SECOND DIVISION
[A.M. No. P-94-1106. March 10, 1999]
ADALIA B. FRANCISCO, complainant, vs. ROLANDO G. LEYVA, Deputy Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Branch 74, Antipolo, Rizal, respondent.
R E S O L U T I O N
QUISUMBING, J.:
Before us is an administrative
case filed against Rolando G. Leyva, deputy sheriff of the Regional Trial
Court, Branch 74, Antipolo, Rizal for attempted extortion, serious misconduct,
premeditated delay of the administration of justice, and dishonesty.
The facts of the case on record,[1] are as follows:
A. Francisco Realty and
Development Corp. (hereinafter A. Francisco Realty) caused the judicial
foreclosure of a real estate mortgage in Sp. Civil Case No. 93-2800, lodged
before Branch 74 of the Regional Trial Court of Antipolo, Rizal. Respondent Deputy Sheriff Rolando C. Leyva
was tasked to conduct the auction sale of the property.
The auction sale was conducted on
September 28, 1994.[2] A. Francisco Realty was the only and, thus, the
highest bidder. According to
complainant Adalia B. Francisco, president of A. Francisco Realty, she asked
for the corresponding Certificate of Sale from respondent a week after the
sale. The latter allegedly refused to
issue the document unless complainant paid him the sheriff’s fee equivalent to
two percent of the amount of the bid.
When the latter protested that the amount was too high, respondent
allegedly proposed that complainant pay him P100,000.00 instead, but he
will not issue a receipt therefor.
Because she needed the Certificate of Sale immediately, complainant
offered respondent P20,000.00 as “gratitude” money. However, respondent still refused to issue
the certificate.[3]
Aggrieved, complainant filed her
complaint with the Supreme Court on October 25, 1994. On January 18, 1995, the Court issued a Resolution requiring
respondent to comment thereon.[4]
In his Comment dated February 6,
1995, respondent denied complainant’s allegations. He claimed that on September 29, 1994, the day following the
auction sale, he immediately issued the required certificate and served a copy
thereof to the representative of the complainant. Attached to his Comment was a photocopy of the Certificate of
Sale which was received by a representative of A. Francisco Realty.[5]
The matter was referred to
Executive Judge Felix S. Caballes for investigation, report, and
recommendation.
In his testimony before Judge
Caballes, respondent again made a denial of complainant’s assertions. He denied
having tried to extort money from complainant.[6]
According to respondent, he
refused to issue the Certificate of Sale immediately because he believed that
complainant should first pay the sheriff’s fees at the office of the Clerk of
Court. He was, however, informed by the
Clerk of Court that no fee was to be paid as no money was actually given for
the property. He issued the Certificate
of Sale the following day.[7]
Complainant failed to appear during
the hearings conducted despite due notice.[8]
The case was then referred to the
OCA which, after evaluation, recommended the dismissal of the complaint.
We cannot but agree with the
recommendation of the OCA. Complainant failed to substantiate her allegations. She, in fact, failed to appear in any of the
hearings conducted by the investigating judge.
On the other hand, respondent’s
claim that he issued the Certificate of Sale the day after the auction sale is
supported by documentary evidence on record.
This Court will not shirk from its
responsibility of imposing discipline upon employees of the Judiciary. At the same time, however, neither will we
hesitate to shield the same employees from unfounded suits that only serve to
disrupt rather than promote the orderly administration of justice.
As we ruled in the case of Pag-ibig
Village Association v. Aquilino Angon,[9]
“We have been exacting in our demands that court sheriffs should always faithfully adhere to, hold inviolate and invigorate the principle solemnly enshrined in the Constitution that a public office is a public trust. Pursuant thereto, we have, without hesitation, dismissed or disciplined sheriffs who failed to meet our expectations. However, such as here, we shall likewise be the first to protect them against unfounded administrative complaints which do not appear to be genuine efforts to rid the court of the scalawags in the service, or which are merely designed to frustrate the due administration of justice.”
WHEREFORE, the complaint against Rolando C. Leyva, Deputy
Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Branch 74, Antipolo, Rizal is hereby DISMISSED.
SO ORDERED.
Bellosillo, (Chairman), Puno, Mendoza, and Buena, JJ., concur.