The Supreme Court has dismissed a trial court judge in Zamboanga Sibugay from the judiciary and suspended him from the practice of law for three years after finding him administratively liable for gross immorality over an extramarital affair that resulted in the birth of a child.

In an 8 April 2026 per curiam decision uploaded recently, the Supreme Court En Banc found Municipal Circuit Trial Court Judge Gino Jovito Aranas liable based on a complaint filed by his wife, Emelie, after she discovered the affair.

The Court also ordered the forfeiture of Aranas' retirement benefits and permanently disqualified him from reinstatement or appointment to any public office.

The high court said the evidence established that Aranas maintained an illicit relationship with another woman, who later gave birth to their son.

It noted that Aranas signed the child's birth certificate as the father and admitted giving the child a parcel of land.

The Court rejected Aranas' claim that the relationship was only a "one-time fling," stressing that the frequency of an immoral act does not diminish its nature.

"Otherwise stated, having an affair with someone other than his or her spouse, regardless of how many times it happened, is inherently immoral, and there can never be an excuse for it," the Court said.

The Court, however, found insufficient evidence to support allegations that Aranas fired a handgun inside their home or threatened those who opposed his relationship.

Despite dismissing him from the judiciary, the Court stopped short of disbarring Aranas, citing mitigating and humanitarian considerations.

It said permanently stripping him of his legal profession would adversely affect his son, who depends on him for financial support.

"The Court condemns and denounces the actions of Judge Aranas, but if the Court imposes upon him the penalty of disbarment and deprives his son of his right to live a modest life, the Court will be condemning an innocent child for a misdemeanor he is not and cannot be a part of," the decision read.

The Court considered Aranas' admission of the affair, his apology, and his efforts to reconcile with his wife as mitigating circumstances.

It also noted that although he left the family home, he did so after being forced to leave and continued to acknowledge and support his son.

The Supreme Court reminded members of the legal profession that lawyers must uphold integrity in both their public and private lives, saying those who fail to obey the law in their personal affairs cannot be expected to faithfully uphold it in their professional duties.