Basilio Palang vs.

Judge Mariano Zosa

G.R. No. L-38229 August 30 !9"#
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A)ter res*ondent Judge +ad a,-uitted Julieto P. .errera o) t+e ,ri/e o) esta)a 0it+ t+e state/ent in +is
o*inion t+at t+e ,+arge 0as not+ing 1ut a 2,lear ,on,o,ted stor32 0it+ t+e testi/onies 1eing2 re+earsed
and re+as+ed t+ere)ore /ali,iousl3 *resented 13 t+e o))ended *art3 no0 *etitioner ,ausing great
da/age and *re4udi,e to .errera5s /oral and so,ial standing and a destru,tion o) +is i/age as 0ell as
+is ,+ara,ter t+e a)oresaid .errera t+us a,-uitted no0 *rivate res*ondent +ere )iled an a,tion )or
da/ages against t+e ,o/*lainant no0 *etitioner. 6t is +is su1/ission +ere t+at ,onsidering t+e
language used 13 res*ondent Judge +e 0ould not 1e a1le to de,ide su,+ ,ivil ,ase 4ustl3 and
i/*artiall3.
&+e res*ondent Judge res*e,t)ull3 /ani)ests t+at +e voluntaril3 in+i1its +i/sel) )ro/ ,ondu,ting t+e
trial o) t+e said ,ase.
6''78( 9+et+er or not t+e res*ondent 4udge is allo0ed to in+i1it
R7L6NG(
&+is voluntar3 in+i1ition 13 res*ondent Judge is to 1e ,o//ended. .e +as lived u* to 0+at is e:*e,ted
o) o,,u*ants o) t+e 1en,+. &+e *u1li, )ait+ in t+e i/*artial ad/inistration o) 4usti,e is t+us rein)or,ed.
6t is not enoug+ t+at t+e3 de,ide ,ases 0it+out 1ias and )avoritis/. 6t does not su))i,e t+at t+e3 in )a,t
rid t+e/selves o) *re*ossessions. &+eir a,tuation /ust ins*ire t+at 1elie). &+is is an instan,e 0+ere
a**earan,e is 4ust as i/*ortant as t+e realit3. Li;e %aesar5s 0i)e a 4udge /ust not onl3 1e *ure 1ut
1e3ond sus*i,ion. At least t+at is an ideal 0ort+ striving )or. 9+at is /ore t+ere is de)eren,e to t+e
due *ro,ess /andate.