J#d!*!ar$ !s eroded -$ !rres+ons!-le or !+ro+er *ond#*t o" #des< A #de #st avo!d all !+ro+r!et$ and the a++earan*e thereo"< Be!n the s#-e*t o" *onstant +#-l!* s*r#n$% a #de sho#ld "reel$ and ,!ll!nl$ a**e+t restr!*ons on *ond#*t that !ht -e v!e,ed as -#rdensoe -$ the ord!nar$ *!?en< J#des #st% at all es% -e -e$ond re+roa*h and sho#ld avo!d even the ere s#eson o" +aral!t$ and !+ro+r!et$