Source: http://lawlibrary.chanrobles.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82589:am-p-12-3043-2014&catid=1579&Itemid=566
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 01:47:33+00:00

Document:
A.M. No. P-12-3043, January 15, 2014 - (Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 08-2953-P] - ATTY. MARCOS R. SUNDIANG, Complainant, v. ERLITO DS. BACHO, Sheriff IV, Regional Trial Court, Branch 124, Caloocan City, Respondent.
ATTY. MARCOS R. SUNDIANG, Complainant, v. ERLITO DS. BACHO, Sheriff IV, Regional Trial Court, Branch 124, Caloocan City, Respondent.
The instant administrative case arose from the complaint filed by Atty. Marcos P. Sundiang,1 charging respondent Erlito DS. Bacho, Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court of Caloocan City, Branch 124 RTC), with extortion, neglect of duty and violation of Republic Act No. 3019.
Plaintiffs spouses Rene Castaneda and Nenita P. Castañeda filed a complaint for accion publiciana against defendants Pedro and Rosie Galacan, Vicente Quesada, Pablo Quesada, Antonio and Norma Bagares for allegedly depriving them of the use and possession of a parcel of residential lot registered in their name, located in Camarin, Caloocan City.
4. Costs of suit. Defendants’ counterclaim is DISMISSED for lack of merit.
Defendants appealed before the Court of Appeals (CA), which affirmed the Decision of the RTC in its Decision dated August 5, 2003. Defendants then sought recourse before the Supreme Court, but the Court denied the petition in a Resolution dated January 28, 2004. In a Resolution dated March 29, 2004, the Court denied defendants’ motion for reconsideration with finality.
On October 20, 2004, a Writ of Execution was issued by the RTC in favor of the plaintiffs. However, since the defendants refused to vacate the premises and remove the structures therein, the writ was not implemented. Hence, plaintiffs filed a motion praying for the issuance of writ of demolition. On November 12, 2004, the RTC issued the Writ of Demolition4 prayed for. Complainant avers that prior to the issuance of the writ of demolition, respondent sheriff demanded One Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P150,000.00) for the implementation of the writ. Consequently, respondent sheriff received the following amounts: Sixty Thousand Pesos (P60,000.00) on November 23, 2004; Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) on December 10, 2004; and Forty Thousand Pesos (P40,000.00) on or about August 15, 2005. Despite receipt of the amounts, however, respondent sheriff failed to place the plaintiffs in possession of the subject property because he failed to remove the structures inside and in front of the subject property; hence, ingress and egress to the property was hindered.
On the other hand, respondent sheriff averred that he received the amount of Sixty Thousand Pesos (P60,000.00) from the complainant. However, he denied that he demanded such payment for his personal benefit. He explained that the amount was used to pay for the food and fees of the laborers, who were hired to undertake the demolition of the concrete structures on the subject property and those contracted to provide security for the workers during the demolition. He found it difficult to evict the defendants because the latter employed various means to prevent the implementation of the writ of demolition issued by the RTC. Nevertheless, respondent sheriff claimed that he was able to fully implement the writ and that the subject property was delivered to the possession of the plaintiffs on December 10, 2004, as evidenced by his Sheriff's Return. After the demolition and turn-over, however, some of the defendants and unidentified persons re-entered the subject property and reconstructed their houses thereon. Hence, the RTC found them guilty of indirect contempt and were meted the penalty of fine. Respondent sheriff further contended that the task of removing the shanties erected by the defendants outside the subject property is the function of the local government concerned and no longer the duty of respondent sheriff.
In a Resolution5 dated November 23, 2009, the Court referred the case to the Executive Judge of the RTC, Caloocan City, for investigation, report and recommendation. In her Report and Recommendation6 dated September 22, 2010, Investigating Judge Thelma Canlas Trinidad-Pe Aguirre recommended that the complaint against respondent sheriff be dismissed for want of evidence. Judge Trinidad-Pe Aguirre's Report was referred to the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) for evaluation, report and recommendation.
2. Respondent Sheriff Erlito DS. Bacho be found GUILTY of CONDUCT PREJUDICIAL TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SERVICE, and that the penalty of SUSPENSION from work for a period of ONE (1) YEAR be imposed upon him.
We agree with the conclusion of the OCA that respondent sheriff violated Section 10, Rule 141 of the Rules of Court, but do not agree with the recommended penalty.
In the implementation of writs or processes of the court for which expenses are to be incurred, sheriffs are mandated to comply with Section 10, Rule 141 of the Rules of Court, as amended by A.M. No. 04-2-04-SC, the pertinent portion of which reads: Sec. 10. Sheriffs, process servers and other persons serving processes.
The failure of the sheriff to observe the following: (1) prepare an estimate of expenses to be incurred in executing the writ; (2) ask for the court's approval of his estimates; (3) render an accounting; and (4) issue an official receipt for the total amount he received from the judgment debtor,11 makes him administratively liable.
In the instant case, none of these procedures were complied with by respondent sheriff. He never submitted an estimate to the court for approval, but, on his own, demanded and received sums of money from the complainant. Neither did he advise the complainant that the sheriff's expenses approved by the court should be deposited with the clerk of court and ex-officio sheriff. Furthermore, no liquidation was ever submitted to the court.
Section 52 (A) (20), Rule IV of the Revised Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service classifies conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service as a grave offense, which is punishable by suspension of six (6) months and one (1) day to one (1) year for the first offense and by dismissal for the second offense. The Court, however, deems it appropriate to impose the penalty of suspension of six (6) months and one (1) day, which is within the range of the penalty, instead of the maximum penalty of one (1) year, as recommended by the OCA in light of the circumstances surrounding the case and prevailing jurisprudence on first-time offenders of this nature.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, respondent Erlito DS. Bacho, Sheriff IV, Regional Trial Court, Branch 124, Caloocan City, is found GUILTY of Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and is meted the penalty of SUSPENSION from service, without pay, for a period of six 6) months and one (1) day. He is STERNLY WARNED that a repetition of the same or similar acts in the future shall be dealt with more severely.
1 Plaintiffs’ counsel in Civil Case No. C-17890 entitled Sps. Rene Castañeda and Nenita P. Castañeda v. Pedro and Rosie Galacan, Vicente Quesada, Pablo Quesada, Antonio and Norma Bagares.
10 Urbanozo v. Flora, A.M. No. P-06-2169 (Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 05-2251-P), March 28, 2008, 550 SCRA 16, 24.
11 Gonzalez v. Calo, A.M. No. P-12-3028 (Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 11-3649-P), April 11, 2012, 669 SCRA 109, 120.
13 Hofer v. Tan, 555 Phil. 168, 180 (2007).

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