A.M. No. MTJ-11-1778 (Formerly OCA IPI No. 08-1966- MTJ) - MARICOR L. GARADO, COMPLAINANT, VS. REYES, JJ. JUDGE LIZABETH GUTIERREZ-TORRES.R E S O L U T I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

Accordingly, judges should be imbued with a high sense of duty and responsibility in the discharge of their obligation to administer justice promptly. [15] In this case, respondent judge failed to live up to the exacting standards of duty and responsibility that her position required. Upon the failure of the defendant Estor to file her Answer in Civil Case No. 20129, respondent was then required under Section 6 of the 1991 Revised Rule on Summary Procedure to render judgment in Civil Case No. 20129 within 30 days. She failed to do so contrary to the rationale behind the said Rule, which was precisely adopted to promote a more expeditious and inexpensive determination of cases, and to enforce the constitutional rights of litigants to the speedy disposition of cases. [16] Section 9, Rule 140 of the Rules of Court , as amended, classifies undue delay in rendering a decision and violation of Supreme Court directives as less serious charges which are punishable with the penalty of suspension from office without salary and other benefits for one month to three months, or a fine of P10,000 to P20,000. Given that respondent had been previously dismissed from the service in Lugares v. Gutierrez-Torres , [17] however, the penalty of suspension is already inapplicable. Thus, the Court imposes upon respondent for her undue delay in resolving Civil Case No. 20129 a fine in the maximum amount of P20,000, and another fine of P10,000 for her repeated failure to obey this Courts directives, both amounts to be deducted from her accrued leave credits. WHEREFORE , respondent Lizabeth Gutierrez-Torres is found LIABLE of the less serious charges of undue delay in resolving Civil Case No. 20129 and violation of Supreme Court directives. She is FINED the amount of P20,000 for the first offense and another P10,000 for the second offense, both amounts to be deducted from her accrued leave credits. To effect the penalties imposed, the Employees Leave Division, Office of Administrative Services-OCA, is DIRECTED to ascertain respondent Lizabeth Gutierrez-Torress total earned leave credits. Thereafter, the Finance Division, Fiscal Management Office-OCA, is DIRECTED to compute the monetary value of respondent Lizabeth Gutierrez-Torress total accrued leave credits and deduct therefrom the amount of the fines imposed, without prejudice to whatever penalty the Court may impose on other remaining and/or pending administrative cases against her, if any. SO ORDERED.