Lawyer: 'Plagiarized' ruling speaks for itself

The lawyer representing the comfort women who lost their case three months ago on Tuesday insisted that portions of the Supreme Court's ruling were plagiarized. "All I can say is res ipsa loquitur. The thing speaks for itself. They just have to check the journals. The plagiarism is very clear," said University of the Philippines professor Harry Roque Jr. Roque was reacting to the reported denial of Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, who is accused of lifting portions of his ponencia without proper attribution to its sources. (See: SC justice denies plagiarizing ruling on comfort women) Last Monday, Roque led some 17 comfort women—victims of sexual slavery during the Japanese occupation—in filing a supplemental motion for reconsideration to let the court know of the alleged plagiarized parts of its April 28, 2010 ruling. The controversial decision junked the women's plea to have the Philippine government compel Japan into making a public apology and providing reparation for its atrocities 60 years ago. Reacting to the allegations, SC administrator and spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said Del Castillo saw Chief Justice Renato Corona to clear his name and 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 at a press briefing last Monday. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV