Leonen seeks zero tolerance for court corruption

MANILA, Philippines—Supreme Court (SC) Acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen urged court justices, judges and personnel to not be complicit in corruption.

He pointed out the harm that grave ethical breaches inflict on public service and equal justice.

“Every act of corruption benefits the powerful or the wealthy. It weakens our ability to serve those who are poor or disempowered,” Leonen said in the Memorandum Order No. 94-2026, dated September 30, 2026.

Article continues after this advertisement

He added: “Stand for integrity. Let us serve our people well.”

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The memorandum, issued on Thursday directs all court justices, judges, lawyers and court personnel to report all incidents and information that warrant investigation.

These instances are those that involve possible violations of anti-graft and corruption laws by any judge, justice, or court personnel at any level of the judiciary.

“To remain silent in the face of corruption is to become complicit in injustice,” Leonen said.

To facilitate reporting and streamline internal oversight, people may send complaints of corruption involving court personnel and members of the judiciary directly to integrity@judiciary.gov.ph.

Article continues after this advertisement

The SC outlined specific categories of improper acts that must be brought forward immediately.

These include private communications between a litigant and a judge or justice concerning a case; and requests or offers of money, gifts or favors in exchange for a court decision or service.

Article continues after this advertisement

The actions also cover the unauthorized disclosure of information on the status or proceedings of a case.

“Those who have information, therefore, are encouraged to provide as much relevant and concrete information that they can safely disclose so the court may proceed with its own inquiry, fact finding, or investigation,” read the memo. /apl