THE Supreme Court (SC) has reprimanded a Caloocan City female judge, who convicted several members of the Aquila Legis Fraternity 17 years ago for the death of Ateneo law student Lenny Villa, for the use of disrespectful language in her pleadings.

In a 29-page en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the Court warned Judge Adoracion Angeles, of Branch 121 of the Regional Trial Court in Caloocan City, that similar acts in the future shall merit a more severe sanction.

“Respondent’s [Angeles’s] use of disrespectful language in her pleadings is certainly below the standard expected of an officer of the court. The esteemed position of a magistrate of the law demands temperance, patience and courtesy both in conduct and in language,” the SC said.

The use of improper language constitutes two of the 10 charges filed by Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco against Angeles before the SC shortly after the latter was investigated by the prosecutor for alleged multiple counts of child abuse involving her grandniece.

The child-abuse case was reversed by then justice undersecretary Regis Puno and is still pending final resolution.

In its decision, the SC noted that Justice Noel Tijam, who was assigned to investigate the case, also found Angeles guilty of intemperate language in making statements against now retired SC Justice Josue Bellosillo in her pleadings before the Office of the President and the SC.

In the said pleadings, the SC pointed out Angeles insinuated an improper relationship between the complainant [Velasco] and Bellosillo in her pleadings.

“Justice Tijam found that ‘questioning the integrity of an associate justice of the SC unavoidably casts a shadow on the dignity of the Supreme Court as the highest court of the land’,” the SC noted.

The SC ruling dismissed the eight other charges filed by Velasco against Angeles for allegedly quoting court records improperly, falsification of public document and introducing it as evidence in a judicial proceeding, allegedly forcing the complainant in the child- abuse case to sign an affidavit and introducing it as evidence, visiting the secretary of justice while the case against her was still pending and using court sheriffs to serve pleadings in her behalf.

“We agree that respondent should have been more circumspect in her language. We have held in a long line of cases that the judge is the visible representation of the law. Thus, a judge must behave at all times in such a manner that his or her conduct, official or otherwise, can withstand the most searching public scrutiny,” the Court said.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has reprimanded a Caloocan City female judge, who convicted several members of the Aquila Legis Fraternity 17 years ago for the death of Ateneo law student Lenny Villa, for the use of disrespectful language in her pleadings.

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