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Wednesday, August 06, 2003
SC suspends Cebu judge
CEBU -- For signing three marriage contracts for couples who did not have marriage licenses, a Cebu City judge was ordered "immediately" suspended for a month.
On top of his suspension, Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 1 Judge Mamerto Y. Coliflores was also fined an amount equivalent to two months of his salary, which will be withheld from his retirement benefits.
In a telephone interview, Coliflores, who received the decision last July 18, said he filed a motion for reconsideration asking the SC to hold his suspension in abeyance.
"If they will suspend me, how can I finish my work, especially that I am about to retire? I just hope that they would grant my request to move my suspension to a later date," Coliflores said.
The SC, in suspending Coliflores, approved the recommendations of investigating Judges Generoso Juaban and Galicano Arriesgado to clear Coliflores of the other charges, except for the signing of the three marriage contracts when he was still with the Municipal Trial Court in Minglanilla, Cebu.
"For such act, (Coliflores) had been remiss in his duty of exercising due care and circumspection in the performance of his official duties," the SC ruling read.
Coliflores said he would no longer contest the findings of the High Tribunal, but will only ask for the postponement of his suspension.
Coliflores said he did not rebut the decision of the SC in his motion for reconsideration, but he only asked that his suspension be moved.
If the SC will impose its decision to "immediately suspend" Coliflores, the Aug. 8 hearing of the grave threats case filed by Cebu City First Lady Margarita "Margot" Osmeņa against Jonah John Rodriguez would be affected. GN of Sun.Star Cebu
(August 6, 2003 issue)
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