The Supreme Court (SC) is making him pay up.
“The SC slapped a P100,000 fine Judge Benedicto Cobarde — a retired judge in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu — for failing to resolve 191 cases on time before his term ended in 2011,” reports Ador Vincent S. Mayol in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Cobarde formerly presided over Lapu-Lapu City’s Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 53.
The report noted: “Cobarde was found administratively guilty of ‘undue delay in rendering decisions’ within the mandatory 90-day period.”
The report further explained that “the fine will be deducted from Cobarde’s retirement benefits.”
It’s worth noting that it was Cobarde’s fourth time to be fined for not being able to resolve cases within the reglementary period.
“Indeed, the inability of Judge Cobarde to perform his duties is manifest in his failure to decide 191 cases within the mandatory three-month reglementary period without any valid excuse,” said clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal.
In a notice sent by clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal on October 10, it was indicated that Cobarde “should have requested for additional time to decide on the cases which he could not reasonably act upon and decide.”
Cobarde, former presiding judge of the RTC Branch 53 in Lapu-Lapu City, apologized to the High Court for his failure to resolve cases on time but explained that it was unintentional.
Photo: MorgueFile
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