A.M. No. MTJ-11-1787 [Formerly A.M. No. 08-5-146-MeTC] - OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, COMPLAINANT, VS. MARIANITO C. SANTOS, PRESIDING JUDGE, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT, BRANCH 57, SAN JUAN CITY.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

Accordingly, on June 1, 2009, the Court resolved to (1) note the March 2, 2009 Letter of Judge Santos; (2) treat the submission of a copy of the decision in Election Protest No. 2007-03 as partial compliance with the July 21, 2008 Resolution; (3) advise Judge Santos to decide cases within the period as requested by him with warning that a repetition of the same infraction in the future would be dealt with more severely; and (4) require Judge Santos to submit to the Court, through the OCA, a copy of his decision in Election Protest No. 2007-02 within ten (10) days from this notice. [7] In a letter, dated July 10, 2009, Judge Santos sought another extension of thirty (30) days or until August 10, 2009 to decide Special Proceedings No. 2007-02 as he apparently needed more time to evaluate the voluminous records of the case. [8] The OCA, in its Memorandum, [9] dated July 22, 2009, recommended that (1) the Letter, dated July 10, 2009, be noted; (2) Judge Santos be directed to explain within ten (10) days from notice why he failed to decide, Election Protest No. 2007-02 within the requested period; (3) Judge Santos be granted a period until August 10, 2009 within which to decide on Election Protest No. 2007-02 and to submit to the Court, through the OCA, a copy of the decision in Election Protest No. 2007-02 within ten (10) days from rendition thereof. Through a Letter, [10] dated August 19, 2009, Judge Santos submitted a copy of the promulgated decision [11] in Election Protest No. 2007-02, dated August 10, 2009. In its September 4, 2009 Report, [12] the OCA recommended that the letters dated July 10, 2009 and August 19, 2009 from Judge Santos be noted and that he be required to explain within ten (10) days from notice why he failed to dispose of the case within the requested period. Acting thereon, the Court, in its September 23, 2009 Resolution, [13] noted Judge Santos letters and ordered him to explain within ten (10) days from notice why he failed to decide the case within the period requested. In his Letter, [14] dated October 29, 2009, Judge Santos explained that although he only requested for a period until August 9, 2009 to submit the decision in Election Protest No. 2007-02, he miscalculated the period he originally asked as there were other cases due for decision while acting as Pairing Judge of Branch 58, MeTC, also in San Juan City, after the death of its Presiding Judge, Judge Philip G. Labastiada. This was in addition to his regular duties as Executive Judge of MeTC, San Juan City. He also had to monitor the administrative supervision of the Office of the Clerk of Court because the Officer-in-Charge was only performing it in an acting capacity. As such, he likewise had to occasionally check the flow of funds in the said office. In its Resolution, [15] dated February 1, 2010, the Court took note of Judge Santos October 29, 2009 Letter and referred it to the OCA for evaluation, report and recommendation within sixty (60) days from notice