The Supreme Court (SC) discharged a female clerk of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Makati City on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to embezzle P277,000 in court collections.
Charlibeth Sicad, Clerk III of the Cashier Unit of Makati's Office of the Clerk of Court-Metropolitan Trial Court (OCC-MeTC), was found guilty of gross misconduct by the Supreme Court's en banc on June 27.
According to the High Court, Sicad's unauthorized taking of cash collections amounting to PhP277,000.00 constitutes theft, which is a crime involving moral turpitude.
The incident happened in February 2022, when Sicad relieved the cashier on duty.
The cashier on duty received a text message and a phone call regarding a reported delivery of documents from a supposed Lalamove rider, causing her to request that Sicad relieve her at the cashier station.
Sicad allegedly changed the cash in the money drawer with false bills while the cashier was out, as discovered by the same cashier.
The High Court further stated that the text message from the alleged Lalamove driver was a ruse to distract the cashier from her duties.
The Supreme Court also ordered the confiscation of Sicad's advantages and privileges, as well as her permanent ineligibility to work for the government. Sicad has been charged with qualified stealing, and the case is currently before the trial court.
The High Court emphasized that thievery, "no matter how petty," has no place in the Judiciary and that all of its personnel must be examples of integrity, uprightness, and honesty.
