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EN BANC

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369

represented by SECRETARY [Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
LEILA M. DE LIMA,
Petitioner,

- versus -

JUDGE ROLANDO G.
MISLANG, Presiding Judge,
Branch 167, Regional Trial
Court, Pasig City,
Respondent.
x-----------------------------------------x
HOME DEVELOPMENT A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
MUTUAL FUND (HDMF), [Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]
represented by ATTY. JOSE
ROBERTO F. PO, Present:
Petitioner,
SERENO, C.J,
CARPIO,
VELASCO, JR., *
LEONARDO-DE CASTRO,
BRION,
PERALTA,
BERSAMIN,*
- versus - DEL CASTILLO,
PEREZ,
MENDOZA,
REYES,
PERLAS-BERNABE,
LEONEN,
JARDELEZA, * and
JUDGE ROLANDO G. CAGUIOA,JJ
MISLANG, Presiding Judge,
Branch 167, Regional Trial Promulgated:
Court, Pasig City,
Respondent. J~ 26 2016
x---------------------------------------------------~~~-~~-------x
No part.

R
Decision 2 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

DECISION

PERCURJAM:

This is a cons0lidation of the Administrative Complaints which the

then Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M. De Lima and Pag-
IBIG Fund/Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), represented by Atty.
Jose Roberto F. Po, filed against Hon. Rolando G. Mislang, Presiding Judge
of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Pasig City, Branch 167.

The following are the factual and procedural antecedents of the case:

On October 29, 2010, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

recommended that a preliminary investigation be conducted in view of the
HDMF's Complaint Affidavit against Delfin S. Lee and other officers of
Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corporation (Globe Asiatique) for the
crime of syndicated estafa constituting economic sabotage under Presidential
Decree No. 1689, in relation to Article 315(2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code,
through the fraudulent take-out of housing loans for fake borrowers.
Allegedly, these borrowers had actually no intention to apply for housing
loans but were merely paid by Globe Asiatique agents to sign blank loan
documents. Said loan documents were then submitted to the HDMF for
processing. Because of this fraudulent scheme, the HDMF suffered
damages in the amount of about 1!6.5 Billion. The DOJ then formed a panel
of prosecutors to investigate the complaint, which was docketed as NPS
Docket No. XVI-INV-lOJ-00319 (P1 DOJ case). Subsequently, or on
November 15, 2010, Lee, together with Globe Asiatique, filed a Complaint
for specific performance and damages against the HDMF before the Makati
RTC.

On December 10, 2010, the NBI Anti-Graft Division recommended

that Lee, among others, be charged with the crime of syndicated estafa
constituting economic sabotage. Thus, the DOJ formed a panel of
prosecutors that would handle the preliminary investigation of the
complaint, which was docketed as NPS Docket No. XVI-INV-lOL-00363
(2nd DOJ case). On January 27, 2011, Lee filed a Petition seeking the
suspension of the proceedings in the 2nd DOJ case pending the outcome of
the Makati civil case, because there were issues in the civil case which
purportedly constituted a prejudicial question to the 2nd DOJ case. However,
the DOJ panel issued an Omnibus Order dated February 21, 2011 which,

'\\'r~-~
Decision 3 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

among others, denied said petition for lack of common issues and parties. In
denying Lee's prayer for suspension, the panel of prosecutors explained:

At first glance, it may appear that the issues in Civil Case No. 10-
1120 are related to the issues in NPS No. XVI-INV-IOL-00363, however,
a cursory reading of the pertinent records of the two cases will reveal that,
in the first, the main issue is the right of GA to replace its buyers pursuant
to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Funding Commitment
Agreement (FCA), and Collection Servicing Agreement (CSA) it entered
into with HDMF while, in the second, the matter to be resolved is whether
or not respondents are liable for the crime of syndicated estafa. Moreover,
there is no commonality of parties in the two cases, therefore, whatever
would be the decision of the court in the aforementioned civil case will
certainly not affect the resolution of the herein criminal complaint. And
this is true since, as shown in the complaint in Civil Case No. 10-1120, the
case is not about the sale of the properties to Evelyn B. Niebres, Ronald
Gabriel Perez San Nicolas, and Catherine Bacani, rather, the action was
filed by GA to compel HDMF to honor the provisions of the MOA, FCA
and CSA entered into by the parties and/or compel HDMF to accept the
replacement buyers/borrowers as offered by GA. 1

Lee moved for a partial reconsideration of the abovementioned

Omnibus Order but the same was denied. The DOJ panel of prosecutors
likewise directed him to file his counter-affidavit. On July 28, 2011, after
filing his counter-affidavit, Lee filed a Petition for Injunction (with
Application for Temporary Restraining Order or TRO) against the DOJ,
which was raffled to the sala of Judge Mislang. Again, Lee sought to
suspend the preliminary investigation being conducted by the DOJ in the 2nd
DOJ case, and subsequently, to likewise prevent the filing of the Information
in the 1st DOJ case. On August 5, 2011, Lee's counsel inquired ifthe DOJ's
counsel would be willing to enter into a stipulation with regard to the
existence of the 2nd DOJ case and the Makati civil case. After the counsel of
the DOJ had acceded to said request, the parties, with the permission of
Judge Mislang, then agreed to submit for resolution the petition for
injunction upon submission of their respective memoranda within fifteen
( 15) days, since there were no longer factual matters that needed to be
threshed out in a full-blown trial. However, on August 12, 2011, after Lee
had submitted his memorandum the day before, he filed an unverified
Urgent Motion for the ex-parte resolution of his application for the issuance
of a TRO. Thereafter,, without waiting for the DOJ's memorandum, Judge
Mislang issued Orders dated August 16, 2011 and August 26, 2011, granting
Lee's petition. Thus, the HDMF and the DOJ filed separate complaints,
docketed as OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ and OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ,
respectively, against Judge Mislang, alleging that the latter acted in patent

Rollo (A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369), p. 8.

/~
~~"
Decision 4 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. '12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA I.P.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

disregard of the rules on injunctive relief and prejudicial question, exhibited

gross ignorance of the law and/or procedure, and manifested partiality and
gross misconduct in issuing the assailed Orders.

After a careful review and evaluation of the case, the Office of the
Court Administrator (OCA) recommended in both Complaints that Judge
Mislang be found guilty of gross ignorance of the law and be dismissed from
service, with forfeiture of retirement benefits except leave credits, and with
prejudice to re-employment in any branch or instrumentality of the
government, including government-owned and controlled corporations. 2

The Court's Ruling

The Court finds no compelling reason to deviate from the findings and
recommendations of the OCA.

The application for TRO for the 2nd DOJ case was incorporated in the
petition for injunction. However, the DOJ was not given any notice of Lee's
Urgent Motion for ex-parte resolution of his TRO application. And despite
the parties' agreement in court to submit for resolution said petition for
injunction only upon submission of their respective memoranda, Judge
Mislang granted Lee's application for TRO without waiting for the DOJ's
memorandum. He never conducted a hearing on either the application for
TRO or on the motion for resolution of the TRO. Clearly, this is in violation
of the DOJ's constitutional right to be heard and to due process. Judge
Mi slang's wanton disregard of the DOJ' s right to due process was repeated
when he granted the TRO for the 1st DOJ case. Although the application for
TRO was contained in a verified petition, the DOJ was not properly served
with a copy of the petition or the urgent motion for hearing. It was not
likewise served with any notice of hearing. And notwithstanding the lack of
proof of service, Judge Mislang still proceeded to hear the application for
TRO against the 1st DOJ case during the hearing on the petition for issuance
of a writ of preliminary injunction against the 2nd DOJ case.

Verily, Judge Mislang manifested serious lack of knowledge and

understanding of the basic legal principles on prejudicial question and on
jurisdiction in petitions for suspension of criminal action based on
prejudicial questions, as prescribed by Sections 63 and 7, 4 Rule 111 of the
2
Evaluation and recommendation submitted by Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez and
Deputy Court Administrator Thelma C. Bahia, dated October 8, 2013.
3
Section 6. Suspension by reason of prejudicial question. - A petition for suspension of the
criminal action based upon the pendency of a prejudicial question in a civil action may be filed in the office
of the prosecutor or the court conducting the preliminary investigation. When the criminal action has b:~

~\-"M"'"
Decision 5 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure. The OCA adopted the ruling of the
Court of Appeals (Seventeenth Division) in Department of Justice v. The
Hon. Rolando Mislang, etc. and Delfin Lee, CA-G.R. SP No. 121594, dated
April 16, 2012, thus:

After a thorough and judicious study of the attendant factual and

legal milieu, this Court has come to the conclusion that no prejudicial
question exists that would justify the issuance by public respondent
Judge of the writ of preliminary injunction as both cases before the
DOJ can proceed independently of that with the Makati RTC.

This Court agrees with petitioner's contention that no prejudicial

question exists with respect to the first DOJ case. A prejudicial question is
understood in law as that which must precede the criminal action and
which requires a decision before a final judgment can be rendered in the
criminal action with which said question is closely connected. The civil
action must be instituted prior to the institution of the criminal action. As
it was shown that the recommendation by the NBI for DOJ to
investigate Lee and other officials of the GA for estafa was filed ahead
of the civil case which Lee filed against HDMF before the Regional
Trial Court of Makati City, the doctrine of prejudicial question is
untenable in the first DOJ case.

Moreover, it did not escape this Court's attention that when Lee
moved for the issuance of a temporary restraining order to enjoin the DOJ,
in the first DOJ case, . . . he did not file a petition for suspension of
criminal action by reason of prejudicial question before the panel of DOJ
prosecutors, in violation of the provisions of Section 6, Rule lll of the
Revised Rules of Court ... The rule is clear that in filing a petition for
suspension of criminal action based upon a pendency of a prejudicial
action in a civil action, the same should be made before the office of
the prosecutor or the court conducting the preliminary investigation.
If an information had already been filed before the court for trial, the
petition to suspend should be filed before the court where the
information was filed.

Considering that no information has yet been filed against Lee and
the action that was brought before the court a quo was one for injunction
and damages, the public respondent Judge gravely erred when he took
cognizance of Lee's prematurely filed petition and granted his prayer
for the issuance of a temporary restraining order.

Nevertheless, even if the civil case was filed ahead of the first DOJ
case, the doctrine of prejudicial question is still inapplicable.

filed in court for trial, the petition to suspend shall be filed in the same criminal action at any time before
the prosecution rests.
4
Section 7. Elements ofprejudicial question. -The elements ofa prejudicial question are: (a) the
previously instituted civil action involves an issue similar or intimately related to the issue raised in the
subsequent criminal actitm, and (b) the resolution of such issue determines whether or not the criminal
action may proceed. "'~

)'t~
Decision 6 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

xxx

... (l)njunction will not lie to enjoin a criminal prosecution because

public interest requires that criminal acts be immediately investigated and
protected for the protection of society. It is only in extreme cases that
injunction will lie to stop criminal prosecution. Public respondent Judge
anchored his issuance of the writ on the existence of a prejudicial
question. However, this Court finds that the facts and issues in the
Makati civil case are not determinative of Lee's guilt or innocence in
the cases filed before the DOJ. Verily public respondent Judge
committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of or in excess of
jurisdiction when he issued the writ of preliminary injunction enjoining
the DOJ from filing an information of estafa against Lee in the first DOJ
case and from proceeding with the preliminary investigation in the second
DOJ case.

WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the instant Petition is

hereby GRANTED. The assailed Order issued by public respondent
Judge dated September 5, 2011 in Civil Case No. 73115-PSG for
Injunction is ANNULLED and SET ASIDE for having been issued with
grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or in excess of jurisdiction.
The writ of preliminary injunction is hereby lifted for lack of basis both in
fact and in law. 5

Gross ignorance of the law is the disregard of basic rules and settled
jurisprudence. A judge may also be administratively liable if shown to have
been motivated by bad faith, fraud, dishonesty or corruption in ignoring,
contradicting or failing to apply settled law and jurisprudence. Though not
every judicial error bespeaks ignorance of the law and that, if committed in
good faith, does not warrant administrative sanction, the same applies only
in cases within the parameters of tolerable misjudgment. 6 Such, however, is
not the case with Judge Mislang. Where the law is straightforward and the
facts so evident, failure to know it or to act as if one does not know it
constitutes gross ignorance of the law. 7 A judge is presumed to have acted
with regularity and good faith in the performance of judicial functions. But
a blatant disregard of the clear and unmistakable provisions of a statute, as
well as Supreme Court circulars enjoining their strict compliance, upends
this presumption and subjects the magistrate to corresponding administrative
sanctions. 8

For liability to attach for ignorance of the law, the assailed order,
decision or actuation of the judge in the performance of official duties must
not only be found erroneous but, most importantly, it must also be

Rollo (A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372), pp. 140-141. (Emphasis in the original)

6
Peralta v. Judge Omelio, 720 Phil. 60, 86 (2013).

~..r-v
7
Id.
Caguioa v. Judge Lavina, 398 Phil. 845, 848 (2000).

1''rw~~
Decision 7 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

established that he was moved by bad faith, dishonesty, hatred, or some

other like motive. Judges are expected to exhibit more than just cursory
acquaintance with statutes and procedural laws. They must know the laws
and apply them properly in all good faith. Judicial competence requires no
less. Thus, unfamiliarity with the rules is a sign of incompetence. Basic
rules must be at the palm of his hand. When a judge displays utter lack of
familiarity with the rules, he betrays the confidence of the public in the
courts. Ignorance of the law is the mainspring of injustice. Judges owe it to
the public to be knowledgeable, hence, they are expected to have more than
just a modicum of acquaintance with the statutes and procedural rules; they
must know them by heart. When the inefficiency springs from a failure to
recognize such a basic and elemental rule, a law or a principle in the
discharge of his functions, a judge is either too incompetent and undeserving
of the position and the prestigious title he holds or he is too vicious that the
oversight or omission was deliberately done in bad faith and in grave abuse
of judicial authority. In both cases, the judge's dismissal will be in order. 9

Judge Mislang issued two (2) TROs, a writ of preliminary injunction

and a status quo order, both of which did not satisfy the legal requisites for
their issuance, in gross violation of clearly established laws and procedures
which every judge has the duty and obligation to be familiar with. The
antecedent incidents of the case brought before Judge Mislang were clear
and simple, as well as the applicable rules. Unfortunately, he miserably
failed to properly apply the principles and rules on three (3) points, i.e., the
prematurity of the petition, the inapplicability of the prejudicial question,
and the lack of jurisdiction of the court. His persistent disregard of well-
known elementary rules in favor of Lee clearly reflects his bad faith and
partiality.

However, Judge Mislang cannot be held administratively liable for

not requiring Lee to post a bond for the issuance of a TRO. In Bautista v.
Abdulwahid, 10 the Court dismissed the charge of gross ignorance of the law
and procedure against Court of Appeals Associate Justice Hakim S.
Abdulwahid for, among others, issuing an ex-parte TRO without requiring
the posting of a bond. The Court upheld the OCA' s recommendation that
the complaint should be dismissed for lack of factual and legal bases,
considering that the issuance of the TRO ex-parte was the most reasonable
way to enjoin the enforcement of the final notice to vacate issued by the
Municipal Trial Court without rendering the action sought to be enjoined
moot and academic.

9
Re: Complaint Against Justice John Elvi S. Asuncion of the Court of Appeals, 547 Phil. 418, 438
(2007).
IO
522 Phil. 390 (2006).

,. . . . .,v/
~~\}"- ~
Decision 8 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

The Court notes that this is not the first time that Judge Mislang has
committed a serious infraction. In fact, he has been facing a seemingly
endless string of administrative charges since April 2007. In A.M. No. RTJ-
08-2104, 11 one Atty. Leo C. Romero charged Judge Mislang with
misrepresentation, violation of Supreme Court Administrative Circular No.
13, gross ignorance of the law, and grave abuse of discretion relative to the
issuance of a search warrant against David C. Romero for .violation of
Article 293 (Robbery) of the Revised Penal Code. The Court then found
Judge Mislang guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of P20,000.00, with a
stem warning that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with
more severely.

In A.M. No. RTJ-15-2434, 12 the Court likewise found him guilty of

gross ignorance of the law. In this case, Jeffrey B. Patawaran filed a
complaint against Judge Mislang. A criminal case for unlawful importation
of assorted jewelry worth millions of pesos filed by the government through
the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group had been assigned to Judge Mislang.
The accused in said case, Siu Ting Alpha Kwok, was charged with violation
of Section 3601, in relation to Section 2530, of the Tariff and Customs Code
of the Philippines. Then after the prosecution rested its case, Kwok filed a
Demurrer to Evidence which Judge Mislang granted on the ground of
insufficiency of evidence. He likewise directed the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) and the customs officer who had custody of the seized
jewelry to immediately release the same to Kwok, despite the existing
Warrant of Seizure and Detention issued by the Bureau of Customs. The
Court had ruled that while Judge Mislang' s ruling on the Demurrer to
Evidence may have been a purely judicial matter, he was guilty of Gross
Ignorance of the Law when he directed the immediate release of the
smuggled jewelry to Kwok. As a judge, he ought to know that the RTCs are
devoid of any competence to pass upon the validity or regularity of seizure
and forfeiture proceedings which the Bureau of Customs conducted and to
enjoin or otherwise interfere with these proceedings. 13 Also, forfeiture of
seized goods in the Bureau of Customs is a proceeding against the goods and
not against the owner. It is a proceeding in rem, which means it is directed
against the res or the illegally imported articles, and entails a determination
of the legality of their importation. Accordingly, while the accused in an
unlawful importation case may tum out to be absolved from any criminal
liability, it does not necessarily follow that the seized goods should also be
automatically released. Indubitably, Judge Mislang's directive for the
immediate release of the confiscated contraband shows his ignorance of the

11
12
13
Romero v. Judge Mislang, February 6, 2008, First Division Resolution.
Patawaran v. Judge Mislang, August 12, 2015, Third Division Resolution.
Rallos v. Judge Gako, Jr., 398 Phil. 60, 70 (2000), citing Bureau of Customs v. Ogario, 385 Phil.
928 (2000), further citing Jao v. CA, 319 Phil. 105 (1995).
/
v
*'~0'
Decision 9 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

law and settled jurisprudence. At this instance, in view of the prior warning
and the gravity of his offense, the penalty of dismissal would have been
warranted. Out of benevolence, however, the Court simply suspended him
for six (6) months without pay, and reiterating the warning of a more serious
penalty in the event of another similar transgression.

Gross ignorance of the law, which is classified as a serious charge, is

punishable by a fine of more than P20,000.00 but not exceeding P40,000.00,
and suspension from office for more than three (3) but not exceeding six (6)
months, without salary and other benefits, or dismissal from service. 14 In
Peralta v. Judge Omelia, 15 the Court found that Judge Omelio had already
been sternly warned in two (2) previous cases that repetition of the same or
similar acts shall be dealt with more severely. Yet, he still continued
transgressing the norms of judicial conduct. The Court then ruled that all his
past and present violations raised a serious question on his competence and
integrity in the performance of his functions as a magistrate. It thus adopted
the recommendation of the OCA that the supreme penalty of dismissal was
the proper penalty to be imposed, since it was already the third time that he
was found administratively liable. Indeed, the Court could no longer afford
to be lenient this time, lest it would give the public the impression that
incompetence and repeated offenders are being countenanced in the
judiciary. Judge Mislang's actions did not only affect the image of the
judiciary, it also put his competency and even his moral character in serious
doubt. In order to have a successful implementation of the Court's relentless
drive to purge the judiciary of morally unfit members, officials, and
personnel, a rigid set of rules of conduct must necessarily be imposed on
judges. The standard of integrity applied to them is - and should be - higher
than that of the average person for it is their integrity that gives them the
privilege and right to judge. 16 Considering Judge Mislang's repeated
infractions and obstinate refusal to correct his ways despite previous
warnings, the Court is constrained to impose the penalty of dismissal in this
case.

14
Section 8 of Rule 140 on the Discipline of Judges and Justices, as amended by A.M. No. 01-8-10-
SC, classifies gross ignorance of the law and gross misconduct constituting violations of the Code of
Judicial Conduct as serious charges, with the following imposable penalties:
SEC. 11. Sanctions. - A. If the respondent is guilty of a serious charge, any of the following
sanctions may be imposed:
1. Dismissal from the service, forfeiture of all or part of the benefits as the Court
may determine, and disqualification from reinstatement or appointment to any public
office, including government-owned or controlled corporations; Provided, however, That
the forfeiture of benefits shall in no case include accrued leave credits;

,r
2. Suspension from office without salary and other benefits for more than three
(3) but not exceeding six (6) months; or
3. A fine of more than Jl20,000.00 but not exceeding ~0,000.00
15
Supra note 6.
16
Samson v. Judge Caballero, 612 Phil. 737, 752 (2009).
ctr'

\9'~~
 Decision 10 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, the Court finds Judge

Rolando G. Mislang, Regional Trial Court, Pasig City, Branch 167,
GUILTY of Gross Ignorance of the Law in A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369 and
A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372 and ORDERS his DISMISSAL from the service
with FORFEITURE of retirement benefits, except leave credits, and with
prejudice to re-employment in any branch or instrumentality of the
government, including government-owned and controlled corporations.

SO ORDERED.

MARIA LOURDES P. A. SERENO

Chief Justice

~ A.~(N-...1o IA. ~
ANTONIO T. CARPIO c~~fT OJ.VELASC~
""""'- )

Associate Justice sociate Justice

~~&~
TERESITA J. LEONARDO-DE CASTRO
~
ARTURO D. BRION
Associate Justice Associate Justice

~
.PERALTA
'

,,,.

~~c/
MA NO C. DEL CASTILLO
Associate Justice
JOS z
Decision 11 A.M. No. RTJ-14-2369
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 12-3907-RTJ]
and A.M. No. RTJ-14-2372
[Formerly OCA LP.I. No. 11-3736-RTJ]

JOSE CANDOZA BIENVENIDO L. REYES

AssfJ:t~ fuk~ice Associate Justice

ESTELA 4~BERNABE
Associate Justice

No part
FRANCIS H. Jl\RDELEZA S. CAGUIOA
Associate Justice