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A.M. No. M1I-01-1349 Iu|y 12, 2001

MCNDLIAk v. 8U8AN

lalnLlffs: 8ernadeLLe Monde[ar (accused ln a crlmlnal case of eople v.
8ernadeLLe and ArleLLe Monde[ar for vlolaLlon of 8.. 22)

uefendanL: !udge Marlno S. 8uban, M1CC, 1acloban ClLy 8ranch 1

CASL: 8ernadeLLe Monde[ar accused !udge 8uban wlLh gross lgnorance
of Lhe law, parLlallLy, serlous lrregularlLy and grave mlsconducL for
lssulng a hold deparLure order agalnsL her (because such ls wlLhln Lhe
excluslve [urlsdlcLlon of Lhe 81C), and for noL glvlng her an opporLunlLy
Lo be heard before such lssuance. !udge 8uban clalmed LhaL he was noL
aware of Lhe Supreme CourL Clrcular.

1he Supreme CourL adopLed Lhe recommendaLlon of Lhe CourL
AdmlnlsLraLor and severely reprlmanded !udge 8uban for an lmproper
lssuance of a hold deparLure order. lgnorance ls noL an excuse,
especlally because Lhe clrcular ls noL a new clrcular.

uCC18lnL/ALlCA1lCn: C|rcu|ar No. 39-97 llmlLs Lhe auLhorlLy Lo lssue
hold-deparLure orders Lo crlmlnal cases wlLhln Lhe [urlsdlcLlon of second
level courLs. !udges should be vlgllanL for new developmenLs ln Lhe law
so Lhey could properly dlscharge Lhelr funcLlons.

8ACkGkCUND:
! May 31, 1999 ! ln a sworn leLLer, 8ernadeLLe Monde[ar
charged !udge 8uban wlLh gross lgnorance of Lhe law, parLlallLy,
serlous lrregularlLy and grave mlsconducL for lssulng a hold
deparLure order agalnsL her on CcLober 23, 1998, and for noL
glvlng her an opporLunlLy Lo be heard before lssulng such order.
o Supreme Court C|rcu|ar No. 39-97 provldes LhaL hold
deparLure orders shall be lssued only ln crlmlnal cases
wlLhln Lhe excluslve [urlsdlcLlon of Lhe 8eglonal 1rlal
CourLs.
! 8espondenL [udge admlLLed Lo have lssued sald order because
he was noL aware of Lhe SC Clrcular as he was noL furnlshed a
copy. Pe was only able Lo geL a copy upon lnsLrucLlng hls legal
researcher Lo obLaln one from Lhe LxecuLlve !udge of Lhe
8eglonal 1rlal CourL of 1acloban ClLy.
o Aprll 14, 1997 ! he llfLed Lhe hold deparLure order.
! WlLh regards Lo denlal of due process, respondenL [udge
averred LhaL complalnanL and her counsel were duly noLlfled of
Lhe scheduled hearlng buL nelLher appeared on sald daLe.

ISSULS 1C 8L kLSCLVLD:
1. WheLher or noL !udge 8uban ls gullLy of negllgence of Lhe law.

kLSCLU1ICNS AND AkGUMLN1S
ISSUL 1 ! WheLher or noL !udge 8uban ls gullLy of negllgence of Lhe
law. ! ?LS. 1he CourL adopLs Lhe recommendaLlon of Lhe CourL
AdmlnlsLraLor LhaL !udge 8uban be severely reprlmanded wlLh a sLern
warnlng LhaL a repeLlLlon of Lhe same or slmllar acL ln Lhe fuLure shall be
dealL wlLh more severely.

Ma[or olnL 1: C|rcu|ar No. 39-97 llmlLs Lhe auLhorlLy Lo lssue hold-
deparLure orders Lo crlmlnal cases wlLhln Lhe [urlsdlcLlon of second level
courLs.
aragraph no. 1 of Lhe sald clrcular speclflcally provldes LhaL
hold- deparLure orders shall be lssued only ln crlmlnal cases
wlLhln Lhe excluslve [urlsdlcLlon of Lhe reglonal Lrlal courLs."
Clearly Lhen, crlmlnal cases wlLhln Lhe excluslve [urlsdlcLlon of
flrsL level courLs do noL fall wlLhln Lhe amblL of Lhe clrcular, and
lL was an error on Lhe parL of respondenL [udge Lo have lssued
one ln Lhe lnsLanL case.

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Ma[or olnL 2: Canon 3, ku|e 3.01 of the Code of Iud|c|a| Conduct
exhorLs [udges Lo be falLhful Lo Lhe law and malnLaln professlonal
compeLence."
8esldes, C|rcu|ar No. 39-97 ls noL a new clrcular. lL was
clrcularlzed ln 1997 and vlolaLlon of whlch has been accordlngly
dealL wlLh ln numerous cases before Lhe CourL. Pereln [udge,
Lherefore, cannoL be excused for hls lnfracLlon.

IINAL VLkDIC1: eLc eLc eLc.

NC SLAkA1L CINICNS