Dismissed Koronadal judge ignorant of the law, SC rules

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has found a previously dismissed Koronadal City judge guilty of ignorance of the law for issuing an order on a Saturday when his court was closed.

In a decision, the SC said it would have ordered the dismissal of former Koronadal City Regional Trial Court Branch 24 Judge Oscar Dinopol if only he were still on active service.

“His offense would have warranted his dismissal from the service with forfeiture of all benefits – except leave credits, if any – and disqualification from holding office in the government, including government-owned and controlled corporations, had he not already been previously dismissed in an earlier case (Sy v. Judge Dinopol),” the SC said.

The SC upheld the findings of the Office of the Court Administrator that Dinopol “violated the most basic requirements for the proper observance of due process, resulting in the unwarranted arrest and incarceration of powerless individuals.”

When Dinopol issued the first order on March 24, 2007, “he was obviously aware that there is a need to give the parties involved the opportunity to be heard before he cited them for contempt,” the SC said.

The administrative case stemmed from six administrative charges filed against Dinopol in connection with his orders in a civil case involving a conflict in the board of directors of the Koronadal Water District (KWD).

In the assailed rulings, Dinopol directed all government law enforcement agencies to arrest security guards stationed at the KWD’s Del Pilar office “when clearly, none of them was a party to the civil case.”

Records show that Dinopol again issued twin orders on April 13, 2007, the first one directing the city mayor to desist and refrain from taking over the operation and management of the KWD Arellano office, otherwise he would be arrested, and the second, directing Local Water Utilities Administration personnel to return properties to the KWD’s Arellano office, also under pain of arrest.

In 2011, Dinopol was also found guilty of gross misconduct when he obtained commodity loans from litigant Victoriano Sy in the form of building materials for the construction of his house in Koronadal City, which was evidenced by receipts. He was meted the penalty of dismissal from government service with accessory penalties.