14. OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR VS. REYES, 621 SCRA 511 (2010). OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, Complainant, vs. FLORENCIO M. REYES, OFFICER-IN-CHARGE, an RENE DE GU!MAN, R"spon"nts. A.M. No. #-$%-&'('. )*n" &(, &$+$. FACTS: )*" Sta. Romana Romana o /an01 (+ o t1" R"ional R"ional T/ial Co*/t 2RTC3 2RTC3 o G*im4a, N*"va E0i5a, /"6*"st" t1" N*"va E0i5a #/ovin0ial C/im" La4o/ato/7 O80" 2CLO3 to 0on*0t a /* t"st on R"n" D" G*9man, 0l"/: o 1is 0o*/t, o/ t1" latt"/;s all"" i//"sponsi4ilit7 an 6*""/ 4"1avio/. T1" /"s*lts /om t1" CLO 7i"l" a positiv" /"s*lt o /* *s" on t1" pa/t o D" G*9man. T1"/"at"/, T1"/"at"/, a 0omplaint 0omplaint o/ /oss mis0on*0t mis0on*0t , t1" Co*/t /"6*i/" D" G*9man to 0omm"nt on t1" 01a/" o mis0on*0t /"lativ" /"lativ" to t1" all"" *s" o p/o1i4it" /*s. Not=it1stanin, D" G*9man ail" to
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ISSUE: ?1"t1"/ " G*9man s1o*l 4" ismiss" /om s"/vi0" RULING: ?" aopt t1" , o/ at"/ t1" laps" o on" 7"a/ an t=o mont1s, D" G*9man s*4mitt" t1" a8avit o Caoil". Simila/l7, =" also /"6*i/" D" G*9man to , &$$>. T1*s, on )an*a/7 &(, &$$%, =" /"6*i/" 1im to s1o= 0a*s" =17 1" s1o*l not 4" 1"l in 0ont"mpt o/ s*01 ail*/". 7 =a7 o "planation, D" G*9man s*4mitt" a l"tt"/ at" Ma/01 +&, &$$% =1"/"in 1" 0laim" t1at 1" ail" to , &$$> R"sol*tion. Finall7, on A**st &>, &$$%, =" /"6*i/" D" G*9man to mani"st =1"t1"/ 1" is =illin to s*4mit t1" 0as" o/ /"sol*tion 4as" on t1" pl"ains s*4mitt". As 4"o/", 1" ail" to 0ompl7 =it1 t1" sam". As 0o//"0tl7 o4s"/v" 47 t1" OCA, D" G*9man 1as s1o=n 1is p/op"nsit7 to "7 t1" i/"0tiv"s o t1is Co*/t. D" G*9man;s *s" o p/o1i4it" /*s 1as /"atl7 a"0t" 1is "80i"n07 in t1" p"/o/man0" o 1is *n0tions. D" G*9man i not /"*t" t1" o4s"/vation o 1is s*p"/io/, )*" Sta. Romana, Romana, t1at as a 0/iminal o0:"t 0o*/t 0l"/:, 1" 2D" G*9man3 =as totall7 in"pt an in0omp"t"nt. H"n0", to "t a0/oss 1is ispl"as*/" an issatisa0tion =it1 1is
5o4 p"/o/man0", )*" Sta. Romana av" D" G*9man an *nsatisa0to/7 /atin. Mo/"ov"/, D" G*9man;s "80i"n07 as a 0*stoian o 0o*/t /"0o/s is also totall7 =antin. In t1" sam" v"in, R"7"s also p*t o/t1 t1" a4s*/ 4"1avio/al mani"stations o D" G*9man. A00o/in to R"7"s, )*" Sta. Romana =o*l al=a7s /"min D" G*9man to p/"pa/" an t/ansmit t1" 0ompl"t" /"0o/s o t1" app"al" 0as"s. Ho="v"/, D" G*9man =o*l onl7 ma:" "mpt7 ass*/an0"s to p"/o/m 1is tas:. Not=it1stanin t1" /"min"/s o 1is s*p"/io/s, D" G*9man =o*l still ail to t/ansmit t1" /"0o/s. Inst"a, 1" =o*l /"po/t t1" n"t a7 an 5*4ilantl7 "0la/" t1at t1" p/o4l"m 1as 4""n solv" at last. In
MA-OR ISSUE (%$!*'$+ '" $*%*'i" "& "#$%): T=o 5*sti0"s isa/"" =it1 t1" ma5o/it7 opinion. T1"7 opin" t1at t1" Co*/t;s a0tion in t1is 0as" 0ont/av"n"s an "p/"ss p*4li0 poli07, i.e., imp/isonm"nt o/ /* "al"/s an p*s1"/s, /"1a4ilitation o/ t1"i/ vi0tims. T1"7 also posit t1at D" G*9man;s ail*/" to p/op"/l7 p"/o/m 1is *ti"s an p/omptl7 /"spon to Co*/t o/"/s p/"0is"l7 sp/ins /om 1is /* ai0tion t1at /"6*i/"s /"1a4ilitation. Finall7, t1"7 stat" t1at t1" Co*/t;s /"al st/"nt1 is not in its /i1t"o*sn"ss 4*t in its =illinn"ss to *n"/stan t1at m"n a/" not p"/"0t an t1at t1"/" is a tim" to p*nis1 an a tim" to iv" a 01an0" o/ 0ont/ition an 01an". Ho="v"/, t1" l"islativ" poli07 as "m4oi" in R"p*4li0 A0t No. +' in "t"//in an"/o*s /* *s" 47 /"so/t to s*staina4l" p/o/ams o /"1a4ilitation an t/"atm"nt m*st 4" 0onsi"/" in li1t o t1is Co*/t;s 0onstit*tional po="/ o aminist/ativ" s*p"/vision ov"/ 0o*/ts an 0o*/t p"/sonn"l. T1" l"islativ" po="/ imposin poli0i"s t1/o*1 la=s is not *nlimit" an is s*45"0t to t1" s*4stantiv" an 0onstit*tional limitations t1at s"t pa/am"t"/s 4ot1 in t1" ""/0is" o t1" po="/ its"l an t1" allo=a4l" s*45"0ts o l"islation. As s*01, it 0annot limit t1" Co*/t;s po="/ to impos" is0iplina/7 a0tions aainst "//in 5*sti0"s, 5*"s an 0o*/t p"/sonn"l. N"it1"/ s1o*l s*01 poli07 4" *s" to /"st/i0t t1" Co*/t;s po="/ to p/"s"/v" an maintain t1" )*i0ia/7;s 1ono/, init7 an int"/it7 an p*4li0 0on<"n0" t1at 0an onl7 4" a01i"v" 47 imposin st/i0t an /ii stana/s o "0"n07 an p/op/i"t7 ov"/nin t1" 0on*0t o 5*sti0"s, 5*"s an 0o*/t "mplo7""s. Li:"=is", =" 0annot s*4s0/i4" to t1" i"a t1at D" G*9man;s i//ational 4"1avio/ st"ms sol"l7 /om 1is 4"in a /* *s"/. S*01 6*""/ 4"1avio/ 0an 4" att/i4*t" to s"v"/al a0to/s. Ho="v"/, it 0annot 47 an7 m"as*/" 4" 0at"o/i0all7 stat" at t1is point t1at it 0an 4" att/i4*t" sol"l7 to 1is 4"in a /* *s"/. Finall7, it m*st 4" "mp1asi9" at t1is 5*n0t*/" t1at D" G*9man;s ismissal is not /o*n" onl7 on 1is 4"in a /* *s"/. His o*t/i1t ismissal /om t1" s"/vi0" is li:"=is" an01o/" on 1is 0ont*ma0io*s an /"p"at" a0ts o not 1""in t1" i/"0tiv"s o t1is Co*/t. As =" 1av" al/"a7 stat", s*01 attit*" 4"t/a7s not onl7 a /"0al0it/ant st/"a: o 01a/a0t"/, 4*t also is/"sp"0t o/ t1" la=*l o/"/s an i/"0tiv"s o t1" Co*/t.