A.M. No. MTJ-99-1216 - OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, COMPLAINANT, VS. JUDGE

Ruling

Accordingly, Albaytar should have taken steps to meet the requirements of AC 10-94. If the respondent clerk of court was confused about the interpretation of the said Circular, he could have informed the OCA about the problem earlier. Or, for that matter, he could have asked other branch clerks of court to help him. In short, there were several options open to him to acquire correct information regarding our Circular. However, he conveniently chose to forget all about it and then tried to pass the buck to the presiding judge, while knowing that the latter had just suffered a serious illness. One final point. We would like to remind judges and branch clerks of court alike that they share the same duty and obligation to dispense justice promptly and speedily. In achieving this salutary purpose, their individual roles are corollary, even symbiotic. [32] They should therefore strive to work together and mutually assist each other in the pursuit of this goal. WHEREFORE , Judge Leonardo F. Quiñanola is found GUILTY of gross inefficiency and gross misconduct and is hereby ordered to PAY a fine of forty thousand pesos (P40,000) to be taken from his retirement benefits. Ten thousand pesos (P10,000), the balance of the amount withheld earlier from such benefits, is hereby ordered IMMEDIATELY RELEASED to him, absent any other administrative case pending against him. Branch Clerk of Court Ruben B. Albaytar is REPRIMANDED , with a STERN WARNING that a more severe sanction will be imposed on him for any repetition of the same or a similar offense in the future. SO ORDERED.