SC fines Ifugao judge for neglect of duty

BANAUE, Ifugao, Philippines – The Supreme Court penalized this month a regional trial court judge in Ifugao for “gross inefficiency” after failing to decide on several cases submitted to her within the period prescribed by law.

In a notice of judgment received by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Ifugao from the high tribunal dated Jan. 18, Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor of Regional Trial Court Branch 34 was meted a fine of P10,000 with a stern warning of a more severe punishment for similar offense in the future.

In declaring her liable for undue delay in the disposition of cases submitted to her for resolution, the SC placed no weight to her explanation that parties in cases failed to submit their respective memoranda and that she inherited the cases from her predecessors.

She also bantered that the complaint was motivated by ill-will of complainant which she had cited for contempt of court in a previous case.

The SC also called the attention of Flor for allowing the parties to control the period of the disposition of the case through their lukewarm response to her call for the submission of memoranda which she had to do twice instead of acting more firmly considering that she had inherited the case as she claims.

The Rules of Court defines undue delay in rendering a decision or order as constituting gross inefficiency which warrants the imposition of administrative sanction against the erring judge.

It is a less serious charge punishable of suspension from office without salary and other benefits for not less than one month nor more than three months, or a fine of more than P10,000 but not exceeding P20,000.

The SC, however, imposed a lighter penalty of P10,000 to Flor since it was her first offense.

Earlier, a complaint was filed by Public Prosecutor Hilario Ronson Tilan charging Flor with gross inefficiency, gross negligence and dishonesty for failing to render decision he submitted to her of cases he was then handling within the 90-day period, but instead allowed the parties to submit their respective memoranda way beyond it.