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By Jomar Canlas, Reporter
A former judge has filed
administrative charges against 12 justices of the Court of Appeals
who are on the Ombudsman’s list of magistrates under watch for
corruption.
In his complaint to the Supreme
Court, former Malabon Regional Trial Court Judge Florentino Floro
Jr. identified only one justice and asked the Court to compel
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to submit the rest of the names on
her list.
Floro named only Justice Romeo
Barza, a former president of the Philippine Judges Association and
senior partner of the Carpio Villaraza Cruz Angangaco law office.
In his 23-page Verified
Disbarment Complaint Floro charged the 12 with gross misconduct,
gross ignorance of the law, manifest undue interest, issuing
questionable temporary restraining orders and violations of the Code
of Conduct and Ethical Standards.
Floro asked the Supreme Court to
conduct a judicial audit on the 12 and place them under preventive
suspension.
He said he singled out Barza
because he believes Barza is the justice Gutierrez referred to as
“a former judge known for his indiscriminate and improvident
issuance of TROs.”
Floro also asked the Court to
subpoena this Manila Times reporter to reveal the names on Ombudsman
watchlist.
The Times had run an article on
the “Dirty Dozen” in CA based on the Ombudsman’s list.
Floro said he filed the complaint
in his capacity as a taxpayer.
The Supreme Court had dismissed
Floro after he admitted that he consulted with supposed supernatural
beings like elves in deciding cases.
He said he also based his
complaint against Barza from a report by Mercedita G. Dadole-Ignacio,
the Cebu CA division clerk of court, to CA Clerk of Court Elisa
Pilar-Longalong.
Barza reportedly issued five TROs
from January 18 to February 26, 2007, or one TRO a week.
Based on the records submitted by
the 23 CA division clerks of court, Barza issued the string of TROs
while assigned in the Cebu CA. Barza is now stationed in Manila.
The restraining orders involve
the cases of Sun Life of Canada v. National Labor Relations
Commission, the Armed Forces v. Yolanda Lauron, Doloreich A.
Dumaluan v. Ombudsman Gutierrez, Assumption Iloilo v. Fedy T.
Bhuiyan and O.G. Holdings Corp. v. Environmental Management Bureau.
The Times tried to reach Barza
through his staff, Grace Salamat, but Salamat refused to provide the
justice’s cell-phone number.
The Ombudsman is monitoring 10
male and two female justices, all assigned in Manila.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno has a
similar list which includes Cebu CA magistrates.
The CA has 69 justices, 51 of
which are assigned in Manila. Many of them rose from the lower
courts.
One justice on the list is a
former judge known for the “indiscriminate” and
“improvident” issuances of TROs and is connected to a big law
office. Another member is being watched for his “lavish”
spending and rich lifestyle.
One magistrate is a former RTC
judge in Quezon City. The two female justices reportedly has
“strong connections” in the judiciary and is linked to a big law
office and a gambling lord in Central Luzon. They were also seen
frequenting big casinos wearing disguises.
The other justice fixes cases,
with his wife acting as his agent. Another justice handles mainly
labor cases.
An aging justice reportedly
earned a fortune from a series of cases and loves to play golf.
The Supreme Court has begun to
crack down on “hoodlums in robes” in the Court of Appeals.
It has sacked CA Associate
Justice Elvi John Asuncion for delays in resolving motions for
reconsideration within the required period and the irregular
issuance of TROs.
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