Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila
THIRD DIVISION
A.M. No. P-10-2860 October 20, 2010
(Formerly A.M. OCA .P.. No. 06-2!"2-P#
RENATO M$UE% &. $ARCA, Complainant,
vs.
RC'( MONTE)AR, S*er+,,, Re-+o./l Tr+/l Co0rt, 1r/.c* 62, $0+*0l.-/., Ne-ro3
Or+e.t/l, Responent.
R ! S O " # T I O N
The p$esent aminist$ative case a$ose f$om the complaint the Office of the Cou$t %minist$ato$
&OC%' $eceive f$om the Ru$al (an) of *uihuln+an &Ne+$os O$iental', Inc.
,
&complainant ban)',
a+ainst Ric)- Monte.a$, in the latte$/s capacit- as She$iff of the Re+ional T$ial Cou$t, ($anch 01,
*uihuln+an, Ne+$os O$iental &$esponent'.
The complainant accuse $esponent of committin+ i$$e+ula$ities in his official uties in the
implementation of the 2$it of e3ecution in the si3 &0' civil cases 2he$e the complainant ban) 2as
the pa$t- plaintiff, namel-4
&,' The $esponent $eceive the amount of P5,666.66 as she$iff/s fee in the enfo$cement
of the 2$it of e3ecution in Civil Case No. 789 2ithout a cou$t:app$ove estimate of
e3penses. He also faile to attach $eceipts an;o$ ocuments to suppo$t his li<uiation
$epo$t on the mone- $eceive=
9
&9' The $esponent faile to submit the li<uiation $epo$t on the e3penses he incu$$e in
the implementation of the 2$its of e3ecution in Civil Case No. 6,:5:,78 an Civil Case
No. 758= an
&7' The $esponent faile to full- e3ecute the 2$its of e3ecution in Civil Case No. 6,:5:
,78= Civil Case No. 789= Civil Case No. 6,:9:,95= Civil Case No. 19> an Civil Case 190.
In his Comment,
7
the $esponent enie the cha$+es an maintaine that the$e 2as p$ope$
enfo$cement of the 2$its of e3ecution, albeit the- 2e$e $etu$ne not e3ecute o$ pa$tiall-
e3ecute because the efenants no lon+e$ ha p$ope$ties. He also claime that4 &a' his
li<uiation $epo$t in Civil Case No. 789 2as not suppo$te b- $eceipts because he lost them= &b'
in Civil Case No. 758, the mone- tene$e as she$iff e3penses 2as the app$ove amount of
she$iff e3penses that 2as tu$ne ove$ to him because of the inhibition of the she$iff 2ho
p$eviousl- hanle the 2$it= an &c' in Civil Case No. 6,:9:,95 an Civil Case No. 19>, the
complainant ban) faile to pa- the app$ove she$iff/s itemi?e e3penses.
On @ul- ,,, 9667, the Cou$t $efe$$e the complaint an comment to the OC% fo$ evaluation,
$epo$t, an $ecommenation.
The OC% Repo$t an Recommenation
In the Memo$anum ate @anua$- 97, 966>, the OC%
1
$ecommene that the matte$ be
oc)ete as an aminist$ative case. The OC% foun the $esponent +uilt- of simple misconuct
an $ecommene that he be fine in an amount e<uivalent to t2o &9' months/ sala$- to be
eucte f$om the benefits that ma- be ue to him. The penalt- of fine 2as $ecommene in lieu
of suspension, consie$in+ the $esponent/s eath u$in+ the penenc- of the case.
The OC% foun that the $esponent violate the accepte p$oceu$e p$ovie in Section ,6,
Rule ,1, &She$iffs, p$ocess se$ve$s an othe$ pe$sons se$vin+ p$ocesses' of the Rules of Cou$t
on she$iff e3penses b- i$ectl- $eceivin+ sums of mone- f$om the complainant ban) as she$iff
e3penses an b- failin+ to p$ope$l- $ene$ an;o$ substantiate the li<uiation $epo$ts.
The Cou$t/s Rulin+
Ae fin the OC% $epo$t an $ecommenation 2ell:ta)en. Ae a+$ee that une$ the ci$cumstances
the $esponent is +uilt- of simple misconuct. Ae moif- the imposable penalt-, ho2eve$, as
iscusse belo2.
Section ,6, Rule ,1, of the Rules of Cou$t, as amene $eas4
Sec. ,6. She$iffs, p$ocess se$ve$s an othe$ pe$sons se$vin+ p$ocesses. B Aith $e+a$ to
she$iff/s e3penses in e3ecutin+ 2$its issue pu$suant to cou$t o$e$s o$ ecisions o$ safe+ua$in+
the p$ope$t- levie upon, attache o$ sei?e, incluin+ )ilomet$a+e fo$ each )ilomete$ of t$avel,
+ua$s/ fees, 2a$ehousin+ an simila$ cha$+es, the inte$este pa$t- shall pa- sai e3penses in
an amount estimate b- the she$iff, sub.ect to the app$oval of the cou$t. #pon app$oval of sai
estimate e3penses, the inte$este pa$t- shall eposit such amount 2ith the cle$) of cou$t an
e3:officio she$iff, 2ho shall isbu$se the same to the eput- she$iff assi+ne to effect the
p$ocess, sub.ect to li<uiation 2ithin the same pe$io fo$ $ene$in+ a $etu$n on the p$ocess. The
li<uiation shall be app$ove b- the cou$t. %n- unspent amount shall be $efune to the pa$t-
ma)in+ the eposit. % full $epo$t shall be submitte b- the eput- she$iff assi+ne 2ith his $etu$n,
an the she$iff/s e3penses shall be ta3e as costs a+ainst the .u+ment ebto$. &!mphasis
supplie'
Mo$eove$, the eposit an pa-ment of e3penses incu$$e in enfo$cin+ 2$its a$e +ove$ne b-
Section >, Rule ,1, of the Rules of Cou$t4
S!C. >. She$iffs an othe$ pe$sons se$vin+ p$ocesses. B
3 3 3 3
In aition to the fees he$einabove fi3e, t*e 4/rty re50e3t+.- t*e 4roce33 o, /.y co0rt,
4rel+m+./ry6 +.c+7e.t/l, or ,+./l, 3*/ll 4/y t*e 3*er+,,83 e94e.3e3 +. 3er:+.- or e9ec0t+.-
t*e 4roce33, or 3/,e-0/r7+.- t*e 4ro4erty le:+e7 04o., /tt/c*e7 or 3e+;e7, +.cl07+.-
<+lometr/-e ,or e/c* <+lometer o, tr/:el, -0/r738 ,ee3, =/re*o03+.- /.7 3+m+l/r c*/r-e3, +.
/. /mo0.t e3t+m/te7 by t*e 3*er+,, 30b>ect to t*e /44ro:/l o, t*e co0rt. U4o. /44ro:/l o,
3/+7 e3t+m/te7 e94e.3e3, t*e +.tere3te7 4/rty 3*/ll 7e4o3+t 30c* /mo0.t =+t* t*e cler< o,
co0rt /.7 e9 o,,+c+o 3*er+,, =*o 3*/ll 7+3b0r3e t*e 3/me to t*e 7e40ty 3*er+,, /33+-.e7 to
e,,ect t*e 4roce33, 30b>ect to l+50+7/t+o. =+t*+. t*e 3/me 4er+o7 ,or re.7er+.- / ret0r. o.
t*e 4roce33. A.y 0.34e.t /mo0.t 3*/ll be re,0.7e7 to t*e 4/rty m/<+.- t*e 7e4o3+t. A ,0ll
re4ort 3*/ll be 30bm+tte7 by t*e 7e40ty 3*er+,, /33+-.e7 =+t* *+3 ret0r., /.7 t*e 3*er+,,83
e94e.3e3 3*/ll be t/9e7 /3 co3t3 /-/+.3t t*e >07-me.t 7ebtor. &!mphasis supplie'
The $ule $e<ui$es that the she$iff e3ecutin+ the 2$its shall p$ovie an estimate of the e3penses to
be incu$$e that shall be app$ove b- the cou$t.
8
#pon the cou$t/s app$oval, the inte$este pa$t-
shall then eposit the amount 2ith the cle$) of cou$t an ex-officio she$iff.
0
The$eafte$, the
e3penses shall then be isbu$se to the assi+ne eput- she$iff 2ho shall e3ecute the 2$it
sub.ect to the latte$/s li<uiation upon the $etu$n of the 2$it.
5
%n- amount unspent shall be
$etu$ne to the inte$este pa$t-.
C
Clea$l-, the $ule oes not allo2 i$ect pa-ment of she$iff
e3penses f$om the inte$este pa$t- to the she$iff.
Mo$eove$, the $ules on she$iff e3penses a$e clea$:cut an o not p$ovie p$oceu$al sho$tcuts.
Compulso$- obse$vance of the $ules une$ the ci$cumstances is also une$sco$e b- the use of
the 2o$ DshallD in the above sections.1avvphi1
In this case, the $eco$s sho2 that the $esponent faile to compl- 2ith the $ules. The
$esponent amitte that he i$ectl- $eceive f$om the complainant ban) the amount
of P5,666.66 as she$iff e3penses in Civil Case No. 789. He also state that he +ave the amount
of P,,666.66 to anothe$ she$iff 2ho assiste him, instea of usin+ the amount to implement the
2$it. The $esponent fu$the$ amitte that his conuct in p$epa$in+, submittin+ an substantiatin+
his li<uiation $epo$ts fell belo2 the stana$ p$esc$ibe b- the above $ule. Thus, in Civil Case
No. 789, he amitte that his e3penses in his li<uiation $epo$t 2e$e not substantiate b-
$eceipts. Mo$eove$, in Civil Case No. 758, the $esponent faile to p$ope$l- li<uiate
the P9,666.66 he $eceive fo$ the e3ecution of the 2$it.
These ci$cumstances sho2 2ithout oubt that the $esponent is liable fo$ simple misconuct,
efine as a t$ans+$ession of some establishe $ule of action, an unla2ful behavio$, o$
ne+li+ence committe b- a public office$.
>
He cannot be hel liable fo$ +$ave misconuct since
this offense $e<ui$es substantial evience sho2in+ that the acts complaine of 2e$e co$$upt o$
inspi$e b- an intention to violate the la2 o$ 2e$e in pe$sistent is$e+a$ of 2ell:)no2n le+al
$ules.
,6
In this case, the$e is lac) of evience sho2in+ that the $esponent/s actuations 2e$e
motivate b- an- co$$upt inte$est o$ 2e$e one intentionall- o$ 2illfull- to violate the la2 an the
establishe $ules. %t most, the $eco$s onl- sho2 that the $esponent 2as $emiss in efficientl-
pe$fo$min+ an ischa$+in+ his uties as she$iff. %s an office$ of the cou$t, the $esponent is
e3pecte to ischa$+e his uties competentl- an ili+entl- an 2ith a hi+h e+$ee of
p$ofessionalism. %fte$ all, the she$iff is the f$ont:line $ep$esentative of the .ustice s-stem in this
count$-= if he loses the t$ust $epose in him, he inevitabl- iminishes the faith of the people in the
@uicia$-.
,,
% she$iff 2ho fails to compl- 2ith the stana$ of conuct of his office ma- be
sub.ecte to aminist$ative liabilit-.
*iven the inte$venin+ event of the $esponent/s eath, the OC% $ecommene that he be fine in
an amount e<uivalent to t2o &9' months sala$-. In acco$ance 2ith p$evailin+ .u$isp$uence,
,9
2e
moif- the OC%/S $ecommenation in favo$ of a fine of P96,666.66.
AH!R!EOR!, p$emises consie$e, 2e he$eb- fin $esponent She$iff Ric)- Monte.a$ +uilt- of
SIMP"! MISCOND#CT. He is impose a EIN! of T2ent- Thousan Pesos &P96,666.66' to be
eucte f$om the benefits ue to him &o$ his estate' as an emplo-ee 2ho ie in the se$vice. "et
a cop- of this ecision be attache to his pe$sonal $eco$s.
SO ORD!R!D.
ARTURO &. 1RON
FF
%ssociate @ustice