Case Summary (A.M. No. MTJ-90-460)
Allegations and Initial Complaint
On September 10, 1990, the Office of the Court Administrator filed a complaint against Judge Villanueva and Clerk Pacaco, referencing a letter-complaint from a concerned citizen of Sultan Kudarat. The letter alleged that Judge Villanueva maintained a "querida" relationship with Pacaco and that they had an illegitimate child together, whose details were allegedly corroborated in an investigation by Judge German Malcampo. The investigation confirmed the truth of the allegations presented in the letter.
Investigative Proceedings
Following the complaint, the Supreme Court required the respondents to comment on the allegations. Both Judge Villanueva and Clerk Pacaco denied the charges and included a certification asserting that the child in question was not theirs. The case was subsequently referred to Judge German M. Malcampo for further investigation, but due to respondents' motion for inhibition based on the previous investigation, Judge Romeo S. Sucaldito was appointed to conduct the inquiry.
Testimonies Presented
Witnesses for the complainant included individuals from the Montessori Learning Center, where Caesar Anthony was enrolled, and the local civil registrar, who presented evidence about the child's birth certificate. The respondents presented their testimonies alongside a handwriting expert from the National Bureau of Investigation, attempting to challenge the authenticity of the birth certificate that implicated them.
Findings and Analysis of Evidence
As part of the defense, Judge Villanueva and Clerk Pacaco claimed that the birth certificate was falsified and pointed out significant deficiencies in the testimony of the local civil registrar who failed to recall whether the respondents appeared before her to register the child’s birth. They asserted that there was no clear evidence connecting them to any illicit relationship or showing their parentage of the child.
Assessment of the Birth Certificate
The birth certificate, marked as Exhibit "D," was a focal point in the investigation. It listed Judge Villanueva and Clerk Pacaco as the parents of Caesar Anthony. However, the respondents successfully argued that the documented signatures were forged, and a handwriting expert confirmed discrepancies between their signatures and those on the birth certificate. This scientific examination supported the respondents' position that they had not authorized the registration of the child as their own.
Conclusion of the Investigating Judge
In a report on March 4, 1993, Investigating Judge Sucaldito concluded that the evidence did not substantiate the alleged illicit relationship or the charges of gross immorality against Judge Vi
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Background of the Case
- The case originates from a complaint for gross immorality filed by the Office of the Court Administrator against Judge Osmundo M. Villanueva and Clerk of Court Heide B. Pacaco.
- The complaint was initiated after an unsworn letter-complaint from a concerned citizen alleged that Judge Villanueva had an illicit relationship with his Clerk of Court, Heide B. Pacaco, and that they had an illegitimate child named Caesar Anthony P. Villanueva, who was four years old at the time.
- The complaint was filed on September 10, 1990, and was followed by a discreet investigation directed by Judge German Malcampo.
Investigation Findings
- Judge Malcampo confirmed the allegations in a report dated July 24, 1990, which indicated that the child Caesar Anthony P. Villanueva was enrolled at Montessori Learning Center, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
- The Supreme Court required the respondents to comment on the allegations in a resolution dated September 18, 1990.
- In their separate responses, both respondents denied the charges and presented a certification from the Montessori Learning Center stating that Caesar Anthony was the son of Oscar M. Villanueva and Helen B. Paciente.
Proceedings and Testimonies
- The Supreme Court referred the case to Judge German M. Malcampo for investigation and recommendation on December 11, 1990.
- A joint motion for inhibition was filed by the respondents against Judge Malcampo, resulting in the appointment of Judge Romeo S. Sucaldito as the new investigating judge.
- Witnesses f