Tormis says ‘unseen hands’ behind her dismissal
CEBU, Philippines - Judge Rosabella Tormis challenged the Supreme Court to look into the performance of all the judges in the Palace of Justice in Cebu.
Tormis, who was ordered dismissed by SC for alleged inefficiency, maintained that she was not remiss in her duty as a judge.
“I dare the Supreme Court to roam around the Palace of Justice to look into who is working and who is not. They cannot accuse me of sleeping on my cases because people know how I worked. What hurt me the most is that, I worked in the government for 41 years and planned to retire next year,†the 63-year-old judge said.
Aside from gross neglect of duty, the SC en banc also found Tormis guilty for violating Supreme Court (SC) rules, directives and circulars for failure to dispose of cases within the mandatory period, gross ignorance of the law for issuing warrant of arrest against an accused without informing her of the crime charged.
She said her conscience is clear and she alleged that there were “unseen hands†behind SC’s decision.
Aside from Tormis, the SC also dismissed MTCC Branch 4 Clerk of Court Reynaldo Teves after he was found guilty of two counts of simple neglect of duty.
Tormis and Teves were also meted to suffer the penalty of forfeiture of all benefits.
The Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) Audit Team revealed that Tormis has 5,120 criminal and civil cases pending before her sala as of May 28, 2008.
Out of 5,120, two cases remained undecided for ten years; 195 cases had yet to be decided despite having been submitted for decision for more than the mandatory period of 90 days; 90 cases submitted for decision beyond the mandatory period but were yet to be resolved.
There were 223 cases that were filed in court but Tormis allegedly failed to make “even just†initial action for a considerable period and 3,491 cases no further action for a considerable time. Tormis however, told reporters yesterday that she was suspended for one year and the audit team conducted an inventory of the cases days after she went back to work.
“I did not know what was happening in my office for one whole year because they suspended me,†she lamented.
She said her failure to dispose of cases within the mandatory period was due to her suspension for six months in 2007 for dishonesty and grave misconduct and preventive suspension for judicial audit on solemnization of marriages also in 2007.
She also said she complied with the directives of the SC as she has no pending cases except those that are still ongoing.
She earlier said she was shocked when she was informed by the OCA that the report of the audit team was docketed as administrative case.
Two weeks after, she said she was suspended from the service.
“They just told me that they docketed the report as administrative case. I thought it would be okay after I filed my explanation and comply with their directives. But it’s okay. God knows how I worked. I know there was justice in this world, up there,†she said adding that she rendered an unselfish service to the government.
She added she was never given a chance to reply to the administrative case filed against her.
She said they cannot accuse her of being lazy because when she gave birth to her four children, she never availed of maternity leave.
“If I have to live my life all over again, I will be living this same life. For me, everything happens for a reason,†Tormis said.
Tormis said she will be filing a motion for reconsideration once she receives an official copy of the decision. (FREEMAN)
- Latest
