Judge Dumlao vs. Atty.

Camacho,
A.C. No. 10498, September 4, 2018
EN BANC, GESMUNDO

Penalty to be imposed upon a lawyer who has already

been previously disbarred; No double disbarment in our
jurisdiction;

Complainant is the Presiding Judge of the RTF of Dagupan City,

Pangasinan, while Respondent is the counsel for a case pending
before Complainant’s court. Complainant alleged that while the
case was pending, respondent would attempt to fraternize with
him. Respondent would mention his closeness to some important
people, including then Chief Justice Sereno and Associate Justice
Marvic Leonen. After the case was decided in favor of
Respondent’s client, Respondent would pressure Complainant
and his sheriff to have his writ immediately executed, and even
offered Complainant an amount of money, in order to deny the
appeal filed by the opposing party. To add, Respondent
threatened to have Complainant disbarred if he were not to act
according to Respondent’s wishes.

Should respondent be penalized for his actions as a member of

the bar?
YES. The Court in this case stressed the fact that Respondent’s
act of influence peddling, attempted bribery, threatening court
officers, and disrespecting court processes warrant his
disbarment. But seeing to it that he was already previously
disbarred in the case of Sison, Jr. vs. Atty. Camacho, G.R. No.
10910, January 12, 2016, such penalty can no longer be imposed
upon him. Hence, the Court in this case would met Respondent
with the penalty of Suspension for 2 years for the sole purpose of
recording it in his personal file in the Office of the Bar Confidant
(OBC). In the event that respondent should apply for the lifting
of his disbarment in Sison, Jr. v. Atty. Camacho, the penalty in
the present case should be considered in the resolution of the
same.