Supreme Court suspends sheriff

CEBU, Philippines - The Supreme Court ordered a sheriff suspended for six months for gross negligence and gross ignorance.

Executive Judge Meinrado Paredes, however, withheld the name of the sheriff, who had filed his motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court decision.

The sheriff allegedly demolished houses without documents.

Paredes said the High Court has yet to evaluate the sheriff’s motion.

Meanwhile, Paredes said that next year, the over-all clerk of court of the Regional Trial Court who was suspended for six months as ordered by the Supreme Court would be back in service.

Lawyer Jeoffrey Joaquino was suspended for implementing a court decision even if the subject case was still on appeal. In a Supreme Court decision dated August 11, 2010, Joaquino was found guilty of gross ignorance of the rules and dereliction of duty.

Joaquino’s suspension came after the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) filed a complaint against him before the Supreme Court for issuing a writ of execution in relation to a court order involving a case between DBP and Palacio Shipping Incorporated.

The order favored Palacio Shipping.

The writ of execution issued by Joaquino was served by Sheriff Constancio Alimurong. The DBP complained, saying Joaquino should not have issued the writ because the case is still on appeal. Supreme Court Administrator Jose Maidas Marquez and Deputy Administrator Edwin Villasor said Joaquino should have known better.

“He is expected to know the rules of procedures particularly those rules that pertain to his function as an officer of the court,” they said. (FREEMAN)