MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a Regional Trial Court (RTC) clerk for soliciting money from a litigant’s family in exchange for securing a Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer.
In a ruling, the SC en banc found Gerald Eric Sanchez, Clerk III at the Cabuyao City RTC, guilty of gross misconduct and ordered his dismissal along with a permanent ban from holding any government post.
The complaint was filed by the mother of an accused individual in a criminal case, who alleged that Sanchez demanded P100,000 for his assistance in finding legal representation. Additional reports revealed Sanchez had been acting as a middleman, soliciting money to expedite cases by securing PAO lawyers.
Following an investigation, the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) recommended Sanchez’s dismissal. The SC upheld this recommendation, confirming that Sanchez had accepted money, violating the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel, which prohibits court staff from recommending private lawyers or accepting fees from litigants.
Sanchez was found to have taken P50,000 in cash and had another P50,000 deposited into his mother’s account. His actions were deemed to go beyond appropriate assistance, constituting ‘fixing’ – an illegal practice of acting as a go-between for a fee to influence court procedures.
The SC stressed that public servants must only provide assistance within the scope of their official duties.
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