SC summons judge in parking mess; declared unwelcome in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY — The city council declared a judge unwelcome in this summer unless he apologizes for summoning a city traffic enforcer who gave him a ticket for illegal parking.

The Supreme Court has already told Cabanatuan City Municipal Trial Court Branch 3 Judge Nelson Largo to explain his actions.

"Unless he accepts what he did is wrong and be humble enough to come to apologize to the people of Baguio, he will remain unwelcome here," said Baguio City Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan as the city council approved a resolution declaring Largo persona non grata here. Resolution No. 429, authored by all members of the Baguio City council, came after Largo reportedly ordered Bernard Batnag, chief of traffic enforcement assigned to Baguio City Public Market, to explain why he should not be cited in contempt.

Traffic enforcers took the license plate of Largo's vehicle on Oct. 25 for illegal parking and violation of number coding along Kayang Street. This was followed by a show-cause order to the enforcers on Oct. 28.

Vice Mayor Olowan said that all the city councilors condemned the apparent arrogance of Largo who summoned the traffic enforcers for implementing the city's traffic ordinances.

Olowan, a lawyer, said: "This is not good for a supposed to be role model in obeying the law as Largo is out to make the law enforcement pay for doing their duty where he summoned them to his sala where it seems he will be the prosecutor and the executioner."

The council said Batnag and the enforcers of the Public Order and Safety Division were doing their job by citing violators of city ordinances.

The council also condemned the action of Judge Largo for berating the personnel of the Traffic Management Unit inside their office in October.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong endorsed the “persona non grata” declaration and personally wrote the Supreme Court to look into the incident with Largo.

Following these, Largo, in an order last week said there was no need for the Baguio police officers to go to his court sala in Cabanatuan City. 

Largo formally withdrew the subpoena that he issued against Batnag considering that he found the documents that was submitted to his sala on his being apprehended for traffic violation as meritorious.

“Considering that necessary documents had already been forwarded to the court and finding the same to be meritorious, the required explanation is now deemed mooted. The end of justice having sufficiently met, the order dated October 28, 2019 setting the proceeding for hearing on November 29, 2019 is hereby lifted and set aside. The subpoena and scheduled hearing on November 29, 2019 is hereby cancelled,” Judge Largo in his one-page order dated November 18, 2-10.

The City Legal Office said Batnag was no longer required to appear in the sala of the said judge as the SC already acquired jurisdiction of the case.

Assistant City Legal Officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes said there was no point for the subpoenaed POSD enforcer, Bernard Batnag, to appear before MTCC Cabanatuan City Judge Nelson Largo because his order already became moot and academic after he was ordered by the Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to explain his side on the viral issue. – With a report from Dexter See