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ABS 2025
Misconduct in De Lima drug case, Muntinlupa judge fined
By J.Lo
“Respondent Romeo Buenaventura is sternly warned that repetition of same offense or commission of similar act shall be dealt with more severely,” Supreme Court stated found Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256 Judge Romeo Buenaventura guilty of simple misconduct and neglect of duty in handling one of the drug cases against former senator Leila de Lima.
In resolution issued on Nov. 13, 2024, high court’s First Division imposed fine of P36,000 on Buenaventura,P18,000 for misconduct and another P18,000 for neglect of duty citing violations of New Code of Judicial Conduct.
Ruling stemmed from administrative complaint filed by De Lima’s lawyers, Teddy Esteban Rigoroso and Rolly Francis Peoro. They accused Buenaventura of breaching judicial ethics and delaying resolution of De Lima’s bail motion in her last remaining drug case.
The defense also argued that Buenaventura should have recused himself due to conflict of interest involving his brother, Emmanuel Buenaventura.
Supreme Court upheld findings by Judicial Integrity Board (JIB), noted that Emmanuel Buenaventura’s involvement with De Lima’s aide Ronnie Dayan during 2016 congressional hearings made Judge Buenaventura liable under Canon 4, Section 4 of New Code of Judicial Conduct, states:
“Judges shall not participate in determination of case in which any member of their family represents litigant or is associated in any manner with the case.”
Buenaventura denied knowledge of his brother’s actions and eventually inhibited himself from further proceedings in De Lima’s case. However, his initial failure to do so contributed to delays in resolving motions critical to the case.
“Like the JIB, we are unconvinced that the respondent had no inkling of his brother’s association with Dayan, as congressional hearings in 2016 were much publicized,” the ruling read.
De Lima filed her first bail motion in December 2020 and another in March 2023. Buenaventura ruled on these motions only on June 7, 2023 denying them on grounds that “evidence of guilt is strong.”
He attributed the delay to work suspensions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court dismissed this reasoning, pointing out that videoconferencing hearings had been available since January 2021.
The former senator was detained in February 2017 over allegations of illegal drug trading during her tenure as Justice Secretary. She was released on bail in November 2023 after another Muntinlupa court granted her motion. In June 2024, she was acquitted of her final drug charge when same court dismissed it due to insufficient evidence. This marked her third acquittal after similar rulings cleared her in February 2021 and May 2023.
ISKUP! 