Judges in Espinosa’s case face raps

MANILA, Philippines – The two trial court judges that handled the cases filed against Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte town who was killed by policemen inside the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City last year are now facing administrative cases in the Supreme Court (SC).

In a resolution released yesterday, the high court ordered the investigation of the administrative case filed against Judge Tarcelo Sabarre Jr. of Basey, Samar Regional Trial Court Branch 30 and Judge Carlos Arguelles of the Baybay City RTC Branch 14.

Sabarre was the judge who issued a search warrant on illegal possession of firearm charges against Espinosa, who was already detained in the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City.

Arguelles, on the other hand, is facing administrative probe over his failure to immediately resolve the motion of Espinosa in his drug trafficking case for transfer out of his place to another detention.

The SC tapped Court of Appeals-Cebu Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles to conduct the probe and submit a report after 90 days from receipt of records.

Apart from Sabarre and Arguelles, also covered by the administrative case is Judge Janet Cabalona of Calbiga, Samar RTC Branch 33, who likewise issued a search warrant against Allan Alvarez, an inmate in the regional penal colony in Abuyog, Leyte who was also killed by agents of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group when he allegedly attempted to lob a grenade while the policemen were serving the warrant in August last year.

The SC issued the order and re-docketed the administrative matter against the three judges as a regular administrative case upon recommendation of the Office of the Court Administrator after a fact-finding probe.

“Judges Arguelles, Sabarre and Caballona are directed to comment on the observations of the Court in this resolution within 10 days from receipt of the aforesaid documents from the Office of the Court Administrator,” read the order.

“The situation in this case is made more grievous by the fact that several persons have been killed in circumstances brought about by a court process,” the high court stressed.