[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 14, March 01, 1989 ]

[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 14, March 01, 1989 ]

[ SC ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 14, March 01, 1989 ]

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPERVISION OF COURTS

T O :

THE COURT OF APPEALS, SANDIGANBAYAN, COURT OF TAX APPEALS, ALL JUDGES OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURTS, METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL TRIAL COURTS, MUNICIPAL CIRCUIT TRIAL COURTS, SHARI'A COURTS AND INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINES.

SUBJECT : SUSPENSION OF ATTY. JOSE B. TIONGCO FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW

Quoted hereunder, for the information and guidance of all concerned is a substantial portion of the Court En Banc resolution in Adm. Matter No. MTJ-88-241 (Jose B. Tiongco, petitioner, vs. Judge Gaudioso R. Zerrudo, respondent), dated January 19, 1989, to wit:

"After a careful review of the complaint, as well as the annexes thereto, we find that the administrative charges against the respondent have not been sufficiently established.

A disturbing aspect of the complaint however that does not escape our attention is the unbridled use by the complainant of utterly uncouth, demeaning, intemperate, and offensive language against the respondent judge. We simply can not countenance the use of this kind of language, coming as it is from a member of the Bar and directed against a man of the Bench. Time and again, we have said that lawyer must always treat with politeness, dignity, and courtesy their colleagues in the legal profession, their clients, both past and present, and above-all, accord the utmost respect to the Court and the member of the judiciary. Unfortunately, the complainant has trampled with this cardinal rule of the profession and hence must be punished.

ACCORDINGLY, the complaint is DISMISSED for lack of merit and the complainant, Atty. Jose B. Tiongco, is hereby REPRIMANDED and SUSPENDED from the practice of the law for a period of three (3) months for acts unbecoming of a lawyer and an officer of the Court, with a WARNING that commission of the same or similar the Court. Let a copy of this Resolution be attached to the Personal Records of the complainant lawyer in the Bar Confidant's Office."

March 1, 1989.

(Sgd.) MARCELO B. FERNAN

Chief Justice