Out of seven judges in Duterte’s list, only one presides over drugs court

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday named seven judges, who he said were coddlers of drug dealers.

Of the seven, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said one was killed in 2008, one was dismissed in 2007, and another retired in June.

Only one, according to Sereno, presided over an anti-illegal drugs court.

Sereno on Monday gave President Rodrigo Duterte background on the seven judges.

She made the disclosure in a four-page letter to the President in response to the tough-talking leader's revelation over the weekend.

The judges on the list were:

• Judge Lorenda Mupas of Dasmariñas City, Cavite MTC
• Judge Antonio  Reyes - Baguio City, RTC branch 61
• Judge Adriano Savillo - Iloilo City, RTC branch 30
• Judge Domingo Casiple - Kalibo, Aklan, RTC branch 7
• Judge (retired) Rene Gonzales - Iloilo City, MTCC
• Judge Roberto Navidad - Calbayog City, RTC branch 32
• Judge Exequil Dagala - MTC Dapa-Socorro, Surigao

Sereno said Mupas was dismissed in 2007 as a Metropolitan Trial Court judge of Dasmarinas, Cavite for gross ignorance of the law/misconduct.

"We request that her dishonorable discharge be duly considered and that she be not referred to as part of the judiciary as of nine years ago," Sereno said.

Navidad, on the other hand, was killed on January 14, 2008. He was 69.

Sereno said Gonzales retired on June 20, 2016, when he reached the mandatory retirement age.

She said Dagala did not have jurisdiction over drugs cases, "the same way that Judge Gonzales does not."

"It would be very helpful if the investigators who included the names of Judges Dagala and Gonzales inform the Court how these MTC judges can be considered as influencing the drug trade," Sereno said.

Sereno said Savillo is "a family court judge who does not have jurisdiction over drugs cases except in cases where a minor is a respondent."

She said Casiple was the judge of a court of general jurisdiction "without jurisdiction over drugs cases, i.e., until our recent decision to make all RTCs as drugs courts is implemented with the appropriate administrative circular."

Of the seven, Sereno said only Reyes presided over the designated drugs court in that multi-sala court.

Sereno has found Duterte's pronouncement premature, fearing this may affect render the concerned judge "useless" in discharging his or her duties.

"Thus, this Court has been careful, all too aware that more often than not, a good reputation is the primary badge of credibility and the only legacy that many of our judges can leave behind," Sereno said.

She also advised judges not to surrender to authorities if there was no arrest warrant.  —NB, GMA News