Be careful about who you hang out with.
“On Tuesday, September 23, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong got the boot from the Supreme Court ‘for lying and showing corrupt inclinations’ as an officer of the court,” reports Tarra Quismundo in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The report explained that Ong “will never again allowed to hold a public post for his links with the alleged pork barrel scam brains, Janet Lim-Napoles.”
The report went on to note: “Voting 8-5, the High Court found Ong guilty of grave misconduct, dishonesty, and impropriety, immediately dismissing him from the service for ‘fraternizing’ with Napoles during the time his sala handled a case against the businesswoman and other accused.”
Two justices—Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Diosdado Peralta—inhibited themselves from the ruling because they had formerly served at the Sandiganbayan.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima welcomed the decision, saying, “Finally deciding to dismiss rather than merely suspend Justice Ong, the Supreme Court affirms that moral integrity is not divisible. It is the highest qualification for judges and justices. Members of the judiciary found lacking in integrity cannot be merely suspended because the character disqualification is permanent, not only incidental.”
Screengrab from a GMA News video, old photo
