Marces v. Arcangel_digest

Legal Profession 2nd semester, A.Y. 2014-2015

Mar cesv. Ar cangel Ponent e:J. Mendoza Da t e :J :J ul y9,1 99 6 Pet i t i oner :Be nD.Ma r c e s ,Sr . Respondent :J ud gePa ul T .Ar c an ge l ,Pr e si d i n gJ ud ge ,Br an c h1 2,Re gi on alT r i a lCo ur tDa v aoCi t y

FACTS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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Co mp mp l a i n an ti sa6 1y . o .r e t i r e e,ma r r i e dt oo neRu t hJ o v el l a ra ndh as5c hi l d r e n .T hef a mi mi l yr e s i d edi nBRC Vi l l a ge ,Ca t a l u na n Pequeño,DavaoCi t y Spouses Wi l f r edo and Fl or del i za Cañas moved i nt o comp mpl ai nant ’ s nei ghbor hood.The became me t he near estnei ghbor s of c o mp mp l a i n an t ,h ou s esb ei n g4 5me t e r sap ar t . Ad ome s t i che l p ero fCa ña s ess ou gh th el pf o ra l l e ge dma l t r e at me nts h er e c ei v e df r o mh ere mp mp l o y e r s . Co mp mp l a i n an t ,wh owa st h ent h ei n c umb en tPu r o kL ea de r ,r e f e r r e dt h ema t t e rt ob ar a ng a ya ut h or i t i e s .Th ed i s p ut ewa sr e s ol v e db ut t h er e l a t i o no fMa r c e san dCa ña s esb ec a mes me t r a i n ed . On et i me ,Mr s .Ca ña sh ada ne x c ha ng eo fwo r d swi t hMr Mr s .Ma r c e sa ndt h el a t t e r ’ sda ug ht e r ,d ur i n gwh i c ht h eyhu r l e di n v e ct i v e sa t ea cho t he r .I twast r i gge r e db yafi gh tbe t weent het ur k ey soft hef a mi mi l y . Th ef o l l o wi n gd ay ,Mr s .Ca ña s ,wi t hh ers i s t e ra ndan ei g hb or ,b oa r d edap as s e ng erj e ep ne yd es p i t et h ef a c tt h att h er ewe r en o mo r es e at sa v ai l a bl ebe ca us ec omp l a i n an twa sr i d i n gt h atv e hi c l e .Mr s .Ca ña si n t en de dt oca us et hec omp l a i n an t ’ sa r r e stb ec au se a st h ej e ep ne yn ea r e dt h ep ol i c es t a t i o n,Ca ña sa s k edt h ed i r v e rt os t o pt h ev e hi c l e .Sh eg oto ffa ndc a l l e dap ol i c e ma ma na ndh ad t h ec o mp mp l i n an tBe nD.Ma r c e sar r e s t e d. Th ea r r e s twa sma ma d ei nt h eb a s i so fa l i a swa r r a nt sha n de dt ot h ep ol i c ebyMr Mr s .Ca ñ as .Th ewa r r a n t swe r ei s s u e db yMT MT CCJ u d ge Ed i p ol oSa r a bi ai n3c r i mi n alc a s esa ga i n s th e r e i nc o mp mp l a i n an tf o rv i o l a t i o nso fBP 2 2.Co mp mp l a i n an twa sd et a i n edf o ro nen i g ht wi t hou tk n owl edgeo fh i sf ami l y . Co mp mp l a i n an ts a wJ u dg eSa r a bi aan de x pl a i n edt h att h ec a s esa ga i n s th i mh adl o ngbe enami c a bl ys e t t l e d.Th ej u dg et o l dhi mt h at h ed i dno tr e al l yk no wa ny t h i n ga bo utt h ec a s esa ndt h ath eh adon l yb ee nr e qu es t e db yr e s po nd en tJ u dg ePa ulAr c a ng elt oi s s u e t h ewar r an t s . Ca ña sfi l e d ac a s ea g ai n s tc o mp l a i n an ti nt h e Ba r a ng a y .Me d i a t i o nc o n f e r e n c eswe r ec o n du c t e db e t we en t h et wo f a mi mi l i e s . Al t h ou ghheha dn otb ee na s k edt o ,r e s po nd en tJ u dg eAr c a ng el a t t e nd edt h ec o nf e r e nc e s . wa l k e di nan do uto ft h eha l l i n t r o du c edh i ms e l fa st h ee x e c ut i v eJ ud geofRT C Da v a oi nanat t e mp mp tt oi n fl ue nc et h eb ar a ng ayo ffic ffic i a l s d a cc omp an i e dMr s .Ca ña sa ndac t e da st h eb ab ysi t t e ro ft h el a t t e r ’ sda ug ht e r . Thebar a ng ayoffic i al sf a i l edt oa mi mi c abl ys et t l et hed i s pu t e . Thef e udb et we ent h ef a mi mi l i e swo r s e ned .Av i o l e ntc on f r o nt a t i o nh app en edandasar e s ul to fwh i c h,p ar t i e swe r ei n j u r e d . Ar me dme ni nu ni f o r ma r r i v e di nt womi l i t a r yv e hi c l e sa nda r r e s t e dt h eme mb mb er sofc o mp mp l a i n an t ’ sf a mi mi l yan dt o okt h em t oDa v ao Me t r o di s c o m He ad qu ar t e r s . Th ea r r e s t swe r em ma a deonor d er so fc e r t a i nCo l .Ne l s o nEs t a r e s . Th ei n v e s t i g a t i n go ffic e rf o u ndp r o ba b l ec a u s ea ndfi l e dc h a r g e so fa t t e mp mp t e d mu r d era g a i n s tc o m mp p l a i n a nt ,h i swi f ea nds o n . Co mp mp l a i n a nta l l e ge st h a tr e s p on d en tJ u dg et o o ka dv a n t a ge o fh i sp o s i t i o na n di n fl u en c e dt h ec o n du c to ft h ep r e l i mi n a r y i n v es t i g at i o n.Att h et i meo fa p pl i c at i o nsf o rb ai lb on dwe r ebe i n gb ai n gmad e,t h er e sp on de ntj u dg ea r r i v e da ndq ue st i o ne dt h e v al i di t yoft hebondpos t ed. Be ca us eo ft h es ee v en t s ,c omp l a i n an tq ue s t i o nedt h ei n t e r e s to ft h eJ ud gei nt h ed i s pu t eb et we ent h e2f a mi mi l i e s.Al lt h eyk ne w wa st h atJ u dg e’ sc arwa sof t e np ar k e di nf r o nto fh ou s eo fMr s .Ca na s ,e s pe c i a l l ywh enMr Mr .Ca ña swa swo r k i n ga wa yo v er t i me . COMMENTofr espondent j udge: c ha r g esar ef a l s e,ma l i c i o usandut t er l yba sel e ss t h es amewe r efi l e dme r e l yt og r a t i f yc omp l a i n an t ’ spe r s o na ls pi t ea nda ni mo si t yag ai n s th i m c omp l a i n twa sfi l e di na nt i c i p at i o no ft h ec as eswh i c ht h er e sp on de nti n t e nd st ofi l ea ga i n stt h ec omp l a i n an tf o rs l a nd era nd t hr eat s . Th e wa r r a nt swe r ev a l i di nc o n ne c t i o n wi t ht h ep en d i n gc a s e sa g ai n s tc o mp l a i n a ntwh i c hc o u l dn o tb es e r v e dd ue t o c omp l a i n an t ’ sc on ne ct i o nswi t ht h eo ffic ffic er soft h ewa r r a nts ec t i o n. De n i e dt h a th eac t e da se s c o r tt oMr s .Ca ña s .Hewe n tt ot h eBa r a n ga yt ofi l eh i so wn wnc o mp mp l a i n ta g ai n s tRu t hMa r c e san d d au gh t e rL yd i a .

Batac, Endaya, Lingat, Santos, Saturnino, Villauerte, Yee

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Legal Profession 2nd semester, A.Y. 2014-2015

De ni e dt h ath eh as i l l i c i tr e l a t i o ns wi t h Mr s .Ca ña s .Th ey a r eo nl yb us i n es sp ar t n er si nt h e ma nu f a c t u r eo fa pp l i a nc e pr ot ec t o r s . Re po r ta n dRe c o mme n da t i o no fAs s o c i a t eJ us t i c ePu r i s i ma :DI SMI SSALoft h ec h a r g esf o ri n s u ffic i e n c yofe v i d en c eEXCEPTt h e c ha r g et h atr e s po nd en tj u dg ea t t e nd edt h eme di a t i o nc o nf e r e nc esbe t we ent h ef eu di n gf a mi l i e sa ndt r i e dt oi n t e r v e ne .P en al t y :b e a dmo n i s h eda n ds t e r n l ywa r n ed . -

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I SSUE1:WONt her espondentJudgei sgui l t yofi mpropr i et yt her ef orevi ol at i ngt heCodeofJudi ci alConduct —YES. HELD/ RATI O1:TheCour tfinest heconcl usi onsoft hei nvest i gat ort hatr espondentj udgei sgui l t yofi mproperconductt obef ul l y suppor t ed by t he evi dence i nt he r ecor d.HOWEVER,t he r epor toft he i nvest i gat i ng Just i ce f ai l st o consi derot herser i ous a l l e ga t i onsi nt hec ompl a i ntofwhi c ht he r ei sa l s os uffic i e nte v i de nc ei nt her e c or d,t owi t : 1.) 2.)

c a us e dt h ei s s u an c eo fa l i a swa r r a nt sofa r r e s tb yr e qu es t i n ga no t h erj u dg e,b ef o r ewh om t h ec a s ea ga i n s tt h ec o mp l a i n an twa s p en d i n g Ar r es two ul dha v en otb ee nma dewi t h ou tt h ei nt e r v e nt i o no fr e sp on de ntj u dg e.

Th es ec h ar g eswe r ea c t u al l yad mi t t e db yr e s po nd en tj u dg e.Th ec r i mi n alc a s esag ai n s tc o mp l a i n an t sha v eb ee ni na r c h i v es i n c e1 98 3.I t s d i s c ov e r yan dr e v i v a lwa sma depo ss i b l eu po nt h er e qu es tf o rv e r i fi c at i o na ndi t ss t a t u sa ndi n f o r ma t i o nb yJ ud geAr c an ge l . Re s po nd en tj u s t i fi e sh i si n t e r v e n t i o no nt h eg r o u ndt h atc o mp l a i n an tMa r c e sh asbe ena bl et oe v ad es e r v i c eo ft h e wa r r a nt sbe c au s eo f c o nn ec t i o nswi t ht h ewa r r a nto ffic e r so fDa v a oCi t y .Ev e ni ft h i sha db ee nt h ec a s e,i two ul dn ote x c us er e s po nd en tj u dg ei nu s i n gh i sown i n flu en ce . Cl e ar l y ,r e s po nd en ti n t e r v e n ed i nt h ef e ud b et we en t h et wo f a mi l i e sa nd s u c hi n t e r f e r e nc e wa sn otl i mi t e dt ot h eb ar a ng ayme di a t i o n p r o c eed i n gsbu te x t e nd edt ov ar i o uss t a ge soft h ec on fli c t .Th eCo ur tfi nd st h ea ct u at i on soft h er e sp on de ntj u dg ei mp r o pe ra n dc en su r a b l e . Respondenti st he vi si bl er epr esent at i on oft he l aw,t he i nt er medi ar y between confli ct i ng i nt er est ,and t he embodi mentoft he pe opl e ’ sse ns eofj us t i c e.Unl e ssi twa saca s efil e dwi t hhi sc our t ,i twa si mpr ope rf orhi mt oi nt e r v e nei nadi s put eorc ont r o ve r s y . CodeofJudi ci alConduct : Th ep r e s t i g eo fj u di c i a lo ffic es ha l ln otb eu se do rl e ntt oa dv an cet h ep r i v a t ei n t e r e s t so fo t he r s ,n orc o nv e yo rp er mi to t h er st oc on v eyt h e i mp r e s si o nt ha tt h eyar ei nas pec i a lpo si t i o nt oi nfl uen cet hej u dge . Hesh ou l dno ts uff erh i sc on du ctt oc r e at et h ei mp r e s s i o nt h ata nype r s o nc anun du l yi n flu en cehi mo re n j o yhi sf a v or .

I SSUE2:PROPER PENAL TY HELD/ RATI O2:REPRI MANDwi t hWARNI NG Thec ou r tbe l i e vest ha td i s mi s s al f r o ms er v i c ei sane x ces s i v epena l t y .The yt oo ki nt oc ons i der a t i ont h ef ol l o wi ng n oo t h erc h ar g ea ga i n s tr e s po nd en tJ u dg e fi r s tadmi ni s t r at i v ec as e r e c or dasaj u dg ei se x emp l a r y -

Batac, Endaya, Lingat, Santos, Saturnino, Villauerte, Yee

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