SC justice denies plagiarizing ruling on comfort women

The Supreme Court associate justice currently embroiled in allegations of plagiarism on Monday denied that portions of his ponencia were lifted from other sources without proper attribution. At a news briefing, court administrator and spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez said Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo voluntarily went to Chief Justice Renato Corona's office to tell him he will prepare a report on the matter. "When Justice Del Castillo got wind of what will happen today, that Attorney Harry Roque will file a supplemental motion, he [Del Castillo] saw the chief justice this morning and told the chief justice he will be looking into the allegations and will be giving a report," Marquez said. Asked whether the embattled magistrate categorically denied plagiarizing, Marquez replied in the affirmative. He also quoted Del Castillo as saying that he made the proper attributions and citations in the April 28, 2010 decision on comfort women. "He knows that he cited all the sources that have to be cited, that is why he is looking into the allegations. So, let's wait for the report," said Marquez. Earlier in the day, some 17 victims of sexual abuse during the Japanese occupation went to the Supreme Court to file a supplemental motion for reconsideration assailing the ruling. (See: Comfort women decry 'plagiarized' SC ruling) The controversial decision denied the women's plea to have the Philippine government compel Tokyo to make a public apology and provide compensation for them. According to the women's motion for reconsideration and a Newsbreak report, portions of the ruling were supposedly borrowed from the following sources: