SC fines judge who subpoenaed Baguio traffic enforcers over ticket

BAGUIO CITY --The Supreme Court declared Cabanatuan City Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 3 Judge Nelson Largo guilty of simple misconduct and fined him P11,000 after he figured in a parking controversy here October last year. 

On Oct. 25, 2019, traffic enforcers from the Baguio Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) led by Bernard Batnag removed license plate of Judge Largo's vehicle, which was illegally parked vehicle here at Kayang Street inside the Baguio City Public Market and issued a citation ticket.
    But the judge on Oct. 28, 2019 issued a subpoena demanding Batnag and his colleagues to appear before him in his sala on Nov. 28, 2019 to explain why they should not be cited for contempt.

Largo said time he spent in retrieving his license plate caused delays in hearings and processes of cases he was handling.

He argued e only parked his vehicle for a short time after attending a security seminar in Baguio City.

He was heading back to Cabanatuan City when given the ticket.

The Supreme Court gave weight to a letter from Mayor Benjamin Magalong informing the court of the grievance of the city's traffic law enforcers.

The Baguio City council in Nov. 2019 declared Largo ‘persona non grata’ as it backed Batnag for issuing a citation ticket for illegal parking in accordance with Ordinance No. 01, series of 2003 or the Baguio City Number Coding Scheme.