Supreme Court suspends 3 Baguio court employees

BAGUIO CITY – The Supreme Court has suspended three employees of the Baguio City Municipal Circuit Trial Court for their photography business in the premises of the justice hall.

In an eight-page resolution issued in May, the third division of the high tribunal ordered the six-month suspension of Clerk of Court 4 Armando Ydia, Clerk of Court 3 Ofelia Mondiguing and Records Officer Rodel Federico Madriaga.

The SC also ordered the executive judge of Baguio City MCTC to bar all court personnel from any photo-taking activity within the court premises.

 “Taking mug shots of the accused posting bail is not listed as one of the duties of respondents. The photo-taking business… is beyond the scope of their official duties as officers of the court.  They clearly violated Canon IV, Section 1 of the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel,” the SC said.

“No other office in the government exacts a greater demand for moral righteousness and uprightness from an employee than in the judiciary,” it added.

The SC said Ydia, Mondiguing and Madriaga did not deny that they have been taking photos for a fee in the Office of the Clerk of Court.  The court employees also defended their activity, saying it has been in existence for quite sometime and has prior approval from presiding judges.

The respondents cited Judge Nelson Lidua’s ”finding” that the activity is a “self-help project for a worthy purpose.” 

MCTC Judge Roberto Mabalot, who filed the complaint, said he ordered the three employees to stop their photo-taking activity when he was the court’s executive judge from September 2009 to February 2010. He said the respondents resumed their activity when an acting executive judge was designated.