THE Supreme Court has created a specific channel where the public can send information on violations of corruption laws and ethics rules involving justices, judges and court personnel.

Based on Memorandum Order 72-2024 issued by the court, violations may involve extortion of money, gift, or favor from any litigant or counsel of any party in exchange for any result or the service of any process, including warrants, summons, or writs of execution.

It may also include extortion of money, gift, or favor to gain inside information on the progress of any case, including the name of the ponente in any appellate court, including the Supreme Court.

The public, however, is reminded that as such reported information may be used as basis for entrapment operations, premature posting on social media may undermine efforts to investigate and prosecute violators.

The court said it may give proper protection to whistleblowers with credible information.

It further warned that lawyers who participate, advise, or tolerate any form of corruption shall be dealt with severely.

The public may submit confidential complaints through integrity@judiciary.gov.ph which will be accessible to the Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court, chaired by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, with Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen as vice chairman.

The creation of the channel is part of the Supreme Court's efforts to cleanse the courts of all forms of corruption.

The memorandum was issued in the wake of the alleged involvement of a judge and a court official in a bribery scandal last month.

Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 108 Judge Alberto Cansino and Officer-in-Charge/Acting Branch Clerk of Court Mariejoy Lagman allegedly accepted P6,000,000 from a litigant in exchange for a favorable judgment in a civil case.

The Supreme Court ordered the preventive suspension of the judge and the court official.

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