Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Castro waits for appointment, to stay in BI ‘until Gonzalez retires’
SHE won’t be called judge for at least another year.
This was what Assistant Cebu City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro told to reporters yesterday.
She said that she wants to stay with the City Prosecutor’s Office but detailed at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for at least a year or until Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez retires.
“Immigration,” Castro repeated the answer at least 15 times when asked when she’ll assume her post as Lapu-Lapu City Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) as earlier reported. The appointment is yet to be confirmed though.
Castro said she is yet to receive the hard copy of the supposed appointment.
Both Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane and Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon are also not privy to any information that Castro may no longer be under them soon.
“From what I gathered, she has yet to receive a hard copy of the appointment,” said Sellon.
But as Castro walked around the Palace of Justice yesterday, people were congratulating her and addressing her as “judge” or “your honor.”
In an interview over radio dyLA, Castro said she is “lakas sa taas” but was quick to add that she has a “heavenly backer” and not a Malacañang official.
“Kay ako mo-admitar nga malakas kaayo ko sa taas. Moingon Siya nga para na nimo, para na nimo (I have to admit that I have a backer up there and if He says that it’s for you then it’s for you),” said Castro.
She also narrated in the same radio interview how the Virgin Mary informed her in a vision in 2000 that she will be a judge by 2010.
She was then visiting the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal in Bogo City.
“Mao na Iyang vision para nako sa kanang Our Lady of Medallion that in 2010, huwes naka. Gitagaan nako’g sign (That was the vision that I got from Our Lady of Medallion that in 2010 I will become a judge. I got a sign),” said Castro.
She added that she is willing to wait, especially since she still wants to be under Gonzalez.
Castro had earlier said that her critics never really pulled her down because she’s doing good.
Her immediate superiors are also asking that she’d be given a chance to serve the Lapu-Lapu City MTCC if there is a formal appointment.
Big deal
“What’s the big deal? Why not give her a chance to prove her worth,” said Gubalane.
He said that Castro is qualified for the job and even if she has a number of cases against her, she has yet to be convicted.
Also, if ever she messes up as an MTCC judge, she will still be answerable to the Supreme Court.
“Criticisms are personal views. Some sources of the criticisms don’t even have a personal knowledge on the issues (Castro is being castigated for),” said Sellon.
In an earlier interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Gonzalez had denied Castro was considered for the MTCC post. Gonzalez sits as ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday denied endorsing Castro for the MTCC post but said she had endorsed her for another position.
The governor could not anymore recall what position she endorsed Castro for.
She also admitted that Castro recently visited her office, but said the latter merely reported “something” and they did not discuss the prosecutor’s promotion.
Garcia said she had endorsed Castro because the latter was qualified for such position just like what she did when she made endorsements for Police Regional Office Director Ronald Roderos and Cebu City Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, among others.
The governor asked the media and the public not to judge a person merely based on his or her “past” but to look at his or her qualifications.
Asked if she still has confidence in Castro despite all the controversies the latter is facing, Garcia answered “How do you rate controversies? It is in accordance with how hotly it has been reported? What about those controversies that the media did not hear about but is actually happening?”
Castro is facing a criminal case before the anti-graft office for allegedly lying in court to get an annulment.
She is also on trial for bribery at the Sandiganbayan Third Division. (JGA/GMD)
