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Sunday, October 28, 2007
SC: Probe on court marriage scam shapes up judges
CEBU CITY -- An investigation on the so-called “marriage scam” in the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has some positive effects on the judiciary, a Supreme Court (SC) lawyer said.
Lawyer Rullyn Garcia said other judges who had the same modus operandi in other parts of the country shaped up, knowing that the administration of Chief Justice Reynato Puno is determined on “cleansing” the judiciary.
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“They blame the judges in Cebu for getting caught,” Garcia said in Filipino. Garcia is the SC’s judicial supervisor for Central Visayas.
Puno earlier laid down stringent guidelines for civil weddings, to address the spate of controversies involving the solemnization of marriages by judges.
In Cebu, Municipal Trial Court in Cities Judges Anatalio Necesario, (Branch 2), Gil Acosta (Branch 3), Rosabella Tormis (Branch 4) and Edgemelo Rosales (Branch 8) were earlier preventively suspended while under investigation.
The suspension, which is indefinite, began after Garcia made his report.
Garcia was sent to Cebu to look into allegations that certain courts in Cebu City conducted marriages with undue haste and for an amount higher than P300 fee.
Garcia is also investigating alleged irregularities in annulments handled in the Cebu City RTC and in the city of Toledo.
The SC has received complaints regarding fake annulment decisions in Cebu, while a judge in Toledo City was said to be “lax” in disposing of nullity of marriages.
Garcia met with Puno Saturday to give updates on the investigation in Toledo.
Puno was in Cebu to attend a gathering of a group of Christian businessmen.
In Administrative Order 125-2007, Chief Justice Puno said the solemnizing officer is duty-bound to scrutinize the documents presented by parties before performing the marriage.
Under the guidelines, judges or court employees, either alone or with the connivance of third parties, who intervene or facilitate a wedding despite the lack or absence of supporting documents, or perform other acts that allow the solemnization of marriages “with undue haste,” will be subject to “appropriate disciplinary proceedings.”
Judges, according to the new administrative order, must now ensure that the parties personally appear before the court and make sure they are the same parties to be wed. (KNT of Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (October 27, 2007 issue)
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