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time, #hich is punishable une" &"ticle *:', in "elation to &"ticle *:*, pa"a-"aph ', of the

Revise Penal Coe.

Responent also committe the c"ime of ?se of 8alsifie Documents, b+ submittin- the saifalsifie &ns#e"s in the 2uicial p"oceein-s, Civil Case No. 5:5MN=

Responent also mae a moc9e"+ of the afo"esai 2uicial p"oceein-s b+ "ep"esentin- ea

pe"sons the"ein #ho, he falsel+ mae to appea", as contestin- the complaints, counte"3suin- an

c"oss3suin- the ave"se pa"ties.

*'. That, as a conse7uence of the above c"iminal acts, complainant "espectfull+ submits that"esponent li9e#ise violate>

0a1 His %a#+e"s Oath>

444

0b1 The Coe of P"ofessional Responsibilit+>@

444

On $une '@, ')*), the Cou"t i"ecte the "esponent to comment on De %eons aminist"ativecomplaint.5

In ue cou"se, o" on &u-ust ', ')*),6the "esponent "ene"e the follo#in- e4planations in his

comment, to #it>

*. The pe"sons #ho ha en-a-e him as atto"ne+ to "ep"esent the %im famil+ in CivilCase No. 5:5MN #e"e Ailliam an %eona"o %im, the chil"en of Spouses %im Hio

an Dolo"es Chu=

'. ?pon his 0&tt+. Castelo1 initial 7ue"ies "elevant to the mate"ial alle-ations of the

/ove"nments complaint in Civil Case No. 5:5MN, Ailliam %im, the "ep"esentative ofthe %im 8amil+, info"me him>

a. That the %im famil+ ha ac7ui"e the p"ope"ties f"om /eo"-ina 8lo"es=

b. That Ailliam an %eona"o %im #e"e al"ea+ activel+ mana-in- the famil+

business, an no# co3o#ne the p"ope"ties b+ vi"tue of the ee of absolute salethei" pa"ents, Spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu, ha e4ecute in thei" favo"= an

c. That because of the e4ecution of the ee of absolute sale, Ailliam an

%eona"o %im ha since honestl+ assume that thei" pa"ents ha al"ea+ cause

the t"ansfe" of the TCTs to thei" names.

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@. Consie"in- that Ailliam an %eona"o %im themselves #e"e the ones #ho ha

en-a-e his se"vices, he 0&tt+. Castelo1 conse7uentl+ t"uthfull+ state in the motion

see9in- an e4tension to file "esponsive pleain- ate 8eb"ua"+ @, ')) the fact that it#as Bthe famil+ of the efenantsB that ha en-a-e him, an that he ha then avise

Bthe chil"en of the efenantsB to see9 the assistance as #ell of a license -eoetic

su"ve+o" an en-inee"=

5. He 0&tt+. Castelo1 p"epa"e the initial pleain-s base on his honest belief thatSpouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu #e"e then still livin-. Ha he 9no#n that the+ #e"e

al"ea+ ecease, he #oul have most #elcome the info"mation an #oul have move

to substitute %eona"o an Ailliam %im as efenants fo" that "eason=

6. He 0&tt+. Castelo1 ha no intention to commit eithe" a falsehoo o" a falsification, fo"

he in fact submitte the eath ce"tificates of Spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu in o"e"

to app"ise the t"ial cou"t of that fact= an

. The Office of the P"osecuto" fo" Malabon Cit+ even ismisse the c"iminal complaintfo" falsification b"ou-ht a-ainst him 0&tt+. Castelo1 th"ou-h the "esolution ate 8eb"ua"+

**, ')*). The same office enie the complainants motion fo" "econsie"ation on Ma+

*:, ')*).

On Septembe" @, ')*), the complainant submitte a "epl+, #he"eb+ he asse"te that the"esponents claim in his comment that he ha "ep"esente the %im famil+ #as a eception,

because the sub2ect of the complaint a-ainst the "esponent #as his filin- of the ans#e"s in

behalf of Spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu espite thei" bein- al"ea+ ecease at the time ofthe filin-. The complainant "e-a"e as baseless the 2ustifications of the Office of the Cit+

P"osecuto" fo" Malabon Cit+ in ismissin- the c"iminal complaint a-ainst the "esponent an in

en+in- his motion fo" "econsie"ation.

The Cou"t usuall+ fi"st "efe"s aminist"ative complaints a-ainst membe"s of the Philippine ;a" tothe Inte-"ate ;a" of the Philippines 0I;P1 fo" investi-ation an app"op"iate "ecommenations.

8o" the p"esent case, ho#eve", #e fo"e-o the p"io" "efe""al of the complaint to the I;P, in vie# of

the facts bein- uncomplicate an base on the pleain-s in Civil Case No. 5:5MN. Thus, #e

ecie the complaint on its me"its.

Ru&'n(

Ae fin that the "esponent, as atto"ne+, i not commit an+ falsehoo o" falsification in his

pleain-s in Civil Case No. 5:5MN. &cco"in-l+, #e ismiss the patentl+ f"ivolous complaint.

I

&tto"ne+s Obli-ation to tell the t"uth

&ll atto"ne+s in the Philippines, incluin- the "esponent, have s#o"n to the vo#s emboie infollo#in- %a#+e"s Oath,:vi>

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I, , o solemnl+ s#ea" that I #ill maintain alle-iance to the Republic of

the Philippines= I #ill suppo"t its Constitution an obe+ the la#s as #ell as the le-al o"e"s of the

ul+ constitute autho"ities the"ein= I #ill o no falsehoo, no" consent to the oin- of an+ incou"t= I #ill not #ittin-l+ o" #illin-l+ p"omote o" sue an+ -"ounless, false o" unla#ful suit, no"

-ive ai no" consent to the same. I #ill ela+ no man fo" mone+ o" malice, an #ill conuct

m+self as a la#+e" acco"in- to the best of m+ 9no#le-e an isc"etion #ith all -oo fielit+ as#ell to the cou"ts as to m+ clients= an I impose upon m+self this volunta"+ obli-ation #ithout

an+ mental "ese"vation o" pu"pose of evasion. So help me /o.

The Coe of P"ofessional Responsibilit+ echoes the %a#+e"s Oath, p"oviin->

'. The alle-ations in pa"a-"aph ' of the complaint a"e &DMITT!D. Mo"eove", it is

he"eb+ mae 9no#n that efenants spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu ha al"ea+ sol

the t#o 0'1 pa"cels of lan, to-ethe" #ith the builin- an imp"ovements the"eon, cove"e

b+ T"ansfe" Ce"tificate of Title No. 0*5

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''. Plaintiff is ba""e b+ the p"inciple of estoppel in b"in-in- this suit, as it #as the one

#ho, b+ its -ove"nmental autho"it+, issue the titles to the sub2ect p"ope"t+.

This action is ba""e b+ the p"inciples of p"esc"iption an laches fo" plaintiffs un"easonableela+ in b"inin- this suit, pa"ticula"l+ a-ainst efenant 8lo"es, f"om #hom he"ein ans#e"in-

efenants ac7ui"e the sub2ect p"ope"t+ in -oo faith an fo" value. If t"ul+ plaintiff has a clea"an vali cause of action on the sub2ect p"ope"t+, it shoul not have #aite thi"t+ 0@)1 +ea"s to

b"in- suit.

T#o +ea"s late", o" on &p"il '*, '))

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th"u a t#o panel metal -ate mo"e o" less *) mete"s #ie an #ith an a"me -ua" b+ the

-ate an #ith pe"mission f"om efenant spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu anGo" an

efenant spouses %eona"o %im an Sall+ hoo an efenant spouses Ailliam %iman Sall+ %ee ille-all+ ente"e inte"veno"s p"ope"t+ th"u a #ooen lae" to -o ove" a *'

foot #all no# sepa"atin- inte"veno"s p"ope"t+ f"om the fo"me" es7uinita #hich is no#

pa"t of efenant spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chus an efenant spouses %eona"o%im an Sall+ hoos an efenant spouses Ailliam %im an Sall+ %ees p"ope"t+ an

this ille-all+ allo#e his emplo+ees as #ell as thei" "elatives an f"iens the"eof to

ille-all+ ente" inte"veno"s p"ope"t+ th"ou-h the lae"s efenant spouses %im Hio anDolo"es Chu installe in thei" #all an also allo#e sai emplo+ees an "elatives as #ell

as f"iens to buil houses an shac9s #ithout the benefit of an+ builin- pe"mit as #ell as

pe"mit to occup+ sai ille-al builin-s=

(. That the enla"-ement of the p"ope"ties of spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu ha"esulte in the closu"e of st"eet lot no. @ as esc"ibe in TCT no. *5@

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444

'. The alle-ations in pa"a-"aphs ' an @ of the Complaint a"e &DMITT!D, #ith the

7ualification that efenants3spouses %eona"o %im an Sall+ hoo %im, Ailliam %im an Sall+%ee %im a"e the "e-iste"e an la#ful o#ne"s of the sub2ect p"ope"t+ cove"e b+ T"ansfe"

Ce"tificate of Title No. M3@6('(, issue b+ the Re-iste" of Dees fo" Malabon Cit+, havin- lon-a-o ac7ui"e the same f"om the efenants3spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu, #ho a"e no# both

ecease. Cop+ of the TCT No. M3@6('( is attache he"eto as &nne4es B*B an B*3&B. The sametitle has al"ea+ been p"eviousl+ submitte to this Hono"able Cou"t on Decembe" *@, ')).

444

The "esponent subse7uentl+ submitte to the RTC a so3calle cla"ification an submission,*

*. On Ma"ch *(, '))(, he"ein movants3efenants %im file befo"e this Hono"able Cou"t

a Motion fo" Substitution of Defenants in the P"incipal Complaint of the plaintiffRepublic of the Philippines, "ep"esente b+ the D!NR=

'. The Motion fo" Substitution is -"oune on the fact that the t#o 0'1 pa"cels of lan,#ith the imp"ovements the"eon, #hich a"e the sub2ect matte" of the instant case, ha lon-

been sol an t"ansfe""e b+ the p"incipal efenants3spouses %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu

to he"ein complaint3in3inte"vention efenants %eona"o C. %im an Ailliam C. %im, b+

#a+ of a Dee of &bsolute Sale, a cop+ of #hich is attache to sai Motion as &nne4 B*Bthe"eof.

@. Juite plainl+, the o"i-inal p"incipal efenants %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu, havin- sol

an conve+e the sub2ect p"ope"t+, have totall+ lost an+ title, claim o" le-al inte"est onthe p"ope"t+. It is on this factual -"oun that this Motion fo" Substitution is base ance"tainl+ not on the #"on- position of Inte"veno" e %eon that the same is base on the

eath of efenants %im Hio an Dolo"es Chu.

5. ?ne" the fo"e-oin- ci"cumstances an facts, the emise of efenants %im Hio anDolo"es Chu no lon-e" has an+ si-nificant "elevance to the instant Motion. To, ho#eve",

sho# the fact of thei" eath, photo cop+ of thei" "espective eath ce"tificates a"e attache

he"eto as &nne4es B*B an B'B he"eof.

6. The Motion fo" substitution of Defenants in the P"incipal Complaint ate Ma"ch *

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:. Si-nificantl+, the p"ope"t+ of inte"veno" $essie e %eon, #hich is the sub2ect of his

complaint3in3inte"vention, is ienticall+, if not simila"l+, situate as that of he"ein

movants3efenants %im, an li9e#ise, ma+ as #ell be a p"ope" sub2ect of the P"incipalComplaint of plaintiff D!NR.

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&cco"in- to $ustice Ca"oo,*(B444 the fai" fame of a la#+e", ho#eve" innocent of #"on-, is at

the me"c+ of the ton-ue of i-no"ance o" malice. Reputation in such a callin- is a plant of tene"

-"o#th, an its bloom, once lost, is not easil+ "esto"e.B

& la#+e"s "eputation is, inee, a ve"+ f"a-ile ob2ect. The Cou"t, #hose office" eve"+ la#+e" is,

must shiel such f"a-ilit+ f"om minless assault b+ the unsc"upulous an the malicious. It can oso, fi"stl+, b+ 7uic9l+ cuttin- o#n an+ patentl+ f"ivolous complaint a-ainst a la#+e"= an,

seconl+, b+ emanin- -oo faith f"om #hoeve" b"in-s an+ accusation of unethical conuct. &;a" that is insulate f"om intimiation an ha"assment is encou"a-e to be cou"a-eous an

fea"less, #hich can then best cont"ibute to the efficient elive"+ an p"ope" aminist"ation of

2ustice.

The complainant initiate his complaint possibl+ fo" the sa9e of ha"assin- the "esponent, eithe"

to ve4 him fo" ta9in- the cu-els fo" his clients in connection #ith Civil Case No. 5:5MN, o" to

-et even fo" an ima-ine #"on- in "elation to the sub2ect matte" of the penin- action, o" to

accomplish some othe" a"9 pu"pose. The #o"thlessness of the accusation F appa"ent f"om the

be-innin- F has impelle us into "esolvin- the complaint soone" than late".

AH!R!8OR!, #e ismiss the complaint fo" isba"ment o" suspension file a-ainst &tt+.

!ua"o /. Castelo fo" utte" lac9 of me"it.

SO ORDERED.

LUCAS P. ERSAMIN

&ssociate $ustice

)E CONCUR*

CONC+ITA CARPIO MORALES

&ssociate $usticeChai"pe"son

ARTURO D. RION

&ssociate $usticeMARTIN S. ILLARAMA, JR.

&ssociate $ustice

MARIA LOURDES P.A. SERENO

&ssociate $ustice

-oo!no!"%

*Rollo, pp.

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@I., pp. 536.

5I., p. '.

6Id., pp. @3:.

Id., pp. *@:3*6@.

:8o"m No. '