Rafael v Diaz 2014

PHI LI PPI NE ASSOC OCI ATI ON OFCOURTEMPLOY OYEES( PACE CE) ,r epr es ent ed byi t sPr es i dent ,ATTY.VI RGI NI A C.RAFAEL, comp mpl ai nant ,vs   ATTY. . EDNA M.ALI BUTDANDI AZ,r es pondent . J.Mendo z a|No ve mbe r262014 PACE,t he umbr el l a as s oc i at i on of1s tand 2nd l e ve lc our t empl o ye es i nt he J udi c i a r yhe l di t s1 1 t hNa t i o na lCo n v e nt i o n/ Se mi mi na ri nDa v a oCi t yf r o m Oc t o b e r6 t o8,2 00 5 .Ast he nNa t i o na lTr e a s u r e ro fPACE,At t y .Di a zwa se nt r u s t e dwi t ha l l t hemo mone yma mat t er sofPACE.

t h PACE nat i onal Thehe r e i nc o mpl a i na nta l l e g e dt ha tt hel i q ui da t i o nf o rt he 11 ,dur i ngt he convent i on wass ubmi t t edbyAt t y.Di azonl yon Marc h 29,2007 1 1t hPACEnat i o na lc o n v e nt i o ni nI l o i l oCi t y ;t ha tdur i ngt he12thconvent i on,an

el ect i on ofoffic ffi cer swa wasconduct ed and At t y.Di azr an f ort he pos i t i on of Nat i onalTr eas ur er ,buts he was notel ect ed;t ha to nt he l a s td ay o ft he c o n v e n t i o no ro nMa r c h3 1,2 0 07 ,t he out goi ng Board ofDi rect ors ,i ncl udi ng

 At t y.Di az,pas s ed and appr oved Res ol ut i on No.12007appr opr i at i ng t he amo mountofP30, 000. 00ast er mend bonusf oreach PACE offic ffici alqual i fied t h

t hereto;t d nots ubmi mi ta l i qui dat i on r eportf or t he 12 ha tAt t y .Di a z di

convention; t her e was no t urnover of mo moni es bel ongi ng t o t he hat t ass oci at i onasamat t erofproceduredespi t eal et t erofdema mand. DEFENSE: At t y . Di az c o unt e r e d t hat s he had fil ed t he St at ement of

Li qui dat i on f ort he11t h nat i onalconvent i on i n Davaoi nl es st han aweek af t er t he sai d convent i on;t y audi t ed b ha ti twa s dul yt hena t i o na la udi t o r , ul l yaccount ed, Le t e c i aAg ba y a ni ;t ha tt hene tpr o c e e d so ft ha tc o n v e nt i o nwa s“f ” ; t hatsheal l i qui dat edandent i rel ydeposi t edt oPACE account s sofil edt he t h

St at eme mentofLi qui dat i on f ort he12   nat i onalconvent i on on May22,2007; t hatt her e p or t ,t o g e t he rwi wi t ht hec a s h,c he c ksando r i g i nalr e c e i p t s ,we r er e c e i v e d by Ro s i t a Ami s o l a and wi t nes s e d by f o r me r PACE o ffic e r s ;t hat s he deni ed sPACEna t i o nalt r e a s ur e rdur i ngt h eI l o i l oc o n v e nt i o na s runni ngf orreel ect i ona s h eha da l r e a dyfil e dhe rc e r t i fic a t eo fc a nd i d ac yf o rBo a r d Me mb mb e ro ft heFi r s t Di s t r i c to fI pi l ,Za mb mb o ang aSi bug a y;t ha tt heapprovaloft heP3 P30, 000. 00t ermm-

endbonusdi dnotre s twi t hhers ol el y,r at he r ,i twa sa ppr o v e db yt hepr e v i o us

bo ar dofdi r e c t o r s ;andt hat ,asi twasi ni t i at e d   s heneve rs pons oredt hebonus byAl i ve nMader azaandse c ondedbyAt t y .Lour desGar c i aandSar ahAmpong. Co mmi s s i o ne rFe r na nd e zr e c o mme nd e dt hed i s mi s s a lo ft hec a s ea g a i ns tAt t y .Di a z f o rl ac ko fme r i t . i . At t y .Di azoffer eddoc ument arye vi dencet os ho wt hats hewasabl et os ubmi t t hel i q ui da t i o nr e p o r t sf o rt het woaf o r e me nt i o ne dc o n v e nt i o nso fPACE. i i . He a l s ot o o k no t et ha tAt t y .Ra f a e lhe r s e l fa c k no wl e d g e dt he l i q ui d at i o n r e p o r tma deb yAt t y . Di a zwi t hr e s p e c tt ot heDa v a oCi t yc o n v e nt i o n. i i i . Ast ot hes uffic i e nc ya ndc o mp l e t e ne s so ft he s er e p o r t s ,t hi swo ul db eb e t t e r r e s o l v e dt hr o ug ha na ud i tr a t he rt ha ni nd i s b a r me ntp r o c e e d i ng s .Be s i d e s , Co mmi s s i o n e r Fe r na nd e zd i d no tc o n s i d e rt he p o s i t i o no fAt t y .Di a za s na t i o na lt r e a s ur e ro fPACEt oha v ean yc o nne c t i o nwi t hhe rb e i ngasal a wy e r . Thus ,a c c o r d i ng t ohi m,s h es ho u l db es a nc t i o n e di na c c o r d anc ewi t ht he b y l a wso fP ACEi ns t e a do fadi s b ar me ntc a s e . i v . Asr e g a r d st hea c c us a t i o nt ha tAt t y .Di a zr a nf o rr e e l e c t i o ni nt heP ACE e l e c t i o nse v e nt ho ug hs h ewa snol o ng e rc o nne c t e dwi t ht heJud i c i a r ya nd t her ef or e di s qual i fied, Commi s s i oner Fer nandez opi ned t hat t he bes t e v i de nc e ,whi c hwa st he“ c e r t i fic a t eo fc a ndi da c y , ”wa sne v e ro ffe r e d , andt ha t  At t y .Di az ,be i ngal a wy e r ,kne wt hathe rbi df o rr e e l e c t i o nwo ul dbeaus e l e s s e x e r c i s es i nc es h ewo ul dno tb eab l et oa s s u meo ffic ei fs h ewo n. v . Fi na l l y ,Co mmi s s i o n e rFe r na nd e zb e l i e v e d At t y .Di a z ’ sa s s e r t i o nt ha ts h e ne v e rs p o ns o r e dt hea ppr o p r i a t i o no ft heP3 0, 0 00 . 0 0t e r me ndbo nusa ndt ha t t heappr o v a lo fRe s o l ut i o nNo .1 2 00 7wa sac o l l e g i a la c t i o na mo ngt heBo a r d ofDi r ec t or s .Agai n,Commi s s i onerFer nandez was oft he vi e w t hather p ar t i c i p at i o ni nt he p as s a g eo ft he q ue s t i o ne db o a r dr e s o l ut i o n wa s no t c o n ne c t e dt ohe rb e i ngal a wy e r . I BPBoar dofGo ve r nor s  I (BPBOG)pa s s e dar e s o l ut i o nado p t i ng  anda p p r o v i n gt he r e por t and r e c o mme ndat i o n o f Co mmi s s i o ner Fer nandez , and di s mi s s e dt he c o mpl ai ntag ai ns tAt t y . Di az . 15 Onr e c o n s i d e r a t i o n ,t heI BPBOG i s s ue dt heEx t e n de dRe s o l ut i o nwhi c h r e v e r s e d an  s de tas i de   i t se ar l i e rr e s o l ut i o nands us pe nde dAt t y . Di azf r o mt hepr a c t i c eo fl a w f o rone( 1)y ear .

TheI BPBOG e x p l a i ne dt ha tt heq ue s t i o nsr e g a r d i ng( i )At t y .Di a z ’l i q ui da t i o no f PACE f unds ;( i i )herr unni ng f orr ee l ec t i on when s he was no l ongerwi t ht he J udi c i a r y ;a nd( i i i )he re n t i t l e me ntt ot het e r me ndb o nuswhe ns h ewa snol o ng e r

t ri pl ewhammy” of ques t i onabl e wo r ki ng i nt he J ud i c i a r y ,c o n s t i t ut e da “ act i ons   c o mmi t t e db yAt t y . Di a zi nc o nt r a v e nt i o no fRul e1 . 0 1o ft heCPR. HELD:At t y .Edna M.Al i but danDi azi sf ound GUI fv i o l at i ng Cha pt e r1, LTY o Ca no n1 ,Rul e1 . 0 1o ft he Co d eo fPr o f e s s i o na lRe s p o ns i b i l i t y ,a nd i s he r e b y

SUSPENDED f hree( 3)mont hs r o mt hepr a c t i c eo fl a wf o rape r i o do ft . Everyones houl d keepi n mi ndt hatt hepract i ceofl aw i sonl yapri vi l ege. .I no r d ert oe nj o yt hi sp r i v i l e g e,o nemus ts ho wt hathe I ti sdefini t el ynotari ght po s s e s s e s ,a nd c o nt i nue st o po s s e s s ,t he q ua l i fic a t i o ns r e q ui r e db yl a wf o rt he c o n f e r me n to fs uc hp r i v i l e g e .One o ft ho s er e q u i r e me n t si st he o b s e r v a nc eo f hones t y and c andor .Candor i n al lt hei r deal i ngs i st he ve r y es s enc e ofa

r s ar e p r a c t i t i o ne r ’ s ho no r a bl e me mb e r s hi p i n t he l e g a lp r o f e s s i o n. Lawye requi red t o actwi t ht he hi ghes ts t andard oft rut hf ul ness ,f ai rpl ay and nobi l i t yi nt he conductofl i t i gat i on and i nt hei r rel at i ons wi t ht hei r e cl i ent s,t he opposi ng part i es,t heot hercounsel sand t hecourt s.Theyar b o undb yt he i ro a t ht os p e akt het r u t ha ndt oc o n duc tt he ms e l v e sa c c o r di ngt ot he b e s to ft he i rkno wl e d gea nd di s c r e t i o n,a nd wi t h fide l i t yt ot hec o ur t sa nd t he i r c l i e nt s . Ti meanda ga i n,t heCo ur tha she l dt ha tt hepr a c t i c eo fl a wi sg r a nt e do nl yt ot ho s e o fg o o d mo r a lc ha r a c t e r .TheBa rma i nt a i nsa hi g hs t a nd ar do fho n e s t ya ndf a i r d e a l i ng .Thus ,l a wy e r s mus tc o nd uc tt he ms e l v e sbe y o n dr e p r o a c ha tal lt i me s , whe t he rt he yar ede al i ngwi t ht he i rc l i e nt so rt hepubl i ca tl ar g e ,andav i o l a t i o no f t he hi g h mo r a ls t a nda r d so ft he l e g a lpr o f e s s i o nj us t i fie st he i mpo s i t i o no ft he a ppr o p r i a t epe na l t y , i nc l udi ngs us p e ns i o na nddi s b ar me nt . I tb e a r ss t r e s s i ng t ha tAt t y .Di a zi sa s e r v a nto ft he l a wa nd b e l o ng st ot ha t pr of es s i on whi c h s oc i e t y ent r ust s wi t h t he admi ni s t r at i on of l aw and t he di s p ens a t i o no fj us t i c e .Fo rt hi s ,heo rs hei sane x e mpl arf o ro t he r st oe mul at eand s ho ul dno te ng ag ei nunl a wf ul ,di s ho ne s t ,i mmo r alo rde c e i t f ulc o n duc t .At t y .Di a z ’ d e l a yi nt he l i q ui d at i o no ft he fina nc e so fP ACE;h e rr unni ng f o rr e e l e c t i o n , i nc l ud i ng he rno n ad mi s s i o nt ha ts h er a nf o rs a i de l e c t i o na ss h o wn no tb yhe r c er t i fic at e ofc andi dacy butby t he affidavi t soff or merPACE offic er s ;and her

i n v o l v e me nti nt heap pr o v a lo rp a s s a g eo ft heque s t i o ne dt e r me ndb o nuso fP ACE o ffic e r s ,i nc l udi nghe r s e l fe v e nt ho ug hs h ewa snol o ng e rwo r ki ngi nt heJud i c i a r y , we r ede fini t e l yno tt hec a ndo rt heCo ur ts p e a kso f .The r ewa smuc ht ob ede s i r e di n  At t y .Di az ’ ac t i o ns / i nac t i o ns .