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By William B. Depasupil, Reporter
A court stenographer is now a fugitive from
justice for failing to transcribe the stenographic notes she took in
a court session.
Administrative charges were filed against Ruby
Hechanova, a court stenographer assigned at Regional Trial Court (RTC),
Branch 69, Silay City, Negros Occ., by her own immediate superior,
Judge Felipe Banzon, the court’s presiding judge.
In an en banc, seven-page resolution, the
Supreme Court (SC) found Hechanova guilty of gross neglect of duty
and ordered her immediate dismissal from the service, including the
forfeiture of her benefits and privileges except accrued leave
credits, if any, with prejudice to re-employment in any branch or
agency of the government, including government-owned-and-controlled
corporations.
The SC cited Section 17, paragraph 1, Rule 136
of the Rules of Courts that states the stenographer’s
responsibility to deliver to the clerk of court, immediately at the
close of the court session, all notes taken and transcriptions of
the hearing, to be attached to the records of the case.
Administrative Circular 24-90 further requires
stenographers to transcribe notes 20 days from the time they were
taken, said the Court.
Hechanova’s charges of gross neglect of duty
stemmed from her refusal to transcribe stenographic notes in a
case assigned at Banzon’s sala.
Banzon, in his February 1, 2001 complaint
letter, said that “his efforts to expedite the promulgation of
decisions in his sala are hampered by the indifference and refusal
of respondent Hechanova to perform her duty.”
Instead of complying with Banzon’s demand, the
respondent submitted a letter of resignation, saying that “she can
no longer bear the pressure and discriminatory acts of the
complainant (Banzon) against her and despite her efforts to
transcribe the notes she had taken, she cannot cope with her task
because of the pressure from the complainant.”
The respondent, in a letter dated November 20,
2002, also stated that she had already submitted all transcripts of
stenographic notes as requested by Banzon prior to her resignation
on February 6, 2001.
Hechanova, however, failed to show proof of the
submission, prompting the SC to issue a resolution dated January 6,
2004 ordering the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to locate,
arrest and detain the respondent until she has finished transcribing
the above-mentioned records.
In a letter dated March 16, 2004, Hechanova
asked the SC for a reconsideration, saying that she had already
complied with the court’s order to submit the required transcripts
and court records, but which Banzon again denied in his August 6,
2004 letter.
The SC granted the respondent an additional 90
days to complete her task for humanitarian reasons and ordered her
suspended without pay.
Still, Hechanova failed to complete her mandated
task, leaving the SC no other recourse but to order her arrest. As
of December 6, 2007, the NBI has yet to locate Hechanova.
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