Judge draws ‘light’ penalty for sexual harassment
Jolene Bulambot, Inquirer Visayas Bureau
Philippine Daily Inquirer
CEBU CITY-”Too light.” This was how the two women described the six-month suspension imposed by the Supreme Court on a Cebu judge for sexually harassing them on separate occasions in 2001.
Lawyer Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu said her clients Grace Veloso and Ma. Joeylynn Quiñoness would file a motion for reconsideration to seek the dismissal of Judge Anacleto Caminade who handled Branches 6 and 18 of the Cebu Regional Trial Court.
“My clients were dismayed because they expected a higher penalty. They were not just ordinary litigants but were directly working for the court so the judge had moral ascendancy over them,” Dalawampu said.
“The SC, in the previous cases of sexual harassment, had imposed the penalty of dismissal and forfeiture of all benefits. In our motion, we would pray for that,” she added.
Veloso is a lawyer at the Public Attorney’s Office while Quiñoness worked as a clerk at Caminade’s sala.
When sought for comment, Caminade told reporters on Thursday afternoon that he has yet to receive an official copy of the decision.
But the judge got irked when reporters asked if he would ask the high tribunal to reconsider. He then told reporters to get out of his “sala” (courtroom) without answering the question.
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