barandon v. ferrer

4/2/2015 A.C. No. 5768

http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/march2010/5768.htm 1/9

SECONDDIVISIONATTY.BONIFACIOT.BARANDON,JR.,A.C.No.5768Complainant,Present:

CARPIO,J.,Chairperson,versusBRION,

DELCASTILLO,ABAD,andPEREZ,JJ.

ATTY.EDWINZ.FERRER,SR.,Respondent.Promulgated:

March26,2010xx

DECISIONABAD,J.:

Thisadministrativecaseconcernsalawyerwhoisclaimedtohavehurledinvectivesuponanotherlawyerandfiledabaselesssuitagainsthim.

TheFactsandtheCaseOnJanuary11,2001complainantAtty.BonifacioT.Barandon,Jr.filedacomplaint

affidavit[1]

withtheIntegratedBarofthePhilippinesCommissiononBarDiscipline(IBPCBD) seeking the disbarment, suspension from the practice of law, or imposition ofappropriate disciplinary action against respondent Atty. Edwin Z. Ferrer, Sr. for thefollowingoffenses:

1.OnNovember22,2000Atty.Ferrer,asplaintiffscounselinCivil

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Case 7040, filed a replywith opposition tomotion to dismiss that containedabusive, offensive, and improper language which insinuated that Atty.Barandonpresentedafalsifieddocumentincourt.

2. Atty.Ferrer fileda fabricatedchargeagainstAtty.Barandon inCivil Case 7040 for alleged falsification of public document when thedocument allegedly falsifiedwas anotarizeddocument executedonFebruary23,1994,atadatewhenAtty.BarandonwasnotyetalawyernorwasassignedinCamarinesNorte.Thelatterwasnotevenasignatorytothedocument.

3.OnDecember19,2000,atthecourtroomofMunicipalTrialCourt

(MTC) Daet before the start of hearing, Atty. Ferrer, evidently drunk,threatenedAtty.Barandonsaying,Labankunglaban,patayankungpatayan,kasama ang lahat ng pamilya. Wala na palang magaling na abogado saCamarinesNorte,angabogadonaritoaymgatagaCamarinesSur,umuwinakayosaCamarinesSur,hindikayotagarito.

4. Atty. Ferrer made his accusation of falsification of publicdocumentwithoutbotheringtocheckthecopywiththeOfficeoftheClerkofCourtand,withgrossignoranceofthelaw,failedtoconsiderthatanotarizeddocumentispresumedtobegenuineandauthenticuntilprovenotherwise.

5. TheCourthadwarnedAtty.Ferrer in his first disbarment caseagainstrepeatinghisunethicalactyethefacesadisbarmentchargeforsexualharassment of an office secretary of the IBP Chapter in Camarines Norte arelatedcriminalcaseforactsoflasciviousnessandcriminalcasesforlibelandgrave threats that Atty. Barandon filed against him. In October 2000, Atty.Ferrer askedAtty. Barandon to falsify the daily time record of his son whoworkedwiththeCommissiononSettlementofLandProblems,DepartmentofJustice.WhenAtty.Barandondeclined,Atty.Ferrer repeatedlyharassedhimwithinflammatorylanguage.

Atty.Ferrerraisedthefollowingdefensesinhisanswerwithmotiontodismiss:

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1. Instead of having the alleged forged document submitted for

examination, Atty. Barandon filed charges of libel and grave threats againsthim.ThesechargescameaboutbecauseAtty.FerrersclientsfiledacaseforfalsificationofpublicdocumentagainstAtty.Barandon.

2. The offended party in the falsification case, Imelda Palatolon,

vouchsafedthatherthumbmarkinthewaiverdocumenthadbeenfalsified.

3.AtthetimeAtty.Ferrerallegedlyutteredthethreateningremarksagainst Atty. Barandon, the MTC Daet was already in session. It wasimprobable that the court did not take steps to stop, admonish, or cite Atty.Ferrerindirectcontemptforhisbehavior.

4.Atty.BarandonpresentednoevidenceinsupportofhisallegationsthatAtty.FerrerwasdrunkonDecember19,2000andthathedegradedthelawprofession. The latter had received various citations that speak well of hischaracter.

5. The cases of libel and grave threats that Atty. Barandon filedagainstAtty.Ferrerwerestillpending.Theirmerefilingdidnotmakethelatterguiltyofthecharges.Atty.Barandonwasforumshoppingwhenhefiled thisdisbarmentcasesinceitreferredtothesamelibelandgravethreatssubjectofthecriminalcases.

Inhisreplyaffidavit,[2]

Atty.Barandonbroughtupasixthgroundfordisbarment.HeallegedthatonDecember29,2000atabout1:30p.m.,whileAtty.Ferrerwasonboardhissons taxi, it figured in a collision with a tricycle, resulting in serious injuries to the

tricyclespassengers.[3]

ButneitherAtty.Ferrer nor anyof his copassengershelped thevictimsand,duringthepoliceinvestigation,hedeniedknowingthetaxidriverandblamedthetricycledriverforbeingdrunk.Atty.Ferreralsopreventedaneyewitnessfromreporting

theaccidenttotheauthorities.[4]

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Atty.Barandon claimed that the falsification case against him had already beendismissed.HebelittledthecitationsAtty.Ferrerallegedlyreceived.Onthecontrary,inits

Resolution001,[5]

the IBPCamarinesNorteChapter opposedhis application to serve asjudge of theMTCofMercedes,Camarines Sur, on the ground that he did not have thequalifications,integrity,intelligence,industryandcharacterofatrialjudgeandthathewasfacing a criminal charge for acts of lasciviousness and a disbarment case filed by anemployeeofthesameIBPchapter.OnOctober10,2001InvestigatingCommissionerMilagrosV.SanJuanoftheIBPCBDsubmittedtothisCourtaReport,recommendingthesuspensionfortwoyearsofAtty.Ferrer. The InvestigatingCommissioner foundenoughevidenceon record toproveAtty.FerrersviolationofCanons8.01and7.03oftheCodeofProfessionalResponsibility.HeattributedtoAtty.Barandon,ascounselinCivilCase7040,thefalsificationoftheplaintiffsaffidavit despite the absenceof evidence that thedocumenthad in factbeen falsified andthatAtty.Barandonwasapartytoit.TheInvestigatingCommissioneralsofoundthatAtty.Ferrer uttered the threatening remarks imputed to him in the presence of other counsels,courtpersonnel,andlitigantsbeforethestartofhearing.

OnJune29,2002theIBPBoardofGovernorspassedResolutionXV2002225,[6]

adoptingandapprovingtheInvestigatingCommissionersrecommendationbutreducedthepenaltyofsuspensiontoonlyoneyear.

Atty. Ferrer filed a motion for reconsideration but the Board denied it in its

Resolution[7]

ofOctober19,2002onthegroundthatithadalreadyendorsedthemattertotheSupremeCourt.OnFebruary5,2003,however,theCourtreferredbackthecasetothe

IBPforresolutionofAtty.Ferrersmotionforreconsideration.[8]

OnMay22,2008theIBP

Board of Governors adopted and approved the Report and Recommendation[9]

of the

InvestigatingCommissionerthatdeniedAtty.Ferrersmotionforreconsideration.[10]

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OnFebruary17,2009,Atty.FerrerfiledaCommentonBoardofGovernorsIBP

NoticeofResolutionNo.XVIII2008.[11]

OnAugust12,2009theCourtresolvedtotreatAtty.Ferrers comment as a petition for review under Rule 139 of the Revised Rules of

Court. Atty.Barandon filed his comment,[12]

reiterating his arguments before the IBP.Further, he presented certified copies of orders issued by courts in CamarinesNorte that

warnedAtty.Ferreragainstappearingincourtdrunk.[13]

TheIssuesPresentedTheissuespresentedinthiscaseare:

1. Whether or not the IBP Board of Governors and the IBP InvestigatingCommissioner erred in finding respondentAtty. Ferrer guilty of the charges against himand

2.Ifintheaffirmative,whetherornotthepenaltyimposedonhimisjustified.

TheCourtsRulingWehaveexaminedtherecordsofthiscaseandfindnoreasontodisagreewiththefindings and recommendation of the IBP Board of Governors and the InvestigatingCommissioner. Thepracticeoflawisaprivilegegiventolawyerswhomeetthehighstandardsoflegal proficiency and morality. Any violation of these standards exposes the lawyer to

administrativeliability.[14]

Canon8oftheCodeofProfessionalResponsibilitycommandsalllawyerstoconductthemselves with courtesy, fairness and candor towards their fellow lawyers and avoidharassingtacticsagainstopposingcounsel.Specifically,inRule8.01,theCodeprovides:

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Rule8.01.Alawyershallnot,inhisprofessionaldealings,uselanguagewhichisabusive,offensiveorotherwiseimproper.

Atty.FerrersactionsdonotmeasureuptothisCanon.TheevidenceshowsthatheimputedtoAtty.BarandonthefalsificationoftheSalaysayAffidavitoftheplaintiffinCivilCase 7040. He made this imputation with pure malice for he had no evidence that theaffidavithadbeenfalsifiedandthatAtty.Barandonauthoredthesame.

Moreover,Atty.Ferrercouldhaveairedhischargeoffalsificationinaproperforum

and without using offensive and abusive language against a fellow lawyer. To quoteportionsofwhathesaidinhisreplywithmotiontodismiss:

1. Thattheanswerisfraughtwithgraveandculpablemisrepresentation

and FALSIFICATION of documents, committed tomislead thisHonorableCourt,butwithconcomitantgraveresponsibilityofcounselforDefendants,fordistortionandserious misrepresentation to the court, for presenting a grossly FALSIFIEDdocument,inviolationofhisoathofofficeasagovernmentemployeeandasmemberoftheBar,forthereason,that,Plaintiff,IMELDAPALATOLON,hasneverexecutedtheSALAYSAY AFFIDAVIT, wherein her fingerprint has been falsified, in viewwhereof, hereby DENY the same including the affirmative defenses, there being noknowledgeorinformationtoformabeliefastothetruthofthesame,frompars.(1)topar. (15) which are all lies and mere fabrications, sufficient ground for

DISBARMENToftheoneresponsibleforsaidfalsificationanddistortions.[15]

The Court has constantly reminded lawyers to use dignified language in their

pleadingsdespitetheadversarialnatureofourlegalsystem.[16]

Atty.FerrerhadlikewiseviolatedCanon7oftheCodeofProfessionalResponsibilitywhichenjoinslawyerstoupholdthedignityandintegrityofthelegalprofessionatalltimes.Rule7.03oftheCodeprovides:

Rule7.03.Alawyershallnotengageinconductthatadverselyreflectonhisfitnesstopractice law, nor shall he, whether in public or private life behave in scandalousmannertothediscreditofthelegalprofession.

SeveraldisinterestedpersonsconfirmedAtty.Ferrersdrunken invectivesatAtty.Barandonshortlybeforethestartofacourthearing.Atty.Ferrerdidnotpresentconvincingevidencetosupporthisdenialofthisparticularcharge.Hemerelypresentedacertification

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from the police that its blotter for the day did not report the threat he supposedlymade.Atty.Barandonpresented,however,thepoliceblotteronasubsequentdatethatrecordedhiscomplaintagainstAtty.Ferrer.Atty.Ferrersaid,Labankunglaban,patayankungpatayan,kasamaang lahatngpamilya.WalanapalangmagalingnaabogadosaCamarinesNorte,angabogadonaritoay mga tagaCamarines Sur, umuwi na kayo sa Camarines Sur, hindi kayo tagarito.Evidently,heutteredthesewithintenttoannoy,humiliate,incriminate,anddiscreditAtty.Barandonin thepresenceof lawyers,courtpersonnel,andlitigantswaitingfor thestartofhearing in court. These language is unbecoming amember of the legal profession. TheCourtcannotcountenanceit.

Though a lawyers language may be forceful and emphatic, it should always bedignifiedandrespectful,befittingthedignityofthelegalprofession.Theuseofintemperate

language and unkind ascriptions has no place in the dignity of judicial forum.[17]

Atty.Ferreroughttohaverealizedthatthissortofpublicbehaviorcanonlybringdownthelegalprofession in the public estimation and erode public respect for it. Whatever moralrighteousnessAtty.Ferrerhadwasnegatedbythewayhechosetoexpresshisindignation.ContrarytoAtty.Ferrersallegation,theCourtfindsthathehasbeenaccordeddueprocess.Theessenceofdueprocessistobefoundinthereasonableopportunitytobeheard

and submit any evidence one may have in support of ones defense.[18]

So long as thepartiesaregiven theopportunity toexplain theirside, therequirementsofdueprocessare

satisfactorily complied with.[19]

Here, the IBP Investigating Commissioner gave Atty.FerreralltheopportunitiestofilecountlesspleadingsandrefutealltheallegationsofAtty.Barandon. All lawyersshould takeheed that theyare licensedofficersof thecourtswhoaremandated to maintain the dignity of the legal profession, hence they must conduct

themselveshonorablyandfairly.[20]

Atty.Ferrersdisplayofimproperattitude,arrogance,misbehavior,andmisconductintheperformanceofhisdutiesbothasalawyerandofficerof

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thecourt,beforethepublicandthecourt,wasapatenttransgressionoftheveryethicsthatlawyersaresworntouphold. ACCORDINGLY,theCourtAFFIRMS theMay22,2008ResolutionoftheIBPBoardofGovernorsinCBDCase01809andORDERS thesuspensionofAtty.EdwinZ.Ferrer,Sr.fromthepracticeoflawforoneyeareffectiveuponhisreceiptofthisDecision.

LetacopyofthisDecisionbeenteredinAtty.FerrerspersonalrecordasanattorneywiththeOfficeoftheBarConfidantandacopyofthesamebeservedtotheIBPandtotheOfficeoftheCourtAdministratorforcirculationtoallthecourtsintheland.

SOORDERED.

ROBERTOA.ABAD

AssociateJusticeWECONCUR:

ANTONIOT.CARPIOAssociateJustice

ARTUROD.BRIONMARIANOC.DELCASTILLOAssociateJusticeAssociateJustice

JOSEPORTUGALPEREZAssociateJustice

4/2/2015 A.C. No. 5768


[1]Rollo,pp.29.

[2]Id.at71.

[3]Id.at73.

[4]Id.at7475.

[5]Id.at120.

[6]Id.at137.

[7]Id.at164.

[8]Id.at203.

[9]Id.at585600.

[10]Id.at584.

[11]Id.at601606.

[12]Id.at728734.

[13]Id.at740741.

[14]Garciav.Bala,A.C.No.5039,November25,2005,476SCRA85,91.

[15]Rollo,p.12.

[16]Saberonv.Larong,A.C.No.6567,April16,2008,551SCRA359,368.

[17]DelaRosav.CourtofAppealsJustices,454Phil.718,727(2003).

[18]Batongbakalv.Zafra,489Phil.367,378(2005).

[19]Calmav.CourtofAppeals,362Phil.297,304(1999).

[20]Atty.Reyesv.Atty.Chiong,Jr.,453Phil.99,104(2003).

barandon v. ferrer

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