Govendo said he heard the phrase on TV shows, and interpreted it as meaning “goodbye buddy, lad or friend.”
“I am particularly distressed that both the investigative judge and the special ethics prosecutor seem to believe that I am somehow prejudiced or racially insensitive toward Filipinos. This is untrue,” Govendo stated in his declaration in support of opposition to motion for summary disposition submitted to the Supreme Court.
Govendo estimated that over 60 percent of the cases he handled in Family Court involved Filipinos, from divorces, guardianships, adoptions, wardships, child support cases, and domestic violence cases.
Govendo said: “If I were prejudiced against Filipinos, don’t you think that there would be more complainants against me? Judge [Ramona V.] Manglona, the complainant, was not complaining that I was prejudiced or racially insensitive.”
“The idea that I am somehow racially insensitive was conjured up by the investigating judge and followed up by the special ethics prosecutor,” Govendo said.
He said it was his and the court’s duty to protect the victim of Roger Castillo.
During a court hearing, Govendo told Castillo, “I want to see you leave the Northern Mariana Islands. And when you leave, I will be at the airport to go ‘adios muchacho! Don’t come back!”
Govendo said he was convinced that no matter what he ordered, “Castillo was determined to disobey court order and would continue threatening to kill [his victim].”
Castillo, who claimed to be a former member of the Philippine terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, served a prison term for stalking his former common-law wife and was also convicted of domestic violence involving the same victim.
He agreed to be deported in Nov. 2008.
Govendo filed the motion to oppose the motion for summary disposition, since he considered it very important to have a hearing.
“If this court is going decide this matter by summary disposition, a decision that I believe is clearly in error, a public hearing is still necessary so that I can state the full story, refute the allegations, call witnesses, and argue for mitigation,” Govendo said.
“I consider anything less to be a grave disservice to the judiciary and it will erode the public’s confidence in the judiciary,” he added.
He categorically denied violating the Canons of Judicial Ethics and the Rules of Judicial Disciplinary Procedure.
The resolution of the case of Roger Castillo’s victim received national attention as a domestic violence success story.
