An incumbent judge of the Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) was ordered dismissed by the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, November 10, for ignorance of the law.
The SC also forfeited the retirement benefits of two RTC judges –one for gross ignorance of the law and gross misconduct but who has compulsory retired, and the other for his conviction of bribery by the Sandiganbayan.
Dismissed and also fined P125,000 with forfeiture of his retirement and other benefits was Judge Jesus B. Mupas.
Retired Baguio City RTC Judge Antonio C. Reyes was found guilty of gross ignorance of the law, gross misconduct and violations of the New Code of Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary.
Since Reyes has compulsory retired, his retirement benefits were ordered forfeited. He was also banned from re-employment in government.
Former Judge Owen B. Amor of Camarines Norte RTC was found guilty of gross misconduct. He has been convicted of bribery by the Sandiganbayan for demanding P400,000 in exchange for the dismissal of a case.
His retirement benefits were ordered forfeited and he was banned from appointment to any public office.
A press statement issued by the SC’s public information office (PIO) stated that “the purging of the ranks is among the top priorities of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta in his Ten-Point Program which he made public when he was appointed as the 26th Chief Justice in October last year.”
“Aside from integrity, the three other core areas in the 10-Point Program are efficiency, service, and security.”
The decisions on the three cases were not immediately available.
Summarizing the three cases, the PIO said:
“Mupas’ dismissal was spawned by the administrative letter-complaint filed against him by the corporate officers of the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) informing the Court of the alleged irregular issuances by Judge Mupas of the temporary restraining orders (TROs) and writ of preliminary injunction (WPI).
“The Court held that a perusal of the reasons offered by Judge Mupas show that nowhere in any of his questioned orders did he make a pronouncement on the presence of all the requisites for the issuances of a TRO and WPI. Judge Mupas merely discussed the supposed irreparable damages or injury that may result should he not issue the injunctive reliefs prayed for.
“The Court stressed that a judge cannot grant a TRO or a WPI if there is no clear legal right materially and substantially breach from a prima facie evaluation of the evidence of the complainant.
“The Court imposed the severe penalty of dismissal considering that Judge Mupas has been sanctioned by the Court several times in the past for various offenses.
“The Court found Judge Reyes, who handled drug cases, to have motu proprio dismissed numerous cases even before the prosecution rested its case and even pending the continuation of the direct testimony of the prosecution witness.
“The Court also held that the allegation that Judge Reyes demanded money in exchange for acquittal are supplemented and corroborated by the judicial audit and investigation conducted by the Office of the Court Administrator and with the affidavits of numerous persons.
“The Court held him administratively liable for gross misconduct since there was evident presence of corruption.
“Judge Reyes is one of the seven judges named in 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
“The Court held that the Sandiganbayan decision of December 1, 2015 finding Judge Amor guilty of violation of Section 7(d) of RA 6713 for having solicited and accepted directly from a complainant P400,000 in exchange for the dismissal of his cases pending his sala was already substantial evidence from which his administrative liability may arise.
“It further held that it was undisputed that he was apprehended in an entrapment operation by members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) while in the act of receiving marked money in 2000.”