Case Digest: FIRST WOMEN’S CREDIT CORPORATION and SHIG KATAYAMA v. HON. ROMMEL O. BAYBAY, et al.

FIRST WOMEN’S CREDIT CORPORATION and SHIG KATAYAMA
v. HON. ROMMEL O. BAYBAY, et al.

        First Women‘s Credit Corp. (First Women), represented by stockholder and director Shig Katayama (Katayama), filed criminal charges against Ramon P. Jacinto (Jacinto), Jaime C. Colayco (Colayco), Antonio P. Tayao (Tayao) and Glicerio Perez (Perez) for falsification of private document and grave coercion.

        The criminal charges did not pursue when Jacinto, et al., filed a “Motion to Withdraw Informations and to Dismiss the Cases.” The same was granted by Acting Presiding Judge Rommel Baybay of MeTC of Makati.

         Kayatama filed a “Motion for Reconsideration” and was denied by the trial court. Kayatama questioned the decision of the RTC contending that the decision was not in accordance with law.

ISSUE:

Whether or not the trial court failed to comply with its mandate to make an independent assessment and evaluation before granting the motion of the accused

HELD:

Petition DENIED.

Kayatama‘s assertion that the trial court failed to comply with its mandate to make an independent assessment and evaluation of the evidence before granting the motion does not persuade.

The court said that the trial judge need not state with specificity or make a lengthy exposition of the factual and legal foundation relied upon by him to arrive at his decision. It suffices that upon his own personal evaluation of the evidence and the law involved in the case, he is convinced that there is no probable cause to indict the accused.