Administrative Order No. 191, December 29, 1965

REPRIMANDING AND WARNING COMMISSIONER RICARDO L. LATRONDO OF THE COURT OF AGRARIAN RELATIONS

This is an administrative case against Commissioner Ricardo L. Latrondo of the Court of Agrarian Relations initiated by the Executive Judge thereof for (1) absences from office without official leave; (2) absence at the hearing of CAR Case No. 46-Davao City on August 21, 1957; (3) holding office only a few hours a day; (4) misrepresentation that he had a tooth extraction to justify his absence; and (5) abandonment of official station in Manila without official leave.

The charges were investigated by a committee created by the Executive Judge of the Court of Agrarian Relations which conducted the hearings ex parte because of respondents refusal to appear before the committee. The investigators found the written explanation of the respondent as to the first, third and fifth specifications satisfactory and consequently dismissed said charges.

As to the second charge, respondents explanation discloses that five days before the date of the hearing of CAR No. 43, he knew of said hearing. He merely argues that the hearing was set by his clerk and not by him. Be that as it may, it is indisputable that respondent, by his own admission, knew of the scheduled hearing and still failed to attend or, at least, postpone the same.

As to the fourth charge, respondent in his explanation admits having presented a dental certificate falsely stating that he had a tooth extraction to justify an absence of three days. The fact that he was not the one who signed the certificate does not make him any less culpable because, knowing the contents to be false, he nevertheless presented the same to support his application for leave.

Respondent is therefore guilty of unjustifiable absence and misrepresentation.

Wherefore, respondent is hereby reprimanded and warned that repetition of the same or similar offense will be dealt with more severely.

Done in the City of Manila this 29th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-five.

(Sgd.) DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RAMON A. DIAZ

Executive Secretary