There is no plan to abolish the Court of Appeals branch in Cebu amid reports that its justices are involved in corruption, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno said yesterday.

"No, there is no thought of abolishing the CA in Cebu," Puno said upon his arrival at the airport here yesterday morning.

Puno, who was the guest of honor at the induction of officers of the Negros Occidental Regional Trial Court Judges Association last night, said the regionalization of the appellate courts in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro is provided by law.

Thus, he said, "If there will be any move to abolish these regional CAs then the move certainly would have to come from Congress."

When asked about nepotism in the judiciary, Puno said "I don't think that is a problem in the regional trial courts. That is a problem in the appellate courts especially in the Court of Appeals," the chief justice said , but he did not elaborate.

Reports on the possible abolition of the CA in Cebu surfaced after it was reported that its justices are engaged in "selling" of temporary restraining orders to government officials who have either been ordered suspended or dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Supreme Court had issued a ruling that all cases decided by the Office of the Ombudsman shall be reviewed only by the CA through petitions for certiorari.

Meanwhile, Puno, in his message to the RTC judges in Negros Occidental, led by Judge Franklin Demonteverde, said, "Indeed, we in the judiciary are the ones charged with responsibility of preserving the norms and effectuating the changes needed to promote public confidence in the judicial system."

He added that jurists not only have the duty to be fair and just in the manner by which they adjudicate cases. "We also have the crucial responsibility of ensuring that, in doing so, we are conveying the credibility and the efficiency of the judicial system," he said.*NLG

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