THE Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed due to lack of merit the administrative charges filed by Camarines Norte Rep. Josefina Tallado against two regional trial court judges in the said province.
In a decision promulgated on February 18, 2025 but only made public recently, the SC en banc, through Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario, upheld the findings of the Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) that Tallado’s complaint requesting for a judicial audit on Camarines Norte RTC Judges Arniel Dating and Winston Racoma has no basis and was only meant to “intimidate, harass, demoralize and influence them.”
To recall, Tallado sought the conduct of a judicial audit on Dating and Racoma in January 2021, claiming that they were allegedly involved in the anomalous issuances of temporary restraining orders.
After receiving Tallado’s complaint, the JIB initiated a probe which found no merit in the complaint.
The en banc upheld the JIB recommendation to dismiss the complaint, noting that it touched on the judges’ adjudicative functions which are not the subject of administrative cases.
The SC en banc also said the injunctions issued by the two judges had legal basis.
“Assuming Judges Racoma and Dating erred in issuing the assailed Orders, there is no evidence of fraud, dishonesty, corruption, gross ignorance, bad faith or deliberate intent to do an injustice that would render them administratively liable,” the court said.
“Considering the foregoing, the dismissal of the complaint against Judges Racoma and Dating is proper,” it added.
The en banc has also learned that Tallado’s husband is one of the respondents in a civil case that Racoma is handling which, the magistrates said, shows that she is an interested party in the matter.
“Accordingly, the Court resolves to adopt and approve the findings of fact, conclusion of law, and recommendation of the Judicial and Integrity Board. The instant administrative complaint against respondents former Presiding Judge Winston Racoma, Branch 39, Regional Trial Court, Daet, Camarines Norte, and Presiding Judge Arniel Dating, Branch 41, Regional Trial Court, Daet, Camarines Norte is dismissed for being judicial in nature and lack of merit,” the en banc ruled.
