In Re: Amandito D. Araneta

Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURT

EN BANC

A.M. No. 141-MTJ August 26, 1986

RE: CONVICTION OF MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT JUDGE AMANDITO D. ARANETA BY THE SANDIGANBAYAN IN CRIMINAL CASE NO. 7220.

A.M. No. R-478-MTJ August 26, 1986

SANCHO BALAYON, ET AL., complainants, HON. AMANDITO D. ARANETA, Municipal Trial Court, Norala, South Cotabato.

PER CURIAM:

June 6, 1984, the Ministry of Justice referred to this Court copy of the Decision of the Second Division of the Sandiganbayan in Criminal Case No. 7220 entitled "People of the Philippines vs. Judge Amandito D. Araneta" finding the latter guilty beyond reasonable doubt of Infidelity in the Custody of Prisoners and sentencing him "to suffer an indeterminate penalty ranging from three (3) months and one (1) day of arresto mayor, as minimum, to one (1) year, eight (8) months and one (1) day of prision correctional as maximum; to suffer temporary special disqualification from six (6) years and one (1) day to eight (8) years; and, to pay the costs."

In a Resolution dated July 10, 1984, this Court "Resolved to DIRECT the Office of the Court Administrator to file an administrative case against respondent." Accordingly, on July 19, 1984, respondent Judge was administratively charged in Adm. Matter No. R-141-MTJ with neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and was directed to file an answer/explanation No answer/explanation has been submitted by respondent.

The records show that the Sandiganbayan had suspended respondent Judge, pendente lite, from office as of July 1, 1983; and that after conviction he was placed under probation by that Court.

In the meantime, in Adm. Matter No. R-478-MTJ, this Court received Resolution No. 83-01 unanimously approved by the Peace & Order Council of Norala, South Cotabato, requesting for the immediate relief or dismissal from the service of respondent Judge for Ignorance of the Law, Oppressive Act and Partiality and other acts prejudicial to the interest of justice.

The mentioned Resolution alleged that respondent Judge had dismissed Criminal Case No. 1014 of his Court for malicious mischief without arraignment of the accused, trial or hearing; that he had refused to act on a criminal complaint involving the death of Pat. Nonilon D. Lim, reasoning that he was planning to go on leave, but that when prevailed upon to act on the complaint, he required a P45,000.00 ball bond for the release of the accused who is an escapee; and that respondent Judge is seldom in his office.

In respondent Judge's conviction beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Infidelity in the Custody of Prisoners, it was found that he had misused and abused the powers of his office in that, for a period of about five (5) months, he had asked for the assignment of detention prisoners to perform domestic chores and/or to do carpentry work in a store owned by him beside his house; that those prisoners were never under guard and went back and forth from respondent's house to the jail, which was about 500 meters away from said place; that the entries in the logbook kept by the Norala Police Station showed that the custody of those prisoners were transferred to respondent Judge; that on December 1, 1979, in particular, after the conclusion of the work at his place, he ordered three detention prisoners to return to jail by themselves and that one of the three, against whom serious charges for Murder and Double Frustrated Murder were still pending preliminary investigation before the sala of respondent Judge, was thus able to escape. Such conduct on the part of respondent Judge was highly prejudicial to the service, gravely inimical to the interest of justice, and has rendered him miserably unfit for continuance in office.

It is rather obvious that the prayer for respondent Judge's immediate relief from the service in Adm. Matter No. R- 478-MTJ can and should be granted without need for delving into the reasons advanced therein.

WHEREFORE, respondent Judge is hereby ordered dismissed from the service, with forfeiture of all retirement benefits and pay, and with prejudice to reinstatement in any branch of the government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities.

This Decision is immediately executory.

SO ORDERED.

Teehankee, C.J., Feria, Yap, Fernan, Narvasa, Melencio-Herrera, Alampay, Gutierrez, Jr., Cruz and Paras, JJ., concur.

Feliciano, J., is on leave.