FELICIDAD VDA. DE BERNARDO, complainant, vs. ATTY. JOSE R. RESTAURO, !spon"!nt. FACTS# $ Complainant an" on! %a c!

lino So iano a ! t&! co'o(n! s o) a pa c!l o) lan". $ On J*n! +, ,--., complainant )il!" a p!tition )o t&! "is/a m!nt o in"!)init! s*sp!nsion o) !spon"!nt Att0. Jos! R. R!sta* o o) Davao Cit0 )o malp actic!, "!c!it an" 1 av! miscon"*ct. $ Complainants contention: T2AT on J*l0 ,-, ,--3, !spon"!nt p !pa !" an" nota i4!" a Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0 ma6in1 it app!a t&at s&!, F!lici"a" 7. So iano 8complainant9s )*ll mai"!n nam!:, &! "!c!as!" spo*s!, Al/! to B! na "o an" 2il"!1a "a %!;ia appoint!" %a c!lino 7. So iano, J . as t&!i atto n!0'in' )act to s!ll sai" pa c!l o) lan" <2EN t&!0 n!it&! app!a !" no !=!c*t!" an" ac6no(l!"1!" sai" "oc*m!nt /!)o ! !spon"!nt. FURT2ER, complainant9s &*s/an", Al/! to B! na "o, co*l" not &av! app!a !" an" !=!c*t!" sai" Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0 /!)o ! !spon"!nt on J*l0 ,-, ,--3 sinc! &! &*s/an" "i!" on Jan*a 0 >3, ,-+3? 2!nc!, (&!n t&! Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0 (as !=!c*t!", &! &*s/an" (as "!a" )o mo ! t&an t!n 0!a s. $ Respondents answer# T2AT &! (o*l" not &av! 6no(n t&! nam!s o) F!lici"a" So iano, Al/! to B! na "o an" 2il"!1a "a %!;ia i) sai" p! sons "i" not 1o to &is o))ic! to !@*!st t&at &! p !pa ! t&! Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0. %o !ov! , &! stat!" t&at &! (o*l" not &av! nota i4!" t&! "oc*m!nt i) t&!0 "i" not app!a /!)o ! &im an" ac6no(l!"1! t&at it (as t&!i act an" "!!". FURT2ER, !spon"!nt stat!" t&at &! act!" in 1oo" )ait& (&!n &! p !pa !" t&! Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0 an" t&at t&! p! sons involv!" (! ! all p !s!nt, ot&! (is!, t&! !=!c*tion o) sai" "oc*m!nt (o*l" not &av! /!!n possi/l!. 2! p a0!" )o t&! non' a"mission o) t&! !vi"!nc! s*/mitt!" /0 complainant. $ On S!pt!m/! ,A, ,--., t&is cas! (as !)! !" /0 t&! Co* t to t&! Int!1 at!" Ba o) t&! 5&ilippin!s )o inv!sti1ation, !po t an" !comm!n"ation. $ Investigating Commissioners response: T2AT it (as not satis)acto il0 !sta/lis&!" t&at !spon"!nt (as a pa t0 to t&! ) a*"*l!nt !=!c*tion o) sai" Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0. R!spon"!nt9s pa ticipation (as onl0 in t&! p !pa ation an" nota i4ation o) sai" "oc*m!nt /as!" on t&! pa ti!s9 i"!nti)ication pap! s an" t&!i !p !s!ntations t&at t&!0 (! ! t&! p! sons (&o t&!0 claim!" to /!. T&! nota ial ac6no(l!"1m!nt o) sai" "oc*m!nt s&o(!" t&at t&! all!1!" imposto s p !s!nt!" t&!i Comm*nit0 Ta= C! ti)icat!s /!a in1 t&! nam!s o) complainant F!lici"a" 7. So iano an" &! "!c!as!" &*s/an", Al/! to B! na "o. ISSUE# $ <&!t&! o not R!spon"!nt committ!" violations p! tainin1 to &is !sponsi/iliti!s o) a Nota 0 5*/lic. 2ol"in1# $ T&! p incipal )*nction o) a nota 0 p*/lic is to a*t&!nticat! "oc*m!nts. <&!n a nota 0 p*/lic c! ti)i!s to t&! "*! !=!c*tion an" "!liv! 0 o) a "oc*m!nt *n"! &is &an" an" s!al, &! 1iv!s t&! "oc*m!nt t&! )o c! o) !vi"!nc!. In"!!", on! o) t&! p* pos!s o) !@*i in1 "oc*m!nts to /! ac6no(l!"1!" /!)o ! a nota 0 p*/lic, in a""ition to t&! sol!mnit0 (&ic& s&o*l" s* o*n" t&! !=!c*tion an" "!liv! 0 o) "oc*m!nts, is to a*t&o i4! s*c& "oc*m!nts to /! 1iv!n (it&o*t )* t&! p oo) o) t&!i !=!c*tion an" "!liv! 0. A nota ial "oc*m!nt is /0 la( !ntitl!" to )*ll )ait& an" c !"it *pon its )ac!. Co* ts, a"minist ativ! a1!nci!s an" t&! p*/lic at la 1! m*st /! a/l! to !l0 *pon t&! ac6no(l!"1m!nt !=!c*t!" /!)o ! a nota 0 p*/lic an" app!n"!" to a p ivat! inst *m!nt. 2!nc!, a nota 0 p*/lic m*st "isc&a 1! &is po(! s an" "*ti!s, (&ic& a ! imp !ss!" (it& p*/lic int! !st, (it& acc* ac0 an" )i"!lit0. $ T&! Co* t a1 !!s (it& t&! Int!1 at!" Ba o) t&! 5&ilippin!s t&at in t&is cas!, !spon"!nt, as nota 0 p*/lic, s&o*l" &av! !=! cis!" *tmost "ili1!nc! in asc! tainin1 t&! t *! i"!ntit0 o) t&! p! sons !=!c*tin1 t&! sai" Sp!cial 5o(! o) Atto n!0. $ 2O<EVER, t&! act o) !spon"!nt "o!s not (a ant &is "is/a m!nt o in"!)init! s*sp!nsion. Consi"! in1 all t&! ci c*mstanc!s in t&is cas!, pa tic*la l0 t&! a/s!nc! o) an0 !vi"!nc! o) ) a*" involv!". $ <2EREFORE, !spon"!nt Att0. Jos! R. R!sta* o is &! !/0 SUS5ENDED as nota 0 p*/lic )o si= 8B: mont&s )o )ail* ! to !=! cis! *tmost "ili1!nc! in t&! p! )o manc! o) &is )*nctions as nota 0 p*/lic, an" <ARNED t&at a simila inci"!nt in t&! )*t* ! s&all /! "!alt (it& mo ! s!v! !l0. 5ASTOR ED<IN VILLARIN, !t. al., complainants, ATTY. RESTITUTO SABATE, JR., !spon"!nt.

FACTS# $ Complainants )il!" a complaint a1ainst 5at! no Dia4, !t al. *n"! SEC Cas! No. DV3-,, R!1ion CI Davao E=t!nsion O))ic!, Davao Cit0. $ R!spon"!nt in t&! SEC Cas! )il!" a %otion to Dismiss p !pa !" an" nota i4!" /0 &! !in !spon"!nt Sa/at!. $ Complainants allegations: T2AT t&! si1nat* ! o) 5at! no Dia4 (as not &is, /*t t&at o) a c! tain Lilian Dia4? T2AT (it& !1a " to t&! si1nat* !s o) L!vi 5a1*nsan an" Al!;an" o Bo)!tia"o, it (as Att0. Sa/at!, J . (&o si1n!" )o t&!m? an" T2AT &! !in !spon"!nt Sa/at!, J . ma"! it app!a t&at sai" p! sons pa ticipat!" in t&! sai" act (&!n in )act t&!0 "i" not "o so. Complainants av! !" t&at !spon"!ntDs act *n"! min!" t&! p*/licDs con)i"!nc! )o (&ic& !ason a"minist ativ! sanctions s&o*l" /! impos!" a1ainst &im. $ Respondents answer: T2AT 5at! no Dia4, L!vi 5a1*nsan an" Al!;an" o Bo)!tia"o s(o ! to t&! co !ctn!ss o) t&! all!1ations in t&! motion to "ismissEpl!a"in1 )o t&! SEC t& o*1& t&!i a*t&o i4!" !p !s!ntativ!s 6no(n /0 t&!i nam!s as Lilian C. Dia4, (i)! o) 5at! no Dia4? T2AT in si1nin1 )o an" in /!&al) o) &is cli!nt 5a1*nsan an" Bo)!tia"o, &is si1nat* ! (as p !c!"!" /0 t&! (o " FB0F (&ic& s*11!sts t&at &! "i" not in an0 mann! ma6! it app!a t&at t&os! p! sons si1n!" in &is p !s!nc!? asi"! ) om t&! )act t&at &is cli!nts a*t&o i4!" &im to si1n )o an" in t&!i /!&al), consi"! in1 t&! "istanc! o) t&!i plac! o) !si"!nc! to t&at o) t&! !spon"!nt an" t&! !1l!m!nta 0 p! io" in )ilin1 sai" pl!a"in1s &! &a" to !c6on (it&. $ Investigating Comms recommendation: t&at !spon"!nt Att0. R!stit*to Sa/at!, J . /! s*sp!n"!" ) om &is Commission as Nota 0 5*/lic )o a p! io" o) si= 8B: mont&s. T&! Boa " o) 7ov! no s o) t&! Int!1 at!" Ba o) t&! 5&ilippin!s a"opt!" t&! sai" !comm!n"ation an" !solv!" to s*sp!n" t&! !spon"!ntDs Commission )o si= 8B: mont&s )o )ail* ! to !=! cis! "*! "ili1!nc! in *p&ol"in1 &is "*t0 as a nota 0 p*/lic. ISSUE# $ <&!t&! o not !spon"!nt !=! cis!" "*! "ili1!nc! in *p&ol"in1 &is "*t0 as a nota 0 p*/lic. 2OLDIN7 $ It (o*l" app!a t&at !spon"!nt9s act o) nota i4in1 t&! %otion to Dismiss an" si1nin1 )o an" in /!&al) o) &is cli!nt (as appa !nt /!ca*s! &! (as t&!i co*ns!l in sai" cas! an" also /!ca*s! &! (as an o))ic! o) t&! !li1io*s s!ct an" co po ation !p !s!nt!" /0 t&! !spon"!nts'5asto s. $ B*t (&il! it (o*l" app!a t&at in "oin1 so, &! act!" in 1oo" )ait&, t&! )act !mains t&at t&! sam! cannot /! con"on!". 2! )ail!" to stat! in t&! p !limina 0 stat!m!nts o) sai" motionEans(! t&at t&! t& !! !spon"!nts (! ! !p !s!nt!" /0 t&!i "!si1nat!" atto n!0s'in')act. B!si"!s, &avin1 si1n!" t&! V! i)ication o) t&! pl!a"in1, &! cannot s(!a t&at &! app!a !" /!)o ! &ims!l) as Nota 0 5*/lic. $ T&! )*nction o) a nota 0 p*/lic is, amon1 ot&! s, to 1*a " a1ainst an0 ill!1al o immo al a an1!m!nts. T&at )*nction (o*l" /! "!)!at!" i) t&! nota 0 p*/lic (! ! on! o) t&! si1nato i!s to t&! inst *m!nt. Fo t&!n, &! (o*l" /! int! !st!" in s*stainin1 t&! vali"it0 t&! !o) as it "i !ctl0 involv!s &ims!l) an" t&! vali"it0 o) &is o(n act. It (o*l" plac! &im in an inconsist!nt position, an" t&! v! 0 p* pos! o) t&! ac6no(l!"1m!nt, (&ic& is to minimi4! ) a*", (o*l" /! t&(a t!". $ A m!m/! o) t&! /a (&o p! )o ms an act as a nota 0 p*/lic s&o*l" not nota i4! a "oc*m!nt *nl!ss t&! p! sons (&o si1n!" t&! sam! a ! t&! v! 0 sam! p! sons (&o !=!c*t!" an" p! sonall0 app!a !" /!)o ! sai" nota 0 p*/lic to att!st to t&! cont!nts an" t *t& o) (&at a ! stat!" t&! !in. T&! acts o) a))iants cannot /! "!l!1at!" to an0on! )o (&at a ! stat!" t&! !in a ! )acts t&!0 &av! p! sonal 6no(l!"1! o) an" s(o ! to t&! sam! p! sonall0 an" not t& o*1& an0 !p !s!ntativ!. $ As a la(0! commission!" as nota 0 p*/lic, !spon"!nt is man"at!" to s*/sc i/! to t&! sac !" "*ti!s p! tainin1 to &is o))ic!, s*c& "*ti!s /!in1 "ictat!" /0 p*/lic polic0 imp !ss!" (it& p*/lic int! !st. Fait&)*l o/s! vanc! an" *tmost !sp!ct o) t&! l!1al sol!mnit0 o) t&! oat& in an ac6no(l!"1m!nt o ;* at is sac osanct. Simpl0 p*t, s*c& !sponsi/ilit0 is inc*m/!nt *pon an" )ailin1 t&! !in, &! m*st no( acc!pt t&! comm!ns* at! cons!@*!nc!s o) &is p o)!ssional in"isc !tion. $ <2EREFORE, )o lac6 o) "ili1!nc! in t&! o/s! vanc! o) t&! Nota ial La(, !spon"!nt Att0. R!stit*to Sa/at!, J . is SUS5ENDED ) om &is Commission as Nota 0 5*/lic )o a p! io" o) on! 8,: 0!a .