Case Summary (A.M. No. MTJ-91-560)

Allegations Against Respondent Judge

• Francisco Ancheta filed a sworn complaint against Judge Pedro C. Antonio, alleging "Grave Misconduct and Dereliction of Duty" in relation to Civil Case No. 737.
• The complaint asserts that after the case was submitted for decision in July 1988, the respondent judge demanded P10,000.00 for a favorable ruling.
• Ancheta claims that the case remained undecided for over three years due to his refusal to comply with the alleged demand.

Respondent's Denial and Counterclaims

• Judge Antonio denied the allegations, asserting that they were fabricated by Atty. Felipe Bugarin, Ancheta's counsel, due to a personal grudge.
• The judge submitted an affidavit from Ancheta, dated February 3, 1992, which stated that no emissary demanded money from him and that he was misled by his attorney.
• The affidavit indicated that Ancheta had no knowledge of the bribery allegation until after it was filed.

Delay in Case Resolution

• The respondent attributed the delay in resolving Civil Case No. 737 to the parties' failure to reach an amicable settlement and the lack of motion from Ancheta's lawyer for expeditious resolution.
• Judge Antonio argued that the emergence of ownership issues in the ejectment case necessitated a departure from summary procedure rules.

Investigation and Findings

• The Court required Atty. Bugarin to comment on Ancheta's affidavit, leading to further exchanges of statements regarding the circumstances of the complaint's notarization.
• A subsequent investigation was conducted by Executive Judge Teodulo B. Mirasol, who examined the complainant and subpoenaed the notary public involved.
• During the investigation, Ancheta expressed a lack of interest in pursuing the complaint, focusing only on the alleged demand for money.

Examination of Case Records

• The records indicated that Civil Case No. 737 was filed on June 1, 1987, and dismissed by the respondent on October 18, 1991, after being pending for over four years.
• The case was deemed submitted for decision in September 1988, yet no decision was rendered within the required ninety days, and it was reopened in August 1991 without proper justification.
• The respondent's actions raised suspicions of bias towards the defendants, as he failed to act on motions for preliminary injunctions.

Conclusion of the Investigation

• The investigation concluded that the respondent exhibited willful ...continue reading

Case Syllabus (A.M. No. MTJ-91-560)

Background of the Case

• The case involves a sworn complaint filed by Francisco Ancheta against Judge Pedro C. Antonio, the Presiding Judge of the 10th Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Roxas-Quirino, Isabela.
• The complaint, lodged on July 16, 1991, charges the respondent judge with "Grave Misconduct and Dereliction of Duty" concerning Civil Case No. 737, which pertains to a Forcible Entry with Preliminary Injunction.
• Allegations state that after the case was submitted for decision in July 1988, the respondent allegedly demanded P10,000.00 from Ancheta in return for a favorable ruling on the case.

Allegations Against the Respondent

• Complainant claims that due to his refusal to meet the respondent's demand, the case remained undecided for over three years.
• The respondent judge denied the allegations, asserting that they were fabricated by Atty. Felipe Bugarin, Ancheta's counsel, who allegedly held a personal grudge against him.
• To support his defense, the respondent submitted an affidavit dated February 3, 1992, from Ancheta, which contradicted the initial complaint regarding the demand for money.

Affidavit of Complainant

• Ancheta’s affidavit stated that he was unaware of the allegation against Judge Antonio at the time of filing the complaint.
• He noted that he had been approached by a representative of Atty. Bugarin regarding the status of his case but did not receive any direct demands for money from the judge.
• The affidavit emphasized that if he had known of the monetary demand allegation, he ...continue reading