DPB DIGESTS

MAGIS ALL DAY,

CASE NAME: Gonzales-Austria ( w/ Fuertes and Servando) v Abaya ( w/ Cardenas)  Author: Ro"ando !# a$%nga

 DATE: August 23, 1989  Subject: ETHICS 

 AM No. R-705-R!

 DOCTRINE: Generally speaking, a lawyer who holds a government office may not be disciplined as a member of the bar for misconduct in the discharge of
his duties as a government official.  However,
 However, if that misconduct
misconduct as
as a government
government official
official is of such
such a character
character as to affect
affect his qualificatio
qualification
n as a lawyer
lawyer or to
 show moral
moral delinquency,
delinquency, then
then he may be disciplined as a member
member of the bar on such ground.
ground.

FACTS:

&# Co'"a
Co'"a%na%nant
ntss Att
Att## *%ga
*%gaaa +ona
+ona"es
"es-Au
-Austr
str%a
%a ( Atty. Austria), *eon%"a Fuertes (Fuertes), and dgardo Servando (Servando) .ave %"ed a ase aga%nst
!udge ''anue" # A$aa (!udge A$aa) o RC r# 51 o uerto r%nesa C%t (A4A6 o'etown o) on t.e o""ow%ng grounds
a# Estafa through falsification of public or official documents , $ ver%%ng o%%a" .ours rendered $ a erta%n Ana$e""e Cardenas (Cardenas)
w.o .as never reorted or dut, and $ ree%v%ng sa"ar%es o sa%d Cardenas t.roug. t.e orger o t.e Cardena:s s%gnature, t.us dee%v%ng t.e
govern'ent and deraud%ng t.e gov:t o $ug a'ount o 'one#
b. Gross dishonest
dishonesty y and corruption
corruption by soliciting
soliciting,, demanding,
demanding, receiving bribed 'one %n e;.anged or avora$"e reso"ut%ons and de%s%ons
receiving bribed
ro' d%erent "%t%gat%ons %n r# 52, where Abaya has been temorar!"y ass!#ne$ #
c. Ille
Illega
gall exac
exacti on o ort%on o t.e sa"ar%es o .%s su$ord%nate Servando as art and ond%t%on o .%s ont%nued e'"o'ent %n r# 51, w.ere A$aa
tion
%s t.e res%d%ng <udge#
&&# !udge A$aa .as .as den%ed a"" t.e ausat%ons aga%nst .%'# ee sas t.at t.ese
t.ese ausat%ons are %n reta"%at%on o Att Austr%a aga%nst
aga%nst (! t.e ad'%n%strat%ve
ase t.at !udge A$aa .as ear"%er %"ed aga%nst one o .%s ausers, Atty. Austria, for dishonesty and grave misconduct  %n .av%ng orged !udge
A$aa:s s%gnature %n a ro$at%on order %n a r%'%na" ase % w.%. t.e "atter res%d%ng and ("! or t.e disbarment of said Atty Austria  $ased on t.e
sa'e a""eged oense#
&&&# Ater Att Austr%a %"es
%"es .er o''ent,
o''ent, t.e
t.e ourt .as
.as onso"%dated
onso"%dated t.e ases# .e
.e ourt .as granted t.e
t.e R o o'"a%nants,
o'"a%nants, w.%. ad<o%ns Cardenas
Cardenas as
deendant, a"ong w%t. !udge A$aa, %n t.%s sa%d ase#
&=#
&=# .e ase %s reerred
reerred to Court
Court o Aea"s
Aea"s !ust%e
!ust%e >sar # errera (%at)
(%at) or %nvest%gat%
%nvest%gat%on,
on, reort
reort and reo''endat
reo''endat%on#
%on# !ust%e
!ust%e errera
errera %nd !udge
!udge
A$aa and Cerdenas gu%"t o t.e .arges aga%nst t.e' and t.ere$ reo''ends
a# #$%#EI&'%E o ret%re'ent $ene%ts o !udge A$aa e;et earned "eave red%ts?
 $# %E$)A* o Anna$e""e Cardenas ro' o%e as Court Stenogra.er?
 DPB DIGESTS
MAGIS ALL DAY, EVERYDAY!

# $+E-EA% 'E+I$+ ro' o%e as Attorne o Att# Austr%a#

 ISS%E&S: 'a(  WON udge !baya is guilty of all the accusations imputed against him.  )es* on"y !n resect to "etters +a, an$ +b, 

'b( WON !tty !ustria is guilty of dishonesty and misconduct. !ssuming yes, is she disbarred"

'a( F!rst !ssue:

a.- Estaa thru Fa"s!!cat!on o ub"!c or o!c!a" $ocuments # t.e ourt %nds t.at Cardenas, .av%ng a""eged" wored as Stenogra.% Reorter o r#
51, %s a g.ost e'"oee o t.e ourt w.o .as never reorted to wor# Cardenas .as $een wor%ng at a rave" Agen and stud%ng %n o""ege dur%ng t.e
 er%ods w.ere s.e a""eged" .as wored %n ourt# ased on t.e ev%dene resented, %t s.ows t.at Cardenas %s enro""ed at o" r%n%t Co""ege dur%ng .er 
tenure as Court Stenogra.%# .e s.oo" reords s.ow t.at Cardenas .as attended .er "asses ro' 200  to 815  dur%ng t.e sa'e t%'e t.at s.e .as
wored %n ourt ro' 8a' @ 5'## .oug. s.e avers t.at one o .er roessors .as er'%tted .er to attend .er wor %rst, s.oo" reords revea" t.at s.e .as
 $een enro""ed not on" %n one su$<et $ut a"so to severa" 'ore# .us, t.e ourt %nds t.at %t %s %'oss%$"e or .er to wor %n t.at sa%d ourt w%t. %nurr%ng no
a$senes and tard%ness: w.%"e .av%ng enro""ed %n o""ege and .av%ng wored %n a rave" Agen# oreover, t.e ourt %nds t.at !udge A$aa %s rea"" t.e one
w.o a"s%%es t.e da%" t%'e reords and ree%ves sa"ar%es o Cardenas w%t. now"edge and onsent o t.e "atter# owever, no roo to suort Att Astr%a:s
t.eor t.at !udge A$aa .as aror%ated t.e 'one or .%'se"#

a." Gross dishonesty and corruption by soliciting, demanding, receiving bribed / !udge A$aa %s, at t.at t%'e, te'orar%" ass%gned as t.e
 res%d%ng <udge o r# 52 w.ere .e .as suessu"" so"%%ted, de'anded and ree%ved a $r%$e ro' *eon%"a Fuentes, a tea.er, on .%s ro'%se t.at .e s.a""
den t.e $a%" o t.e aused w.o .as %""ed .er (Fuentes) son# !udge A$aa %s t.e one w.o .as so"%%ted and de'anded t.e $r%de# At %rst, Feuntes %s re"utant
to aet t.e oer# owever, ater .av%ng onsu"ted .er a'%" and .er %t roseutor r%end, Feuntes .as g%ven %n to t.e de'ands o !udge A$aa $ a%ng
t.e "atter a erta%n a'ount, w.%. %s atua"" "ower t.an t.e agreed a'ount# !udge A$aa a""eges t.at Fuentes .as on" test%%ed aga%nst .%' $eause o t.e
 $ra%nwas.%ng o Att# Austr%a to Fuentes# .e ourt a%r's t.e %nd%ngs o !ust%e errera t.at Fuentes .as no %'roer 'ot%ve to %'ute su. a ser%ous
oense aga%nst sa%d <udge? t.us, t.e ourt g%ves redene to t.e g%ven test%'on%es o Fuentes#

a.0 Illegal exaction / &t %s a""eged t.at !udge A$aa .as e;ated t.e ort%ons o two e'"oees(Serva ndo %s one o t.e e'"oees .ere) %n r# 51 o
uerto r%nesa RC as a ond%t%on or t.e%r ont%nued e'"o'ent# .e ourt g%ves resondent !udge A$aa t.e $ene%t o t.e dou$t#

 HE/D&R%/IN0 o -st  !ssue: &n su''at%on, t.e ourt %nd !udge A$aa gu%"t o grave and ser%ous '%sondut aet%ng .%s 'ora" .arated w.%. wou"d
.ave warrented .%s d%s'%ssa" ro' t.e serv%e .ad .%s res%gnat%on not $een aeted# &he court forfeits all of his retirement benefits except earned leave
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