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A Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in the city finds himself in the firing line after a class suit against the questioned contract of the City Square project landed on his court.

Meanwhile, three lawyers expressed shock on the "wanton and malicious personal attacks and verbal abuse by the mayor against the RTC judge."

 The city mayor berated RTC Branch 1 Presiding Judge Teofilo Baluma over an order issued by the latter which bordered on accusations of bribery and intrusion into the local judiciary leveled against the city chief executive.

 Last Monday, RTC Executive Judge Fernando Fuentes re-raffled the case against the City Square contract to Baluma after four judges previously inhibited from handling the case.

 On the same day, Baluma released an order asking the parties (plaintiffs and defendants) of the case to submit their manifestations that they are submitting to his neutrality and impartiality in hearing the complaint.

 A few hours after the case was assigned to Baluma, the city government filed a motion for his inhibition citing reasons that it is public knowledge that the city mayor openly criticized Baluma on the way he handled cases as Family Court judge which has “created an atmosphere of animosity between them”.

 The judge was also said to have been “very vocal” during a radio interview that he will not inhibit from hearing the case if it was raffled to his sala, “bringing suspicion to his impartiality”.

 In said order, Baluma revealed an incident in the past where the city mayor initiated his removal as Family Court judge with the help of the local chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) which had been alleged “recipients of unfavorable rulings” and “denied requests for favors”.
However, judicial auditors of the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Baluma finding his dispositions within the standards, rules, regulations and guidelines implemented by the high tribunal.

 Baluma likewise disclosed that among seven RTC judges assigned in the city, he is one of possibly two, who is not receiving any honorarium from the city government since July 2006 when the mayor started questioning the way he handled cases in the Family Court.

 The judge stressed that even without an enabling ordinance or resolution, monthly honoraria and dole-outs from the city government are being delivered to judges “chamber to chamber”.

MAYOR’S RETORT
 The city mayor responded to the court order by withdrawing the motion for inhibition and writing a letter to Baluma.

 He referred to Baluma’s order as “pathetic” and his court being “the weakest link” of the local judiciary.

 In said letter, the mayor criticized the “uncharacteristic swiftness” of the order and “the unfounded and irresponsible allegations” in it.

 The mayor accused Baluma of making himself look heroic that he is being deprived of monthly honoraria from City Hall “at the expense of fellow members of bench”.

 â€œThe court attempts to dignify itself at the expense of fellow members of the bench in its futile insistence to hear the case where other judges had inhibited themselves,” the mayor said.
 Lim vowed to elevated the matter to the Deputy Court Administrator for evaluation.

source: The Bohol Chronicle


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