Facts:

• The case involves Provincial Fiscal Natalio P. Amarga and Assistant Provincial Fiscal Floriano Alo Beltran as petitioners against Judge Cipriano Vamenta, Jr. and Angel V. Campoy as respondents.
• On June 3, 1959, Angel Campoy executed a "Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement and Sale" for a parcel of land in barrio Looc, Sibulan, Negros Oriental.
• The deed aimed to settle ownership among the heirs of the late Macaria Grifo and included a transfer of ownership to Campoy and his wife.
• The deed was contested, leading to three legal actions against Campoy:
  • The first action was a civil case (3907) filed on May 31, 1961, accusing Campoy of fraud for omitting legitimate heir Esperanza Abol from the deed.
  • The second action was an administrative case filed in March 1961 against Campoy, then a City Judge, for falsifying the deed.
  • The third action was a criminal case (7894) filed on February 15, 1966, for the same falsification charge.
• Judge Cipriano Vamenta, Jr. was assigned to the criminal case.
• Campoy requested a suspension of the criminal case hearing, which was granted, leading to a delay until the civil case was resolved.
• The provincial fiscal filed a petition for certiorari and mandamus with the Supreme Court to compel the judge to proceed with the criminal case.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed by the provincial fiscal, allowing criminal case 7894 to proceed without further delay.
• The Court found that any action on the petitioner's request would ...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court reasoned that the issues raised in the petition were not moot and academic, despite developments during the case's pendency.
• The Court noted that the respondent...continue reading