CASE 2016-0056: Re: VERIFIED COMPLAINT FOR DISBARMENT OF AMA LAND, INC. (REPRESENTED BY JOSEPH B. USITA) AGAINST COURT OF APPEALS ASSOCIATE JUSTICES HON. DANTON Q. BUESER, HON. SESINANDO E. VILLON AND HON. RICARDO G. ROSARIO. (OCA IPI No. 12-204-CA-J, 26 JULY 2016, BERSAMIN, J.) (INDIRECT CONTEMPT) (BRIEF TITLE: RE DISBARMENT OF AMA LAND INC AGAINST CA JUSTICES)
DISPOSITIVE:
“WHEREFORE, the Court:
(1) ABSOLVES and PURGES Felizardo R. Colambo, Alberto L. Buenviaje and Garry de Vera of any act of contempt of court:
(2) DECLARES and PRONOUNCES Joseph B. Usita, Darwin V. Dominguez and Arnel F. Hibo GUILTY of INDIRECT CONTEMPT for degrading the judicial office of respondent Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, and for obstructing and impeding the due performance of their work for the Judiciary, and, ACCORDINGLY, metes on each of Usita, Dominguez and Hibo a fine of F20,000.00, the same to be paid within 10 days from notice of this resolution.
AMA Land, Inc., Joseph B. Usita, Darwin V. Dominguez and Arne! F. Hibo are WARNED that a repetition of the same or similar acts shall be dealt with more severely in the future.
SO ORDERED.”
SUBJECTS/DOCTRINES/DIGEST:
HOW WOULD THE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT BE USED?
MUST BE USED SPARINGLY, WITH CAUTION, RESTRAINT, JUDICIOUSNESS, DELIBERATION, AND IN DUE REGARD TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
CAN THE CORPORATION AND ITS OFFICERS AND AGENTS BE HELD LIABLE FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT?
YES. FOR DISOBEYING JUDGMENTS, DECREES, OR ORDERS OF A COURT OR FOR COMMITTING ANY IMPROPER CONDUCT TENDING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO IMPEDE, OBSTRUCT, OR DEGRADE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.
WHAT ARE SOME PRECEDENTS TO SERVE AS GUIDES IN DETERMINING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FINE?
In Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party v. Commission on Elections, 14 the Court meted on the CO MEL EC Chairman and four COMELEC Commissioners a fine of P20,000.00 each for various actions, including issuing three resolutions that were outside of the jurisdiction of the COMELEC, for degrading the dignity of the Court, for brazen disobedience to the lawful directives of the Court, and for delaying the ultimate resolution of the many incidents of the party-list case to the prejudice of the litigants and of the country. It is notable that the Court prescribed a fine of PS,000.00 each on the two remaining Commissioners whose actions were deemed less serious in degree.
In Heirs of Trinidad de Leon Vda. de Roxas v. Court of Appeals,15 we imposed a fine of Pl0,000.00 on the corporate officer who had caused the preparation and filing of the unwarranted complaint for reconveyance, damages and quieting of title in the trial court, an act that tended to impede the orderly administration of justice.
In Lee v. Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 85,16 the corporate officers who had acted for the corporation to frustrate the execution of the immutable judgment rendered against the corporation by a resort to various moves merited the maximum fine of F30,000.00 for each of them.
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