A Cavite sheriff was dismissed by the Supreme Court (SC) for gross misconduct after he was found guilty of accepting bribe money in connection with a drug case.

The Court en banc in a unanimous per curiam decision, ordered the dismissal of Dwight Aldwin Geronimo, Sheriff IV of the Regional Trial Court Branch 121 in Imus, revoking all his retirement benefits and permanently barring him from holding public office.

The decision, dated 9 July 2025, came after a complaint was filed by Antolyn Dones Gonzales, who accused Geronimo of demanding P200,000 in exchange for allegedly helping expedite the release of her friend, Monib Saadoning Amatonding, who was facing illegal drug charges.

Geronimo claimed the presiding judge was his aunt and that he could arrange for Amatonding to be granted bail.

Initially, Gonzales gave him P115,000, with the balance to be paid once bail was granted. But when the court denied Amatonding’s bail, Geronimo vanished — blocking Gonzales on Facebook and changing his phone number. Screenshots of their conversations on Facebook Messenger later supported Gonzales’ allegations.

Geronimo initially claimed the money was a personal loan. He later shifted his defense, saying he was merely pretending to cooperate with Gonzales to expose alleged corruption within the judiciary.

Both explanations were rejected by the Supreme Court.

Geronimo was found guilty of gross misconduct by the Judicial Integrity Board, a finding affirmed by the Supreme Court.

It stressed that any solicitation or acceptance of money by court personnel from individuals involved in pending cases violates multiple provisions of the Code of Conduct for Court Personnel.

“Court employees should never use their positions for personal gain or accept gifts that might influence their official actions,” the Court emphasized.

Noting that this was not Geronimo’s first offense, which weighed heavily in the decision to impose the ultimate penalty of dismissal.

The SC reiterated its reminder to all judiciary personnel to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, declaring that even the perception of impropriety can erode public trust in the justice system.