Judge says Castro may have to pay fine

Assistant city prosecutor Mary Ann Castro may, after all, have to pay the P5,000 fine for the indirect contempt she was found guilty of for pilfering a picture after Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 4 presiding judge Rosabella Tormis denied her motion for reconsideration.

Tormis said that Castro was "quoting the wrong provisions" when she said in her motion for reconsideration dated August 22 that the fine should not be beyond P10 if it be an inferior court as what was stated in Section 3 Rule 71 of the Rules of Court.

However, Tormis, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said that she cited Castro for indirect contempt and for such the penalty does not exceed P5,000.

The lady judge said she was not satisfied with Castro's apology, as the fiscal allegedly did not return the front view picture of Jake Yu.

Castro was charged with contempt after she was seen filching from a court records a picture of Jake on August 12. That day, she asked the court's apology and returned the said picture. However, Tormis said one photo, the front view, was still missing.

"If you're asking for apology you should return what you've taken," Tormis said.

However, Castro already denied having taken the other photo, claiming she only took one, the side view, which was already returned.

To this Tormis said, "logic tells you that you won't just take the side view."

But the judge said she would no longer ask Castro to return the photo, instead she should pay the P5,000 fine.

When sought for comment, Castro said she has to wait for the official order set to come out next week. - Liv G. Campo