377 Phil. 534
DE LEON, JR., J.:
“2. Mr. Manuel P. Marasigan, Officer-in-Charge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 57, Lucena City, be DIRECTED to: (2-a) INFORM this Court through the Office of the Court Administrator, within five (5) days from notice, whether or not the decision in Criminal Case No. 91-143 was adopted and/or promulgated by Pairing Judge Ismael B. Sanchez; (2-b) RETRIEVE from Hon. Federico A. Tañada, within ten (10) days from notice, the records of Criminal Cases Nos. 90-004, 91-723 and 94-475 and Civil Cases Nos. 91-93 and 94-06, thereafter CAUSE, within thirty (30) days, the completion of the transcripts of stenographic notes thereof including the following thirty-one (31) cases (20 criminal cases and 11 civil cases) submitted for decision, to wit: Criminal Cases Nos. 3430-G, 3492-G, 3517-G, 3518-G, 3519-G, 3520-G, 3520-G, 88-396, 88-397, 90-378, 92-177, 92-233, 92-453, 92-799, 92-810, 93-735, 93-736, 93-865, 93-692, 94-022 and 94-808 and Civil Cases Nos. 90-045, 91-072, 92-114, 93-182, 93-229, 94-061, 95-056, 97-145, 97-169, 98-076 and 98-083, and/or ISSUE corresponding certifications as to the completeness of the transcripts, then SUBMIT the records of cases together with the complete transcript of stenographic notes and the aforementioned certifications to the acting judge for decision-writing; (2-c) APPRISE the acting/pairing judge of the failure of former Branch Clerk of Court Luis N. Pedron in Civil Cases Nos. 94-45 and 95-13 so that appropriate actions could be taken by him; and (2-d) SEND IMMEDIATELY to this Court a written report of compliance with the foregoing directives.Among the essential duties of a judge is to decide cases. Undue delay in the disposition of cases amounts to a denial of justice which, in turn, brings the courts into disrepute and ultimately erodes the faith and confidence of the public in the judiciary.[10] Failure to decide a case within the reglementary period, without strong and justifiable reason, constitutes gross inefficiency warranting the imposition of administrative sanction on the defaulting judge.[11]
“3. OIC Manuel P. Marasigan and Mr. Virgilio Rañeses, Clerk III, both of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 57, Lucena City, be DIRECTED to SUBMIT IMMEDIATELY the required semestral docket inventories of criminal cases for the years 1996 up to 1998,
otherwise, their salaries will be withheld effective October 1999 and will be released only upon the certification by the Statistical Reports Division, CMO, OCA, that they have fully complied with this directive, with a warning that a repetition of the same infraction will be dealt with more drastically.“xxx xxx xxx
“5. Hon. Ismael B. Sanchez, Pairing Judge of Branch 57, be DIRECTED to take cognizance of all the cases in Branch 57 and DECIDE the following cases with dispatch, to wit: Criminal Cases Nos. 3430-G, 3492-G, 3517-G, 3518-G, 3519-G, 3520-G, 88-396, 88-397, 90-378, 92-177, 92-233, 92-453, 92-799, 92-810, 98-735, 98-736, 93-865, 93-692, 94-022 and 94-808 and Civil Cases Nos. 90-045, 91-072, 92-114, 93-182, 93-229, 94-061, 95-056, 97-145, 97-169, 98-076 and 98-083.”[9]
(1) for humanitarian reasons due to deteriorating health of Hon. Federico A. Tañada, Presiding Judge of Branch 57 of the Regional Trial Court of Lucena City, the Resolution of this Court dated February 16, 1999 suspending him without pay upon receipt thereof until he has fully complied with the Resolution dated August 13, 1996 is hereby LIFTED;
(2) the Fiscal Management Officer, Office of the Court Administrator (OCA), is DIRECTED to - (a) RELEASE the salaries of Judge Tañada that were withheld from August 13, 1996 to June 14, 1999; (b) DEDUCT a total of Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000.00) from his disability retirement benefits to answer for the fine of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) imposed on him in our Resolution of July 28, 1998, and as additional fine of same amount for his failure to decide thirty-one (31) cases reported in the July 1999 audit;
(3) Mr. Manuel P. Marasigan, Officer-in-Charge of Branch 57 of the Regional Trial Court of Lucena City is hereby DIRECTED to: (a) INFORM this Court through the OCA within five (5) days from notice, whether or not the decision in Criminal Case No. 91-143 was adopted and/or promulgated by Pairing Judge Ismael B. Sanchez; (b) RETRIEVE from Judge Tañada, within ten (10) days from notice, the records of Criminal Cases Nos. 90-004, 91-723 and 94-475 and Civil Cases Nos. 91-93 and 94-06, thereafter CAUSE, within thirty (30) days, the completion of the transcripts of stenographic notes thereof including the thirty-one (31) cases submitted for decision, to wit: Criminal Cases Nos. C3430-G; 3492-G, 3517-G, 3518-G, 3519-G, 3520-G, 88-396, 88-397, 90-378, 92-177, 92-233, 92-453, 92-799, 92-810, 93-735, 93-736, 93-865, 93-692, 94-022, 94-475, 94-808 and Civil Cases Nos. 90-045, 91-072, 92-114, 93-182, 93-229, 94-061, 95-056, 97-145, 97-169, 98-076 and 98-083 and/or ISSUE corresponding certifications as to the completeness of the transcripts, then SUBMIT the records of cases together with the complete transcripts of stenographic notes and the aforementioned certifications to the acting judge for decision-writing; (c) APPRISE the acting/pairing judge of the failure of former Branch Clerk of Court Luis N. Pedron to submit his reports on the ex parte reception of evidence in Civil Cases Nos. 94-45 and 95-13 so that appropriate actions could be taken by him; and (d) SEND IMMEDIATELY to this Court a written report of compliance with the foregoing directives;
(4) OIC Manuel P. Marasigan and Mr. Virgilio Rañeses, Clerk III, both of Branch 57, Regional Trial Court, Lucena City are hereby DIRECTED to SUBMIT IMMEDIATELY the required semestral docket inventories of criminal cases for the years 1996 up to 1998, otherwise, their salaries will be withheld effective October 1999 and will be released only upon the certification by the Statistical Reports Division, Court Management Office, OCA, that they have fully complied with this directive, with a warning that a repetition of the same infraction will be dealt with more drastically; and
(5) The Fiscal Management Officer, OCA, is DIRECTED to DEDUCT from the retirement benefits of Atty. Luis N. Pedron, retired Branch Clerk of Court of Branch 57 of the Regional Trial Court of Lucena City a total of Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00) to answer for the fine of Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) imposed on him in our Resolution of July 28, 1998 and for an additional fine of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) for his failure to submit, before he retired, the reports on the ex parte reception of evidence in Civil Cases Nos. 94-45 and 95-13.