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Eduardo P. Pilapil vs. Francis E. Garchitorena, et al.

EDUARDO P. PILAPIL, petitioner, vs. HON. FRANCIS E. GARCHITORENA, as Presiding Justice, Sandiganbayan; HON. JOSE S. BALAJADIA, HON. HARRIET O. DEMETRIOU, and HON. ROBERTO M. LAGMAN, as Members of the Sandiganbayan, Second Division; and PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, respondents.

G.R. No. 128790 | 1998-11-25

D E C I S I O N


DAVIDE, JR., J.:

This special civil action for certiorari and prohibition, with application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, raises the following issues:

[1] May the Sandiganbayan try and decide Criminal Case No. 16672 where its presiding justice, Hon. Francis E. Garchitorena, is a party thereto without violating the impartiality requirement in the due process clause?

[2] May Presiding Justice Francis E. Garchitorena assign said case to the Second Division of the Sandiganbayan upon voluntary inhibition of Justice Cipriano del Rosario of the Third Division where the case was originally...