SC raps homophobic judge

Supreme Court facade (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Supreme Court has suspended for 30 days without pay a Manila judge for making homophobic slurs against litigants and imposing his religious beliefs at work—settling over 100 cases by using the Bible.

In a statement on Thursday, the high tribunal said that Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Judge Jorge Emmanuel Lorredo was found liable for his “improper remarks.”

Aside from suspending him, it also imposed a fine of P50,000 for sexual harassment, simple misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a judge.

The court noted that this was Lorredo’s second administrative offense and warned him that “a repetition of the same or similar acts in the future shall be dealt with more severely.”

The high tribunal’s decision was promulgated on March 9 but was made public only on Wednesday.

Biased remarks

In 2019, litigants Marcelino Espejon and Erickson Cabonita filed a civil case against the judge for his remarks showing “bias and partiality” against them and their sexual orientation.

They said that during a preliminary conference, Lorredo persistently asked them if they were homosexuals and told them it was a “sin” that merited punishment from God.

“Being a homosexual, tomboy, lesbian, God doesn’t like that. If you have a lesbian relationship, your child will be punished,” the court quoted the judge as saying.

These remarks, the high tribunal said in the 18-page decision penned by Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, constituted homophobic slurs “which have no place in our courts of law.”

“Thus, for issuing the inappropriate statements, respondent judge violated the New Code of Judicial Conduct, which imposes on judges the duty to ensure equal treatment of all before the courts and to understand diversity arising from race, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, and social and economic status, among others,” it said.

The high tribunal also said the judge’s inappropriate remarks were found to be in violation of a Civil Service Commission resolution, which says that work-related sexual harassment are acts that might reasonably be expected to cause discrimination, insecurity, discomfort, offense or humiliation.

Bible-based decisions

It noted that Lorredo, who had admitted to having settled 101 cases using the Bible, allowed his religious beliefs to interfere with his judicial functions.

In his comment, Lorredo maintained that as a Christian, he merely tries his best to guide lawyers and litigants who appeared before him to arrive at a settlement with the help of the Bible.

He argued that he wanted to warn the complainants of God’s supposed dislike for homosexuals.

The court, however, said that judges should desist “from any word or conduct that would show or suggest anything other than inclusivity for members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” stressing that they must avoid not only impropriety but also the appearance of impropriety.

It reminded them that their actions should always be seen by the public as guided by the law and not by their personal or religious beliefs to avoid perception of “displays of religiosity as encroachment or interference with our system of justice.”