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Friday, September 30, 2005
Suspension order ‘still pending’
The Supreme Court’s suspension order against Judge Rosabella Tormis is still pending, a court employee of the judge’s sala said.
Reynaldo Teves, clerk of court of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 4, said he received Wednesday an SC order stating that the judge’s case has been submitted for resolution, based on the pleadings of both parties.
That means there is no truth to the report that the SC already promulgated the decision suspending Tormis for six months without pay, Teves told Sun.Star Cebu.
Teves was referring to a news report (not from Sun.Star Cebu) that was based on an order posted on the SC official website.
Leave of absence
To dispel talks that the judge was already suspended, court personnel said Tormis is just taking a leave of absence from Sept. 27 until today.
Regional Trial Court (RTC) Executive Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr. had recommended that Tormis be suspended for three months over an administrative case.
The SC upgraded the recommendation into a six-month suspension.
Dumdum said he also has yet to receive the SC suspension order against Tormis, so the sanction is not yet in effect.
He said, however, that once an issuance appears on the SC website, that means the decision has already been signed and “officially released.”
“As far as I know, the resolution gets signed first, then the PIO (public information officer) of the Supreme Court is furnished a copy, which will then be released and posted on the website,” Dumdum said.
Justice Ismael Khan, the High Tribunal’s PIO, declined to comment on the issue, when Sun.Star Cebu called him on his cellular phone last night.
Complaint
He said he still does not have information on the issue.
Dumdum was the first to investigate the administrative case that RTC employee Trinidad Lachica filed against Tormis.
Lachica complained that the judge accepted bail from Norma Domugho, who was accused of violating the anti-bouncing checks law, even after office hours, which was “irregular.” Domugho was released later.
Dumdum declined to discuss his report, which was the basis of the SC order.
Tormis earlier said she was upset about Dumdum’s recommendation, since she was not consulted on the issue.
Dumdum explained that they are bound by confidentiality of the investigation.
“Out of respect for the opinion of the judge (Tormis) who considers the SC issuance posted on the website as unofficial, dili lang sa ko mo-comment since administrative proceedings are covered by the mantle of confidentiality until the decision comes out,” Dumdum said.
Tormis had threatened to file a damage suit against the local daily that published the report. (JGA)
(September 30, 2005 issue)
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