SC cites governor, law firm in contempt

The Supreme Court found Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba and his counsel Macalintal Law Office guilty of indirect contempt for failing to justify the withdrawal of a temporary restraining order that the high court urgently granted. “[I]t can be reasonably deduced that Mamba’s change of tune in the compliance is but a flimsy attempt to absolve himself from a contempt citation,” said the Court. It reiterated its 2020 ruling in Bank of Commerce vs Borromeo, reminding that “there should be a greater awareness on the part of the litigants that the time of the judiciary, much more so of the court, is too valuable to be wasted or frittered away.” Mamba and the law firm were meted a fine of P30,000 each with a “stern warning” that a repetition of their act would be dealt with more severely. —JANE BAUTISTA