SECOND DIVISION
A.C. No. 11616 [Formerly CBD Case No. 08-2141], August 23, 2017
LITO V. BUENVIAJE, Complainant, v. ATTY. MELCHOR G. MAGDAMO, Respondent.
D E C I S I O N
PERALTA, J.:
Before us is an Administrative Complaint dated December 28, 2007 filed by Lito Buenviaje1 (Buenviaje) against respondent Atty. Melchor G. Magdamo (Atty. Magdamo), docketed as A.C. No. 11616 for violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
The antecedent facts are as follows:
In the instant Complaint dated December 28, 2007, Buenviaje alleged that he was married to the late Fe Gonzalo-Buenviaje as evidenced by NSO issued Marriage Contract Register No. 87-13503-A.2 Fe died on September 17, 2007.
Meanwhile, Atty. Magdamo was the counsel of Fe's sisters, Lydia and Florenia Gonzalo, who filed a criminal case for bigamy against Buenviaje. They claimed that Buenviaje was married to a certain Amalia Ventura in 1978, thus, making him guilty of bigamy.
In an attempt to protect the rights and interests of his clients in securing the monies of their sibling, deceased Fe Gonzalo, Atty. Magdamo sent a Notice of Death of Depositor3 dated October 11, 2007 to the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)-Dagupan Branch where Buenviaje and Fe appeared to have a joint account. The pertinent portion of said Notice reads as follows:
"x x x xAggrieved, Buenviaje filed the instant administrative complaint against Atty. Magdamo for violation of Rule 1.01, Canon 7 , Rule 7.03 and Rule 19.01 of the Code of Professional Responsibility. Buenviaje averred that in Atty. Magdamo's Notice of Death of Depositor dated October 11, 2007 sent to the BPI-Dagupan Branch, he untruthfully and maliciously quoted the following statements: (1) "a clever swindler by the name of Lito Buenviaje made it appear on spurious document that he is the husband of Fe Gonzalo when in truth and in fact Lito Buenviaje is married to Amalia Valero", (2) "since August 24, 2007, Lito V. Buenviaje has been a fugitive from justice as he has been hiding from the criminal charge in People of the Philippines versus Lito Buenviaje y Visayana, case number 7H-103365 pending in the City of Manila", and (3) "Fe never had a husband or child in her entire life" to his prejudice.
FE SOLIS GONZALO was formerly an Overseas Filipina Worker (OFW) Nurse in Switzerland whose lifetime savings is now in an account in BPI-Dagupan. She came back to the Philippines to spend the last days of her life with her family in San Fabian, Pangasinan. Unfortunately, while she was terminally ill and while residing in Manila so as to be near Saint Luke's Hospital, a clever swindler by the name of LITO BUENVIAJE made it appear on spurious documents that he is the husband of Fe Gonzalo when in truth and in fact LITO BUENVIAJE is married to AMALIA VALERA.
x x x x
Moreover, ever since 24 August 2007, LITO V. BUENVIAJE has been a fugitive from justice as he has been hiding from the criminal charge in People of the Philippines versus Lito Buenviaje y Visayana, case number 7H-103365, pending in the City of Manila.
x x x x
Fe never had a husband or child in her entire life. x x x" (Emphasis ours)
CANON 8 — A lawyer shall conduct himself with courtesy, fairness and candor towards his professional colleagues, and shall avoid harassing tactics against the opposing counsel.In the instant case, Atty. Magdamo's actuations do not measure up to this Canon. The records show that he referred to Buenviaje as a "swindler". He made this imputation with pure malice for he had no evidence that Buenviaje is committing swindling activities. Even if he was suspicious of Buenviaje, he should have refrained from making such malicious reference or name-calling for he should know as a lawyer that the mere filing of a complaint against a person does not guarantee a finding of guilt, and that an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here, other than the criminal complaint for bigamy which Fe's siblings filed before the prosecutor's office, there were no other cases decided against Buenviaje.
Rule 8.01. — A lawyer shall not, in his professional dealings, use language which is abusive, offensive or otherwise improper.
Rule 10.02 - A lawyer shall not knowingly misquote or misrepresent the contents of a paper, the language or the argument of opposing counsel, or the text of a decision or authority, or knowingly cite as law a provision already rendered inoperative by repeal or amendment, or assert as a fact that which has not been proved. (Emphasis ours)Equally incredulous is Atty. Magdamo's statement in the Notice that "Lito V. Buenviaje has been a fugitive from justice as he has been hiding from the criminal charge in People vs. Lito Buenviaje y Visayana, case number 7H-103365, pending in the City of Manila". Upon review, it appears that case number 7H-103365 is the same bigamy case which Fe's siblings filed against Buenviaje before the Prosecutor's Office of Manila. At the time Atty. Magdamo made the subjects statement in the Notice to BPI-Dagupan, he knew that there was no final resolution yet from the prosecutor's office, no case has yet to be filed in the courts, there was no warrant of arrest against Buenviaje, and more importantly, there was no evidence that Buenviaje had any intent to flee prosecution as he even filed the instant case and participated in the proceedings hereto. A mere charge or allegation of wrongdoing does not suffice. Accusation is not synonymous with guilt. There must always be sufficient evidence to support the charge.9 As to why Atty. Magdamo made such malicious statements is beyond this Court's comprehension.
The Court cannot countenance the ease with which lawyers, in the hopes of strengthening their cause in a motion for inhibition, make grave and unfounded accusations of unethical conduct or even wrongdoing against other members of the legal profession. It is the duty of members of the Bar to abstain from all offensive personality and to advance no fact prejudicial to the honor or reputation of a party or witness, unless required by the justness of the cause with which they are charged. (emphasis ours)Finally, it must be emphasized anew that, in support of the cause of their clients, lawyers have the duty to present every remedy or defense within the authority of the law. However, a client's cause does not permit an attorney to cross the line between liberty and license.14 The lawyer's duty to its clients must never be at the expense of truth and justice. As explained in Choa v. Chiongson:15
While a lawyer owes absolute fidelity to the cause of his client, full devotion to his genuine interest, and warm zeal in the maintenance and defense of his rights, as well as the exertion of his utmost learning and ability, he must do so only within the bounds of the law. He must give a candid and honest opinion on the merits and probable results of his client's case with the end in view of promoting respect for the law and legal processes, and counsel or maintain such actions or proceedings only as it appears to him to be just, and such defenses only as he believes to be honestly debatable under the law. He must always remind himself of the oath he took upon admission to the Bar that he will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit nor give aid nor consent to the same; and that he will conduct [himself] as a lawyer according to the best of [his] knowledge and discretion with all good fidelity as well to the courts as to [his] clients. Needless to state, the lawyers fidelity to his client must not be pursued at the expense of truth and the administration of justice, and it must be done within the bounds of reason and common sense. A lawyers responsibility to protect and advance the interests of his client does not warrant a course of action propelled by ill motives and malicious intentions against the other party.Based on the foregoing, We cannot countenance Atty. Magdamo's use of offensive and disrespectful language in his Notice addressed to BPI-Dagupan. He clearly violated Canons 8 and 10 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, for his actions erode the public's perception of the legal profession. We, thus, sustain the findings and recommendation of the IBP-Board of Governors.
Endnotes:
1Rollo, pp. 2-6.
2Id. at 122.
3Id. at 12.
4Id. at 111-120.
5Id. at 26.
6Id. at 138-141.
7Id. at 137.
8Id. at 157.
9Spouses Boyboy v. Yabut, Jr., 449 Phil. 664, 668 (2003).
10Baja v. Judge Macandog, 242 Phil. 123, 132 (1988).
11Atty. Barandon, Jr. v. Atty. Ferrer, Sr., 630 Phil. 524, 531 (2010).
12Id. at 532.
13Law Firm of Chavez Miranda Aseoche v. Lazaro, A.C. No. 7045, September 5, 2016.
14Cruz v. Judge Alino-Hormachuelos, 470 Phil. 435, 445 (2004).
15 329 Phil. 270, 275-276 (1996).