Question

Mr. Santos filed a civil case against Ms. Garcia before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for the recovery of a certain sum of money. After conducting the trial and evaluating the evidence presented, the trial court rendered its decision on August 15, 2022. However, until now, the judge has not yet signed and promulgated the decision.

On the other hand, Ms. Garcia filed a motion for reconsideration within the reglementary period, but the RTC failed to act on the motion. Due to the delay in promulgating the decision and resolving the motion for reconsideration, Mr. Santos is requesting the court to impose sanctions against the judge for not rendering a timely judgment.

Discuss the duty of the court to render judgment as provided for in Article 9 of the Civil Code and its effect on the case filed by Mr. Santos. Can the court impose sanctions for the delay in rendering judgment? Explain your answer.