The Supreme Court (SC) has suspended, admonished, or fined eight trial court judges and sanctioned five court employees for various infractions in its continued purge of misfits in the judiciary.

In several resolutions, the SC warned that repeated infractions of the rules would mean severe penalties like dismissal from the service.

Suspended for three months without pay for unauthorized practice of law was regional trial court (RTC) Judge Elias O. Lelina Jr.

Fined were retired Judge Francisco B. Ibay of the Makati City RTC, Judge Cesar O. Untalan of the Makati City RTC, Judge Evelyn Gamotin-Nery of Opol-El Salvador, Misamis Oriental municipal circuit trial court (MCTC), Judge Gregorio D. Pantanosas Jr. of Cagayan de Oro City municipal trial court in cities (MTCC), Judge Enrique C. Asis of Naval, Biliran RTC, and former Judge Heriberto M Pangilinan of e Cuyo-Agutaya-Magsaysay, Palawan MCTC. They were ordered to pay fines ranging from P5,000 to PP40,000.

Admonished was Judge Jaime L. Dojillo, Sr. of the Manaoag, Pangasinan municipal trial court (MTC).

While some judges have retired, fines could still be imposed on them as the SC withheld certain portions of their retirement benefits on the basis of charges filed against them.

Court employees sanctioned were clerk of court Alfredo B. Magno of Cagayan de Oro City who was suspended for six months; clerk of court Concepcion Ching of Pangasinan who was suspended for six months; clerk of court Larizza Paguio Bacani of Meycauyan, Bulacan MTC who was suspended for one year without pay; sheriff Rogelio G. Jundarino of the Manila MTC who was fined equivalent to his three months’ salary; and clerk Salvacio D. Sermonia of Iloilo City MTCC who was suspended for six months without pay.