SC orders Badoy to pay P13,000 fine

The Supreme Court ordered retired Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Anacleto Badoy Jr. yesterday to pay a fine of P13,000 for "conduct unbecoming of a justice" for whisking himself in an ambulance to a television station for a live interview more than a year ago.

Badoy used to chair the anti-graft court’s third division which handled the plunder and other cases against former President Joseph Estrada.

In a 27-page unanimous decision penned by Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, the Supreme Court found Badoy guilty of violating the Code of Judicial Conduct when he took an ambulance on Nov. 29, 2001 and "whisked himself" to the GMA-7 station in Quezon City for a live interview "instead of going to the hospital."

"Judges, like ordinary mortals, are subject to human limitations. At times, the great tides of perturbing and overwhelming emotions engulf them. Notwithstanding so, they are expected to be cerebral men who can control their confounding emotions and idiosyncratic inclinations. Otherwise, they will be held answerable for their conduct," the High Court said.

The tribunal found meritorious the administrative complaint filed against Badoy by Estrada, his son Jinggoy and their lawyers.

During the live interview with Mike Enriquez of the news program Saksi, Badoy revealed the loss of a resolution he penned in connection with Estrada’s plunder case.

The High Court subsequently asked Badoy to explain why he should not be administratively charged with conduct unbecoming a Sandiganbayan justice.

Badoy complied and explained that three days prior to the incident, he could not find his resolution ordering Estrada to be detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Badoy said he requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct an investigation, but to no avail.

He said he decided to go to GMA-7 and report the loss of the resolution so "the public may know I’m honest."

Badoy said he chose to ride in an ambulance in going to the TV station because he felt very sick and cold and that he intended to proceed to a hospital after the interview.