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Saturday, August 13, 2005
Assistant fiscal caught filching photo
CEBU CITY -- Assistant Cebu City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro is entangled in another controversy, after she was found to have taken a picture of an accused from the records of a court without permission.
Judge Rosabella Tormis of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 4 ordered Castro to explain her action, or risk being cited in contempt of court.
Court interpreter Helen Mongaya, who witnessed the incident, said Castro came into their office around noon yesterday and asked to see the records of the malicious mischief and grave slander by deed case she filed against two brothers.
Mongaya heeded the request and gave Castro the records. The prosecutor's case against Jake and Nanak Yu stemming from a traffic altercation is being heard in Tormis' sala.
However, when a bell rang signaling the start of the noon mass inside the Palace of Justice, Castro allegedly snatched the picture of Jake, and hurriedly left the office.
Mongaya said she was shocked that she shouted for another court employee to go after Castro.
They tried to catch her, but she attended the mass at the palace.
Mongaya then told Judge Tormis about it and proceeded to tell Castro's supervisor, Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon.
Castro, in an interview with reporters, said she only intended to borrow the picture to attach it to a court pleading she plans to file before the Regional Trial Court.
She meant to ask permission but when the bell for the mass rang, she just left.
After the mass, Castro went back to the MTCC Branch 4 to return the picture, but Judge Tormis refused to accept it because she wanted a written explanation.
Around 4:30 p.m., Tormis issued a show-cause order asking Castro to explain "why she should not be placed in contempt of court for such gross misconduct and gross disrespect for this court."
But before the order was delivered to her, Castro already sent a messenger to submit her apology letter to Tormis, along with the photo.
The messenger returned the letter to Castro because nobody in the office would receive it. The letter was only accepted when Castro was the one who brought it.
She explained in her letter that she only wanted to have the picture photocopied, but did not want to disturb the court personnel and so she took the picture.
"I convey my sincerest apology for my lapse of judgment and I hope this will merit your acceptance. Rest assured that this incident will not happen again," Castro wrote. (JGA/Sun.Star Cebu)
(August 13, 2005 issue)
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