Cavite judge dismissed

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a judge for gross ignorance of the law.

In a statement issued on Friday, the SC also ordered the forfeiture of the retirement benefits of Cavite Regional Trial Court Judge Perla Cabrera-Faller.

Faller demonstrated “lack of knowledge and understanding of the basic rules of procedure” when she issued warrants of arrest for three suspects in the death of San Beda Law student Marc Andre Marcos and dismissed the case against them, the SC said.

 “The judge is either insufferably incompetent and undeserving of the position she holds or is too vicious that the oversight or omission was deliberately done in bad faith and in grave abuse of judicial authority,” the SC added. 

The office of the city prosecutor recommended the filing of charges against several members of Lex Leonum fraternity for violation of the Anti-Hazing Law after Marcos died during the initiation rites on July 29, 2012. 

On June 3, 2013, Faller ordered the issuance of warrants against Jenno Antonio Villanueva, Emmanuel Jefferson Santiago, Richard Rosales, Mohamad Alim, Chino Daniel Amante, Julius Arsenio Alcancia, Edrich Gomez, Dexter Circa, Gian Angelo Veluz, Glenn Meduen  and four others known only for their aliases of Tonton, Fidel, E.R. and Paulo. 

On the same day, Faller recalled the warrants for Rosales, Alim and Amante, which she claimed were issued inadvertently. She dismissed the case against them on Aug. 15, 2013.