4 JUDGES TO BE PROBED
Prober must finish probe within 30 days and submit recommendation
To face investigation: MTC Judge Exequil Dagala in Dapa Socorro, Surigao; RTC Judge Adriano Savillo of branch 30 in Iloilo; RTC Judge Domingo Casiple of branch 7 in Kalibo Aklan; and RTC Judge Antonio Reyes of branch 61 in Baguio City
THE Supreme Court (SC) is set to probe four judges included in President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s list of alleged protectors of drug rings.
SC spokesman Theodore Te in a press briefing yesterday said that the High Court will conduct a fact-finding investigation on the four judges allegedly involved in illegal drugs trade.
The four incumbent judges are: Judge Exequil Dagala of Municipal Trial Court in Dapa Socorro, Surigao; Judge Adriano Savillo of Regional Trial (RTC) Court branch 30 in Iloilo; Judge Domingo Casiple RTC branch 7 Kalibo Aklan; and Judge Antonio Reyes, RTC branch 61 in Baguio City.
The SC directed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to submit complaintaffidavits against the four judges within seven days.
It also ordered respondent judges to answer the complaints against them within seven days.
The High Tribunal appointed retired associate justice Roberto Abad to lead the investigation, terminate the probe within 30 days, and make recommendations to the SC.
Duterte during his speech in Davao over the weekend identified seven judges allegedly involved in drugs trade.
But Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno wrote a Duterte on Monday, saying three of the seven judges are no longer part of the judiciary.
Lorenda Mupas, the former MTC judge of Dasmariñas, was dismissed from office in 2007; Roberto Natividad, the former judge of the Calbayog Samar RTC branch 32 was killed in 2008; while Rene Gonzales, former judge of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities branch 7 in Iloilo City already retired last June.
According to the Court’s spokesman, the Office of the Court Administrator will assign judges to replace the alleged narco-judges in their salas. (Keith Calayag/Sunnex)