The Supreme Court has started administrative proceedings against a Baguio City regional trial court judge who had been tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte last year as one of the alleged narco-judges providing protection to illegal drug trade.
In a four-page resolution Feb. 21 but released only on Thursday, the SC approved the recommendation in the fact-finding report of retired Associate Justice Roberto Abad that “an administrative case for corruption be instituted” against Judge Antonio Reyes.
“The Office of the Court Administrative [OCA] is directed to proceed with the inventory of cases decided by Judge Antonio Reyes to determine whether there is basis for the allegation that convictions were reversed in exchange for money,” the resolution stated.
The high court also directed the OCA to investigate the driver of Judge Reyes for bribery, and if the said driver took money from litigants on behalf of Judge Reyes.
Lastly, the Court also requested the National Bureau of Investigation to locate the witnesses identified in the report of Justice Abad.
In the report, Abad cited several drug cases dismissed by Judge Reyes after the accused supposedly paid certain amounts as alleged by officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
According to Abad, the PDEA submitted an affidavit dated Oct. 26, 2007 executed by a certain Paul Black, a convict, who said that he paid a total of P50,000 in exchange for the dismissal of an illegal drugs case against his wife. Black said he paid the amount in two tranches—the last amounting to P35,000 on July 5, 2007, the date of the promulgation. Black’s wife was eventually acquitted.
PDEA also submitted documents showing that the judge dismissed the drug case against a certain Norma Domingo whom Reyes allegedly used to negotiate pay-offs from those charged with similar offenses.
“The memorandum [dated Nov. 26, 2007] claimed that Domingo even issued a receipt for P300,000 that a certain Richard Lagunilla gave her in exchange for his acquittal by Judge Reyes,” the report said.
Abad also found out that the PDEA planned to entrap the judge, but dropped the plan since payments were made through his driver.
Another affidavit submitted by PDEA dated Dec. 10, 2007 was executed by a certain Melchora Nagen who said she was acquitted after paying P50,000. Nagen, in her affidavit, said she became friends with Domingo and accompanied her in jail visits to convince detainees facing drug cases to raise money for their acquittal.
Abad also cited an anonymous letter claiming that certain lawyers Mamaril, Bomogao, Felix and Katigbak had obtained similar acquittals for their clients.
Reyes denied the allegations against him during the fact-finding probe and said he hated corruption.
He said that he even dismissed one of his staff for collecting money from a client.
The judge claimed that the acquittals of several accused in drug cases before his court branch were based solely on evidence.
According to Reyes, the PDEA even awarded him with 16 commendations for “exemplary efficiency and dedication to duty.”
Last December, the SC has cleared three other judges implicated by Duterte in the illegal drug trade also based on Abad’s initial report.
The high court said there was no evidence presented by PDEA or the Philippine National Police (PNP) against Judges Exequil Dagala of the Dapa-Socorro, Surigao municipal circuit trial court; Adriano Savillo of the Iloilo City regional trial court; and Domingo Casiple of Kalibo, Aklan RTC.
