Administrative Order No. 206




MALACAÑAN PALACE MANILA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES [ ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 206, February 23, 1970 ] SUSPENDING FROM OFFICE JUDGE SEVERIANO DE LEON OF THE COURT OF AGRARIAN RELATIONS PENDING INVESTIGATION AND DISPOSITION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES AGAINST HIM This refers to certain administrative charges filed against Judge Severiano de Leon of the Court of Agrarian Relations, to wit: (1) A.C. No. 144-J – For serious misconduct in office, misuse of government property and time, and working for a party-litigant in a case before his Court; (2) A.C. No. 146-J – For rendering judgment under suspicious circumstances; knowingly rendering an unjust judgment; wilfull and deliberate non-payment of just debts; and immorality; (3) A.C. No. 147-J – For gross ignorance of the law; indulging in questionable sidelines thru misuse of government property, time and personnel; (4) A.C. No. 14-9-J – For soliciting rice and fighting cocks from petitioner and for serious misconduct; (5) A.C. No. 150-J – For grave misconduct; soliciting and receiving money and rice in consideration of a favorable decision in favor of defendant in CAR Case No. 3277; and (6) A.C. No. 154— J – For serious misconduct –rendering judgment motivated by monetary and immoral considerations. In addition, there are three (3) other administrative cases against respondent Judge, namely, Administrative Cases Nos. 155-J, 158-J and I59-J for serious misconduct consisting of alleged excessive gambling on his part even without sufficient funds thus forcing him to borrow money from others and forcing people to play with him and/or to provide him with gamblings facilities, scandalous fraternization with a party-litigant and willful and malicious rendition of an unjust judgment. The charges in all these cases seriously affect the integrity of respondent Judge, as well as the good name of his office and its efficacy as an instrumentality of the people’s welfare; and the proper investigation of Said charges would require the introduction of oral evidence, consisting inter alia, of the testimony of parties in cases under respondent’s jurisdiction, lawyers practising before his court or “sala” and his own court personnel, as stated in a memorandum of counsel for the petitioners dated November 3, 1969, and reiterated at the hearing held on January 19, 1970, before an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals to whom the aforementioned administrative cases have been referred for investigation, report and recommendation, as well as in a “manifestation” dated January 24, 1970, filed by the same counsel.£A⩊phi£ In a communication to the Supreme Court dated January 30, 1970, said Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, to whom petitioners’ motion for the preventive suspension of respondent Judge had been referred for comment, recommends favorable action on said motion in which the Supreme Court concurs under its resolution dated February 18, 1970. WHEREFORE, and as recommended by the Supreme Court, the Honorable Severiano de Leon, Judge of the Court of Agrarian Relations, is hereby suspended from office effective upon his receipt of a copy of this order pending investigation and disposition of the charges against him. Done in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of February, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy. (Sgd.) FERDINAND E. MARCOS President of the Philippines By the President: (Sgd.) ALEJANDRO MELCHOR Acting Executive Secretary The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation