Supreme Court affirms ruling vs register of deeds

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has declared final and executory the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao faulting the register of deeds of General Santos City for failing to act on a reported irregularity and suspending her for one month without pay.

The SC First Division granted the petition for review on certiorari filed by the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao faulting register of deeds Asteria Cruzabra.

The SC reversed and set aside the Dec. 14, 2007 and June 17, 2008 resolutions of the Court of Appeals (CA).

In a six-page decision penned by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, the SC said substantial evidence was adequately established against Cruzabra for neglect of duty, “which implies the failure to give proper attention to a task expected of an employee arising from either carelessness or indifference.”