Case Digest (A.M. No. RTJ-96-1365)
Facts:
- Robert G. Young, President of Banawe Realty Development Corporation, filed a complaint against Judge Pastor V. De Guzman, Jr. on March 26, 1996.
- The complaint was about the alleged unreasonable delay in resolving Civil Case No. 873-R, concerning unpaid rentals and accounting for condominium sales.
- The case involved parties that were substituted during the proceedings due to a strong earthquake on July 16, 1990, which destroyed the condominium.
- A joint motion to dismiss the case was filed, but it remained unresolved, leading to the administrative complaint against Judge De Guzman.
- The complainant accused the judge of acting with "indecent haste" in granting attorney's fees of P250,000.00 to Atty. Helenea M. Dauz and issuing a writ of execution for this award.
- Judge De Guzman explained that the case was complex, involving ownership and possession issues, and cited prolonged illness as a reason for the delay.
- The Office of the Court Administrator found that the judge did not comply with the requirement for timely case resolution and recommended a fine of P5,000.00.
- The Supreme Court required the parties to manifest their willingness to submit the case for resolution, but the complainant failed to do so.
Issue:
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Ruling:
- The Supreme Court dismissed the administrative case against Judge Pastor V. De Guzman, finding no unreasonable delay in the case's disposition.
- The Court ruled that there was no undue haste in granting...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court highlighted the obligation of judges to resolve cases promptly, as required by the Rules of Court...continue reading
Case Digest (A.M. No. RTJ-96-1365)
Facts:
The case involves Robert G. Young, the complainant and President of Banawe Realty Development Corporation, who filed a verified letter-complaint on March 26, 1996, against Judge Pastor V. De Guzman, Jr., of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 60, Baguio City. The complaint centered on the alleged unreasonable delay in the resolution of Civil Case No. 873-R, titled "La Commercial Company, et al. vs. China Banking Corporation." This case concerned the recovery of unpaid rentals from store space lessees and the accounting of all rentals due, as well as the proceeds from the sales of units in a condominium property. During the proceedings, La Commercial Company was substituted by Inter Realty Development Corporation, while China Banking Corporation was replaced by Banawe Realty Development Corporation.
On July 16, 1990, a strong earthquake destroyed the condominium building, prompting the parties to file a joint motion to dismiss the case. However, on December 1, 1994, the counsel for both parties reiterated their motion to dismiss and opposed a request for answers by written interrogatories from Prudential Bank's manager. This motion remained unresolved, leading to the filing of the administrative complaint against Judge De Guzman. The complainant alleged that the judge acted with "indecent haste" in granting attorney's fees of P250,000.00 to Atty. Helenea M. Dauz, the former counsel for Banawe Realty, and issued a writ of execution to enforce this award.
In his comment dated August 14, 1996, Judge De Guzman contended that the case was complex, involving issues of ownership and possession, and that the delay was due to the parties' motions ...