Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno said the Supreme Court is not remiss in its campaign against erring members of the Judiciary, particularly those involved in corruption.
In her annual Judiciary report, Sereno said 12 judges and a Sandiganbayan associate justice have been dismissed while 716 lawyers were either disbarred, suspended from the practice of law, fined, reprimanded, or admonished since 2012.
“We are aware that corruption is an obstacle to development. It is a complex problem which has to be confronted though a variety of independent initiatives to strengthen integrity and prevent opportunities for corruption among members of the Judiciary,” Sereno said.
Aside from the dismissal of 12 judges and a Sandiganbayan associate justice, 153 trial court judges have either been suspended, fined, reprimanded, admonished, or whose retirement benefits forfeited, she said.
She also said that 31 lawyers have been disbarred, 194 suspended from the practice of law, 30 suspended from notarial and law practice, eight suspended from notarial practice, 32 reprimanded, three fined and reprimanded, 80 admonished, two censured, six warned, 313 fined and warned, 16 ordered arrested, and one dropped from the roll of attorneys.
(Rey G. Panaligan)