am_p-02-1641_2004

YNARES-SANTIAGO, J.:

Respondent Juliet C. Banag is the Clerk of Court of the Municipal Trial Court of Plaridel, Bulacan. An audit was conducted in her office on September 18, 2001. Since respondent was on leave that day, Ms. Evelyn Ramos, the Court Interpreter, handed to the audit team the office's cash on hand amounting to P2,740.00.

Of this sum, P1,790.00 pertained to the Judiciary Development Fund, P860.00 to the Clerk of Court General Fund and P90.00 to the Legal Research Fund. Later that day, respondent arrived at her office and turned over to the team several stale checks in the total amount of P142,800.00, representing unwithdrawn confiscated bonds and fines. The audit revealed the following findings: 1.

There was an unremitted collection for the period of August 1, 2001 to September 16, 2001 in the Judiciary Development Fund in the amount of P23,477.25. 2. Respondent was usually late in depositing her collections.

The following table shows that the remittances were delayed for several months1 : Period of Collection Date Remitted Amount October 1999-December 1999 June 19 & 22, 2000 P 37,141.40 January 2000-April 2000 June 22, 2000 35,701.40 May 2000 December 29, 2000 11,630.00 June 2000-December 2000 June 25, 2001 74,441.60 January 2001-April 2001 June 28, 2001 44,782.35 May 2001 August 2, 2001 9,486.50 June 2001-July 2001 August 14, 2001 21,330.40 August 2001-September 2001 September 17, 2001 17,831.70 TOTAL