Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila THIRD DIVISION A.M. No. RTJ-06-1999 December 8, 2010 (Former! OCA "P" No. 0#-190#-RTJ$ %AN&'O SENTRA N& P""P"NAS, Complainant, vs. E)ec*+e J*/e ENR"CO A. ANANAS, Re/o Tr Co*r+, %rc3 4, M, Cer5 o Co*r+ JENN"FER DEA CRU-%UEND"A De7*+! S3er CARMEO . CACERO, Re/o Tr Co*r+, Oce o +3e Cer5 o Co*r+, M, Responents. M, Responents. %R"ON, J.: FACTS: !"# the p$esent aminist$ative matte$ involves the alle%e i$$e%ula$ &ith$a&als of funs in custodia legis' !(# the funs consist of the %a$nishe amounts $ep$esentin% $ental pa)ments f$om lessees of efenants O$ient O$ie nt Comm Comme$ci e$cial al *an+i *an+in% n% Co$ Co$po$ati po$ation, on, et al. C C:e No. 99-9;99# 99-9;99# !Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas v. Orient Commercial Banking Corporation, et al .# .# hel incustodia legis b) the RTC, *$anch "(, Manila, b) vi$tue of a &$it of attachment' a ttachment' !# sai %a$nishe amounts, totalin% about P-M, &e$e subse/uentl) $elease in favo$ of the P*COM in C C:e No. 01-101190 01-101190 ! !PBCOM v. Jose C. Go, et al.#, pu$suant to a &$it of e0ecution penin% appeal issue b) 1u%e 2uille$mo Pu$%anan, RTC, *$anch 3(, Manila' ! !3# The $elease &as i$$e%ula$ as the %a$nishe amounts &e$e une$ the custo) of the RTC, *$anch "(, Manila, pu$suant to the &$it of attachment ea$lie$ issue b) 1u%e Ca$anan% of the same cou$t a%ainst the efenants in Civil Case No. 445444, &hich cannot be inte$fe$e &ith &ithout the pe$mission of the p$ope$ cou$t !*$anch "(#'
!# The Office of the Cou$t 6minist$ato$ !OC6# conucte an investi%ation an $ecommene that7 ". The complaint be $e5oc+ete as a $e%ula$ aminist$ative matte$' (. The cha$%es a%ainst 1u%e 8n$ico 9an:anas be ismisse fo$ insufficienc) of evience' . Res Respon ponen entt Dep Deput) ut) She She$if $ifff Ca$ Ca$mel melo o V. Cac Cache$ he$o o be sus suspen pene e fo$ si0 !;# mon months ths fo$ si simpl mple e misconuct' 3. Responent Cle$+ of Cou$t 1ennife$ H. ela C$u:5*uenia be penali:e &ith a fine of P"<,<<<.<< fo$ simple ne%lect of ut)' an . *oth Cache$o an ela C$u:5*uenia be ste$nl) &a$ne a%ainst the commission of a simila$ offense. !;# The Cou$t $esolve to7 !"# $e5oc+et the complaint as a $e%ula$ aminist$ative matte$' !(# :m:: +3e c3r/e /:+ J*/e <: or :*cec! o eece ' an !# $e/ui$e the pa$ties to manifest &hethe$ the) &e$e &illin% to submit the case fo$ ecision. !=# Cache$o file Manifestation state that the amount $elease to P*COM &as $etu$ne to RTC *$anch "( an p$a)e p$a )e tha thatt the p$e p$esen sentt cas case e be is ismis misse se.. >hi >hile le el ela a C$u C$u:5* :5*uen uenia ia fi file le Man Manife ifesta statio tion, n, Sup Supple plemen mental tal Comment an Pa$tial Motion fo$ Reconsie$ation $eite$atin% that the acts complaine of &e$e ministe$ial. T3e Co*r+=: R*/ In ou$ Resolution of 1une =, (<<;, th the e Cou$t Cou$t mae the obse$vation that the $esponent 1u%e 9an:anas? inave$tence &as not %$oss enou%h to me$it sanction as he ha no pa$ticipation in the p$epa$ation of the chec+s' he me$el) si%ne them in a ministe$ial ministe$ial capacit) as e0ecutive @u%e, @u%e, but the same conclusion cannot be sai of his co5$esponents &ho a$e claimin% %oo faith an compliance &ith the p$oceu$e, set fo$th in the Rules of Cou$t, in the &ith$a&al an subse/uent $elease of the sub@ect funs.
R*e ;4, Sec+o 4(e$ o +3e R*e: o Co*r+ 7roe:> )))) " +3e 7ro7er+! :o*/3+ +o be ++c3e : custodia legis, co7! o +3e ?r+ o ++c3me+ :3 be e ?+3 +3e 7ro7er co*r+ or @*:-*c /ec!, o+ce o +3e ++c3me+ :ere *7o +3e c*:+o o :*c3 7ro7er+!. No evience o$ $eco$ in the p$esent case e0ists sho&in% that the above p$ovision ha been complie &ith &hen Cache$o as+e fo$ the $elease of the %a$nishe funs. No cop) of the &$it of attachment &as file &ith the p$ope$ cou$t, the RTC, *$anch "(, Manila, in Civil Case No. 445444. The ispute funs &e$e clea$l) une$ the custo) of *$anch "(, not *$anch 3(. 6s the OC6 note, the $esponent she$iff shoul have +no&n that the funs he %a$nishe &e$e in custodia legisan o not belon% to the efenants in C C:e No. 01-101190, consie$in% that he !Cache$o# himself &as amon% a %$oup of she$iffs eputi:e to implement the &$it of %a$nishment issue b) the RTC, *$anch "(, Manila, in Civil Case No. 445444. Dela C$u:5*uenia, on the othe$ han, cannot claim that she &as not a&a$e that the %a$nishe amounts o not belon% to Spouses 1ose C. 2o an 8lv) T. 2o. T3e o+ce o /r:3me+, +e J*! 2#, 2001,#0 ::*e b! Cc3ero ?: re::e +o +3e Cer5 o Co*r+, RTC, M. The notice cove$e the %oos, effects, mone) an othe$ p$ope$ties belon%in% to Spouses 1ose C. 2o an 8lv) T. 2o in he$ possession o$ cont$ol that &e$e eposite une$ C C:e No. 99-9;99#. 1u%e Ca$anan%?s o$e$, ate Aeb$ua$) =, (<<<,( mentione in the above $epl) states7 The Cle$+ of Cou$t, actin% as ex-officio She$iff of Re%ional T$ial Cou$t of Manila, is he$eb) i$ecte that befo$e an) $ental pa)ment f$om the lessees of an) one o$ all of the above5name efenants shall be $eceive in acco$ance &ith the Notice of 2a$nishment pu$suant to the >$it of 6ttachment issue b) this Cou$t on 1anua$) "4, (<<< 0 0 0 the sai pa)ment shoul be $efe$$e fi$st to this Cou$t fo$ the issuance of app$op$iate O$e$ to Receive Pa)ment fo$ the Cou$t?s p$ope$ cont$ol an accountin% of the amount %a$nishe' pa)ments shall be tu$ne ove$ b) the *$anch She$iff of this Cou$t to )ou$ office fo$ issuance of app$op$iate official $eceipt. >ithout oubt, the funs that &e$e $elease b) the OCC, at the time the Notices to Delive$ 2a$nishe 6mount &e$e file b) Cache$o, ?ere custodia legis, b! r+*e o +3e Br+ o A++c3me+ ::*e b! J*/e Cr/, RTC, %rc3 12, M, /:+ +3e ee+: C C:e No. 99 -9;99#. In T$ae$s Ro)al *an+ v. Inte$meiate 6ppellate Cou$t, &e ecla$e that B7ro7er+! +3e c*:+o! o +3e ? co+ be +erere ?+3 ?+3o*+ +3e c*:+o! o +3e 7ro7er co*r+ 7ro7er! e/! ++c3e : 7ro7er+! custodia legis.
BEREFORE, p$emises consie$e, Deput) She$iff Ca$melo V. Cache$o is foun &U"T OF "NEFF"C"ENC AND "NCOMPETENCE "N TE PERFORMANCE OF OFF"C"A DUT"ES, an is SUSPENDED fo$ nine !4# months &ithout pa). Cle$+ of Cou$t 1ennife$ H. ela C$u:5*uenia is ecla$e &U"T OF S"MPE NE&ECT OF DUTan is SUSPENDED fo$ th$ee !# months &ithout pa). *oth of them a$e STERN BARNED a%ainst the commission of a simila$ offense. The othe$ cha$%es a%ainst Cache$o an ela C$u:5*uenia a$e D"SM"SSED fo$ lac+ of evience. SO ORD8R8D.
