SBC Case No.

519 / July 31, 1997

Patricia Figueroa v. Simeon Barranco, Jr.

Facts:
Figueroa and Barranco were lovers and a son was born out of wedlock. The latter promised to marry her
after he passes the bar exams and was able to successfully pass but after four attempts. However,
instead of fulfilling his promise to marry her, he married another woman. This prompted her to file
complaint to deny Barranco of admission to the legal profession. The case commenced in 1972, with
two applications for motion and denial of the same in between, which dragged on through the years
that in 1997, the IBP finally dismissed the complaint and recommended Barranco’s taking of the lawyer’s
oath.

Issue:
Whether or not Barranco should be allowed to take his oath as a lawyer.

Held:
Yes, Barranco should be allowed to take his oath as a lawyer. Though his acts of premarital sexual
relations with Figueroa with a promise to marry her after he passes the bar exam casts doubt on his
moral character, it is not constitutive of grossly immoral conduct to deny him permanent exclusion to
the membership in the bar. A grossly immoral conduct is one that is so corrupt and false as to constitute
a criminal act or so unprincipled or disgraceful as to be reprehensible to a high degree. It is also willful,
flagrant, or shameless which shows moral indifference to the opinions of respectable members of the
community. He is just a man seeking out the partner of his dreams, for marriage is a sacred and
perpetual bond which should be entered to out of love and the complaint is but an act of revenge by a
woman scorned who became bitter and unforgiving to the end. The 26 long years that passed without
him being admitted to the legal profession constituted sufficient punishment for his ignoble deeds.
Barranco who is already 62 years old should be allowed to take his oath upon payment of proper fees.