IMUS, Cavite — The Supreme Court has dismissed a court sheriff found guilty of accepting a bribe in connection with a drug-related case and permanently barred him from public service.
In an en banc decision, the high court ordered the dismissal of Dwight Aldwin Geronimo, Sheriff IV of the Imus Regional Trial Court Branch 121, after finding him guilty of gross misconduct.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Antolyn Gonzales, who alleged that Geronimo demanded P200,000 in exchange for expediting the court proceedings of her friend, Monib Amatonding, a drug case respondent. Geronimo allegedly boasted about being related to the presiding judge and promised that Amatonding would be granted bail.
Gonzales initially gave Geronimo P115,000, but after the court denied Amatonding’s petition for bail, the sheriff reportedly disappeared and ceased communication.
In his defense, Geronimo initially claimed he had borrowed the money, later changing his story to say he had solicited the funds to expose alleged corruption in the judiciary. The Judicial Integrity Board found his claims inconsistent and recommended his dismissal, which the Supreme Court upheld.
The high tribunal reiterated its warning to all court personnel to uphold the highest standards of integrity and serve as role models in public service.
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