Mamba vs. Garcia
June 25, 2001| Per Per Curiam | Statutory Rules of Exclusion #tty. $rancisco . Mam!a, Jr., Jr., %on. &uillermo Sumiga', etc. PETITIONER: Cong. Manuel . Mam!a, M."., #tty. Ju'ge "omina'or (. &arcia, M) M)C C )uao, ) uao, Cagayan RESPONDENT: SUMMARY: Police
*ns+ector Sala'or as-e' ulatao to gie /im P,000, initially P0,000, in exc/ange for t/e it/'raal of a com+laint for illegal +ossession of 3rearms 3le' against t/e latter. )/e case as ra4e' to Ju'ge &arcia. ulatao re+orte' to t/is to t/e *. * set out to entra+ Sala'or an' Ju'ge &arcia, an' gae ulatao a ta+e recor'er. "uring t/e entra+ment, it as 'iscoere' t/at Ju'ge &arcia alloe' re+resentaties of Sala'or an' ulatao to ful3ll t/eir settlement6 insi'e /is c/am!ers. SC foun' t/at alt/oug/ t/e ta+e7recore'e' conersation is not a'missi!le in ei'ence, t/e * re+ort an' testimonies of M)C +ersonnel +roe t/at Ju'ge &arcia coo+erate' it/ Sala'or an' t/e 2 +olice o8cers in t/e consummation of t/e crime of !ri!ery.
DOCTRINE: )/e
#nti79ireta++ing (a coers een t/ose conersations recor'e' !y +ersons +riy to t/e #nti79ireta++ing +riate communications. :iolation of t/e #nti79ireta++ing #nti79ireta++ing (a ren'ers ei'ence ina'missi!le.
FACTS:
1. ;n #ugust 2, 1<<, a com+laint for iolation of P" 1= >illegal +ossession of 3rearms? as 3le' against a certain Renato ulatao !y t/e Cagayan Proincial Proincial Police Comman' !efore t/e sala of res+on'ent Ju'ge "omina'or (. &arcia.
2. ;n Se+tem!er @, 1<<, Ju'ge &arcia +ost+one' t/e +reliminary inestigation !ecause ulatao as not +resent. )/e com+laining o8cer, PASr. *ns+ector "anny Sala'or, /oeer, as +resent at t/at time. )/e +reliminary +reliminary inestigation as reset reset again on ;cto!er 0, 1<<.
. ;n ;cto!er 2<, 1<<, Renato ulatao com+laine' to t/e * t/at at t/e sc/e'ule' +reliminary inestigation on Se+te!mer @, 1<<, Sala'or 'eman'e' P0,000 from /im in consi'eration of t/e it/'raal of t/e case against a gainst /im. #ccor'ing to ulatao, t/is 'eman' as reiterate' !y Sala'or an' Ju'ge &arcia on ;cto!er 2, 1<<. )/e amount as re'uce' to P,000 /en ulatao tol' t/em /e coul' not aBor' P0,000.
@. * set out to entra+ Sala'or an' J u'ge &arcia. )/ey gae ulatao 12 +ieces +ieces of P500 mar-e' !ills !ills amounting to P,000. #ccor'ingly, ulatao met t/e * o+eraties in t/e /ouse of $rancisco Mam!a, Sr., former re+resentatie of t/e r' "istrict of Cagayan, /ere t/e entra+ment as +lanne'. * gae ulatao a ta+e recor'er to recor' /is conersation it/ /oeer ill receie t/e money.
. "uring t/e sc/e'ule' +reliminary +reliminary inestigation >;cto!er 0?, ulatao ent to t/e M)C. Ju'ge &arcia calle' /im an' 2 re+resentaties of Sala'or, an' t/ey ent insi'e t/e o8ce of t/e M)C court +ersonnel. *nsi'e, Ju'ge &arcia as-e' ulatao if /e /a' t/e money. 9/en ulatao a8rme' t/at /e /a' t/e money, t/e u'ge too- t/em to /is c/am!ers an' left t/em t/ere as /e +rocee'e' to /is sala.
D. +on ulataoFs signal, t/e * o+eraties aiting outsi'e Ju'ge &arciaFs court rus/e' to t/e u'geFs c/am!ers an' arreste' t/e 2 +olice o8cers, recoering 11 +ieces of P500 mar-e' !ills.
=. #n a'ministratie com+laint as 3le' against Ju'ge &arcia. )/e com+laint com+laint as in t/e form of a resolution 'ate' oem!er @, 1<<, a'o+te' at an assem!ly le' !y Re+. Mam!a. )/e com+laint as referre' to Executie Ju'ge ;rlan'o eltran, Jr. of R)C )uao for inestigation, re+ort, an' recommen'ation.
<. Seeral /earings ere set !ut Ju'ge &arcia faile' to atten' 'es+ite 'ue notice. %e as 'eeme' to /ae aie' t/e rig/t to +resent ei'ence an' t/e case as su!mitte' for 'ecision. ;nly Ju'ge &arciaFs counter7a8'ait counter7a8'ait as consi'ere', consi'ere', in /ic/ /e claime' t/at it as ulatao /o as-e' +ermission to tal- to t/e 2 +olice o8cers.
10. Executie Ju'ge eltran foun' Ju'ge &arcia guilty of im+ro+er con'uct. %e foun' t/at Ju'ge &arcia iolate' t/e 'uty of eery u'ge to u+/ol' t/e integrity of t/e u'iciary an' to aoi' im+ro+riety an' t/e a++earance of im+ro+riety in all actiities. %oeer, t/e inestigating u'ge consi'ere' t/e ta+e7recor'e' conersation in arriing at /is 'ecision.
9A t/e ta+e7recor'e' conersation among Ju'ge &arcia, ulatao an' t/e 2 +olice o8cers is a'missi!le an' not contrary to t/e #nti79ireta++ing (a G ;.
@. Canon 2 of t/e Co'e of Ju'icial Con'uct enoins u'ges to aoi' not only im+ro+riety !ut een t/e a++earance of im+ro+riety in all t/eir con'uct. )/is inclu'es not ta-ing an un'ue interestin t/e settlement of criminal cases +en'ing !efore t/em as t/is may com+romise t/e integrity an' im+artiality of t/eir o8ce.
ISSUE:
RULING: Court
or'ere' Ju'ge &arciaFs "*SM*SS#(
from serice.
RATIO:
1. )/e #nti79ireta++ing (a coers een t/ose conersations recor'e' !y +ersons +riy to t/e +riate communications, as in t/is case. )/us, t/e contents of t/e ta+e recor'er cannot !e relie' u+on to 'etermine t/e cul+a!ility of t/e u'ge.
2. %oeer, t/e Court ac-nole'ge' t/at t/e inestigating u'geFs 3n'ings are in accor'ance it/ ei'ence. Ju'ge &arcia as foun' to !e guilty not ust im+ro+er con'uct !ut of serious miscon'uct.
. &ien t/e re+ort of t/e * an' testimonies of 2 em+loyees of t/e M)C, it as clear t/at t/e crime of !ri!ery as committe' !y Sala'or, an' t/at Ju'ge &arcia -noingly an' oluntarily coo+erate' it/ Sala'or in consummating t/e crime. 1 Ju'ge &arcia illingly alloe' /is c/am!ers to !e use' for t/e consummation of t/e illegal transaction.
1 To constitute bribery, it must be shown that: (1) the offender is a public officer within the scope of Article 203 of the Reised !enal "ode# (2) the offender accepts an offer or a promise or receies a $ift or present by himself or throu$h another# (3) such offer or promise is accepted, or $ift receied by the public officer (a) with a iew to committin$ some crime# (b) in consideration of the e%ecution of an act which does not constitute a crime, but which is un&ust# or (c) to refraim from doin$ somethin$ which it is his official duty to do# and (') the act which he a$rees to perform is connected with the performance of his official duties
5. Ju'ge &arcia as also +reiously conicte' in 2 a'ministratie cases G one for +al+a!le ignorance resulting in t/e 'enial of 'ue +rocess, an' one for 'eli!erately 'elaying /is 'ecision in a ciil case an' falsifying certi3cates of serice.