Rules of Court: Rule 138
Section 33. Standing in court of person authorized to appear for
Government. — Any official or other person appointed or designated in
accordance with law to appear for the Government of the Philippines shall
have all the rights of a duly authorized member of the bar to appear in any
case in which said government has an interest direct or indirect.
Section 34. By whom litigation conducted. — In the court of a justice of the
peace a party may conduct his litigation in person, with the aid of an agent
or friend appointed by him for the purpose, or with the aid an attorney. In
any other court, a party may conduct his litigation personally or by aid of an
attorney, and his appearance must be either personal or by a duly authorized
member of the bar.
— (a) Misbehavior of an officer of a court in the performance of his
Rules of Court: Rule 116
Section 7. Appointment of counsel de oficio. — The court, considering the
gravity of the offense and the difficulty of the questions that may arise, shall
appoint as counsel de oficio only such members of the bar in good standing
who, by reason of their experience and ability, can competently defend the
accused. But in localities where such members of the bar are not available,
the court may appoint any person, resident of the province and of good
repute for probity and ability, to defend the accused. (7a)
— section 1 of this Rule;
Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160)
Section 415. Appearance of Parties in Person. - In all katarungang
pambarangay proceedings, the parties must appear in person without the
assistance of counsel or representative, except for minors and incompetents
who may be assisted by their next-of-kin who are not lawyers.
— But nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent the
Rule of Procedure for Small Claims Cases
Section 17. Appearance of Attorneys Not Allowed. - No attorney shall
appear in behalf of or represent a party at the hearing, unless the attorney is
the plaintiff or defendant.
—
Rules of Court: Rule 71 - Contempt
Section 3. Indirect contempt to be punished after charge and hearing. —
After a charge in writing has been filed, and an opportunity given to the
respondent to comment thereon within such period as may be fixed by the
court and to be heard by himself or counsel, a person guilty of any of the
following acts may be punished for indirect contempt;
official duties or in his official transactions;
(b) Disobedience of or resistance to a lawful writ, process, order, or
judgment of a court, including the act of a person who, after being
dispossessed or ejected from any real property by the judgment or
process of any court of competent jurisdiction, enters or attempts or
induces another to enter into or upon such real property, for the
purpose of executing acts of ownership or possession, or in any
manner disturbs the possession given to the person adjudged to be
entitled thereto;
(c) Any abuse of or any unlawful interference with the processes or
proceedings of a court not constituting direct contempt under
(d) Any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede,
obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice;
(e) Assuming to be an attorney or an officer of a court, and
acting as such without authority;
(f) Failure to obey a subpoena duly served;
(g) The rescue, or attempted rescue, of a person or property in the
custody of an officer by virtue of an order or process of a court held
by him.
court from issuing process to bring the respondent into court, or
from holding him in custody pending such proceedings. (3a)
—
Revised Penal Code
Art. 315. Swindling (estafa). — Any person who shall defraud another by
any of the means mentioned hereinbelow shall be punished by:
1st. The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period to prision
mayor in its minimum period, if the amount of the fraud is over 12,000
pesos but does not exceed 22,000 pesos, and if such amount exceeds the
latter sum, the penalty provided in this paragraph shall be imposed in its
maximum period, adding one year for each additional 10,000 pesos; but the
total penalty which may be imposed shall not exceed twenty years. In such
cases, and in connection with the accessory penalties which may be imposed
under the provisions of this Code, the penalty shall be termed prision mayor
or reclusion temporal, as the case may be.
2nd. The penalty of prision correccional in its minimum and medium
periods, if the amount of the fraud is over 6,000 pesos but does not exceed
12,000 pesos;
3rd. The penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period to prision
correccional in its minimum period if such amount is over 200 pesos but
does not exceed 6,000 pesos; and
4th. By arresto mayor in its maximum period, if such amount does not
exceed 200 pesos, provided that in the four cases mentioned, the fraud be
committed by any of the following means:
1. With unfaithfulness or abuse of confidence, namely:
(a) By altering the substance, quantity, or quality or anything
of value which the offender shall deliver by virtue of an obligation to do so,
even though such obligation be based on an immoral or illegal consideration
(b) By misappropriating or converting, to the prejudice of another, money,
goods, or any other personal property received by the offender in trust or on
commission, or for administration, or under any other obligation involving
the duty to make delivery of or to return the same, even though such
obligation be totally or partially guaranteed by a bond; or by denying having
received such money, goods, or other property.

(c) By taking undue advantage of the signature of the offended party in
blank, and by writing any document above such signature in blank, to the
prejudice of the offended party or of any third person.
2. By means of any of the following false pretenses or
fraudulent acts executed prior to or simultaneously with the commission of
the fraud:
(a) By using fictitious name, or falsely pretending to possess
power, influence, qualifications, property, credit, agency, business or
imaginary transactions, or by means of other similar deceits.chanrobles
virtual law library (b) By altering the quality, fineness or weight of anything
pertaining to his art or business(c) By pretending to have bribed any
Government employee, without prejudice to the action for calumny which
the offended party may deem proper to bring against the offender. In this
case, the offender shall be punished by the maximum period of the penalty.
(d) [By post-dating a check, or issuing a check in payment of an obligation
when the offender therein were not sufficient to cover the amount of the
check. The failure of the drawer of the check to deposit the amount
necessary to cover his check within three (3) days from receipt of notice
from the bank and/or the payee or holder that said check has been
dishonored for lack of insufficiency of funds shall be prima facie evidence
of deceit constituting false pretense or fraudulent act. (As amended by R.A.
4885, approved June 17, 1967.)] 

(e) By obtaining any food, refreshment or accommodation at a hotel, inn,
restaurant, boarding house, lodging house, or apartment house and the like
without paying therefor, with intent to defraud the proprietor or manager
thereof, or by obtaining credit at hotel, inn, restaurant, boarding house,
lodging house, or apartment house by the use of any false pretense, or by
abandoning or surreptitiously removing any part of his baggage from a
hotel, inn, restaurant, boarding house, lodging house or apartment house
after obtaining credit, food, refreshment or accommodation therein without
paying for his food, refreshment or accommodation.
3. Through any of the following fraudulent means:
(a) By inducing another, by means of deceit, to sign any
document (b) By resorting to some fraudulent practice to insure success in a
gambling game (c) By removing, concealing or destroying, in whole or in
part, any court record, office files, document or any other papers.
—
Government Lawyers: Republic Act No. 6713 As to gifts or grants from foreign governments, the Congress
consents to:
Section 7. Prohibited Acts and Transactions. - In addition to acts and (i) The acceptance and retention by a public official or employee of
omissions of public officials and employees now prescribed in the a gift of nominal value tendered and received as a souvenir or mark
Constitution and existing laws, the following shall constitute prohibited acts of courtesy;
and transactions of any public official and employee and are hereby declared (ii) The acceptance by a public official or employee of a gift in the
to be unlawful: nature of a scholarship or fellowship grant or medical treatment; or
(iii) The acceptance by a public official or employee of travel grants
(a) Financial and material interest. - Public officials and employees or expenses for travel taking place entirely outside the Philippine
shall not, directly or indirectly, have any financial or material (such as allowances, transportation, food, and lodging) of more than
interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office. nominal value if such acceptance is appropriate or consistent with
(b) Outside employment and other activities related thereto. - Public the interests of the Philippines, and permitted by the head of office,
officials and employees during their incumbency shall not: branch or agency to which he belongs.
(1) Own, control, manage or accept employment as officer, The Ombudsman shall prescribe such regulations as may be
employee, consultant, counsel, broker, agent, trustee or nominee in necessary to carry out the purpose of this subsection, including
any private enterprise regulated, supervised or licensed by their pertinent reporting and disclosure requirements.
office unless expressly allowed by law; Nothing in this Act shall be construed to restrict or prohibit any
(2) Engage in the private practice of their profession unless educational, scientific or cultural exchange programs subject to
authorized by the Constitution or law, provided, that such practice national security requirements.
will not conflict or tend to conflict with their official functions; or
(3) Recommend any person to any position in a private enterprise
which has a regular or pending official transaction with their office.
These prohibitions shall continue to apply for a period of one (1)
year after resignation, retirement, or separation from public office,
except in the case of subparagraph (b) (2) above, but the
professional concerned cannot practice his profession in connection
with any matter before the office he used to be with, in which case
the one-year prohibition shall likewise apply.
(c) Disclosure and/or misuse of confidential information. - Public
officials and employees shall not use or divulge, confidential or
classified information officially known to them by reason of their
office and not made available to the public, either:
(1) To further their private interests, or give undue advantage to
anyone; or
(2) To prejudice the public interest.
(d) Solicitation or acceptance of gifts. - Public officials and
employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift,
gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value
from any person in the course of their official duties or in
connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction
which may be affected by the functions of their office.