Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila THIRD DIVISION A.C. No.

6968 August 9, 2006

ATTY. ORLANDO V. DIZON, Complainant, vs. ATTY. MARICHU C. LAM INO, Respon ent. !"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""! ATTY. MARICHU C. LAM INO, Complainant, vs. ATTY. ORLANDO V. DIZON, Respon ent. D!CISION CARPIO MORALES, J.: The "illin# u$in# a $umble on Decembe$ %, &''( of )nive$sit* of the Philippines +)P, #$a uatin# stu ent Dennis Ventu$ina, the chai$pe$son of the )P Colle#e of Public - minist$ation Stu ent Council, $e. the then Chancello$ of )P Diliman Ro#e$ Posa as to see" the assistance of the National /u$eau of Investi#ation +N/I,. -ctin# on the $e0uest of Chancello$ Posa as, -tt*. O$lan o Di1on, then Chief of the Special Ope$ations 2$oup +SO2, of the N/I, to#ethe$ .ith his men, $epai$e to the Office of Col. ! ua$ o /entain, hea of the )P Secu$it* 3o$ce on Decembe$ &4, &''(. -s t.o stu ent5suspects in the "illin#, 3$ancis Ca$lo Tapa$an an Ra*mun o Na$a#, .e$e at the time in the office of Col. /entain, -tt*. Di1on $e0ueste to ta"e them into his custo *. -tt*. Ma$ichu 6ambino, 6e#al Counsel of )P Diliman, .ho $epai$e to the Office of Col. /entain, a vise a#ainst -tt*. Di1on7s move, ho.eve$, he not bein# a$me .ith a .a$$ant fo$ thei$ a$$est. Chancello$ Posa as an Vice Chancello$ fo$ stu ents Rosa$io To$$es58u, .ho also $epai$e to the office of the colonel, 9oine -tt*. 6ambino in opposin# the tu$n5ove$ of the suspects to -tt*. Di1on, espite the latte$7s claim that un e$ its Cha$te$ the N/I .as autho$i1e to ma"e .a$$antless a$$ests. The suspects7 la.*e$, one -tt*. Villamo$, late$ also sho.e up at the office of Col. /entain an afte$ .hat appea$e to be a heate iscussion bet.een -tt*. Di1on an the )P officials, the stu ents .e$e allo.e to #o bac" to thei$ o$mito$ies, .ith -tt*. Villamo$ un e$ta"in# to accompan* them to the N/I the follo.in# mo$nin#. The t.o stu ent5suspects .e$e eventuall* in icte in cou$t.

#6 DIZON V LAM INO

Hence, spa.ne the filin# of a complaint b* -tt*. Di1on a#ainst -tt*. 6ambino befo$e the Inte#$ate /a$ of the Philippines +I/P,, fo$ violation of Canon &, Rules &.& to &.: of the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit*, oc"ete as C/D Case No. :(;. -tt*. Di1on ha ea$lie$ file a c$iminal complaint also a#ainst -tt*. 6ambino, to#ethe$ .ith Chancello$ Posa as an Vice Chancello$ To$$es58u an Col. /entain, befo$e the Ombu sman, fo$ violation of P.D. &%4' .hich ma"es it unla.ful fo$ an*one to obst$uct the app$ehension an p$osecution of c$iminal offenses. -tt*. 6ambino in tu$n cha$#e -tt*. Di1on befo$e the I/P .ith violation of the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit*, specificall* Canon &, Rule &.<&, &.<4, an &.<:= Canon ;, Rules ;.<& an ;.<4= an Canon %, Rule %.<&, oc"ete as C/D Case No. :>:. The a minist$ative cases .e$e, on motion of -tt*. 6ambino, consoli ate . /efo$e the I/P Commission on /a$ Discipline +C/D,, the issues .e$e efine as follo.s? &. @hethe$ the act of -tt*. 6ambino in $efusin# to tu$n ove$ the suspecte stu ents to the #$oup of -tt*. Di1on constitutes violation of Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit*. 4. @hethe$ the act of -tt*. Di1on in t$*in# to a$$est the stu ent5suspects constitutes violation of the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit*. /* Repo$t an Recommen ation submitte to the /oa$ of 2ove$no$s of the I/P on Aune 4<, 4<<B, C/D Investi#atin# Commissione$ Sie#f$i /. Mison $ecommen e the ismissal of the complaint a#ainst -tt*. 6ambino in li#ht of a fin in# that she Cacte .ithin he$ official uties as she safe#ua$ e the $i#hts of the stu ents in acco$ ance .ith the school7s substitute pa$ental autho$it*C an C.ithin the boun s of the la. as the N/I a#ents ha no .a$$ants of a$$est.C @ith $espect to the complaint a#ainst -tt*. Di1on, the Commissione$ $ecommen e to $ep$iman him fo$ violatin# the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit* in C$ec"lessl* t$D*in#E to a$$estC the suspects .ithout .a$$ant. The I/P /oa$ of 2ove$no$s, b* Resolution of Octobe$ 44, 4<<B, a opte an app$ove the Commissione$7s Repo$t. The I/P the$eupon t$ansfe$$e to this Cou$t its Notice of Resolution, to#ethe$ .ith the $eco$ s of the cases .hich this Cou$t note b* Resolution of 3eb$ua$* &, 4<<;. -s ea$lie$ state , the issue a#ainst -tt*. 6ambino is .hethe$ she violate the Canons of P$ofessional !thics in C$efusin# to tu$n ove$ the suspecte stu ents to the #$oup of -tt*. Di1on.C @hen the complaint of -tt*. Di1on befo$e the Ombu sman a#ainst Chancello$ Posa as, Vice Chancello$ To$$es58u an -tt*. 6ambino .as elevate on Ce$tio$a$i an P$ohibition, this Cou$t a $essin# in the ne#ative the t.o issues $aise the$ein, to .it? +&, @hethe$ the attempte a$$est of the stu ent suspects b* the N/I coul be vali l* ma e .ithout a .a$$ant= an +4, @hethe$ the$e .as p$obable cause fo$ p$osecutin# petitione$ fo$ violation of P.D. No. &%4'. F F F,&

hel that the ob9ection of the sai )P officials to the a$$est of the stu ents Ccannot be const$ue as a violation of P.D. No. &%4', Sec. & +c, .ithout $en e$in# it unconstitutional,C 4 the* havin# Ca $i#ht to p$event the a$$est Dof the stu entsE at the time because thei$ attempte a$$est .as ille#al.C: In ee , -tt*. 6ambino .as le#all* 9ustifie in a visin# a#ainst the tu$n ove$ of the suspects to -tt*. Di1on, the$e bein# no basis fo$ him to effect a .a$$antless a$$est. -tt*. Di1on7s a minist$ative complaint a#ainst he$ must then be ismisse . Respectin# the complaint a#ainst -tt*. Di1on, this Cou$t, also in Posa as v. Ombu sman, hel that CDfEo$ the failu$e of the N/I a#ents to compl* .ith the constitutional an p$oce u$al $e0ui$ements, . . . thei$ attempt to a$$est Dthe t.o stu ent5suspectsE .ithout a .a$$ant .as ille#al.C( In the main, -tt*. Di1on invo"e Section & +a, of Republic -ct &B> +The N/I Cha$te$, .hich empo.e$s the N/I Cto un e$ta"e investi#ations of c$imes an othe$ offenses a#ainst the la.s of the Philippines, upon its o.n initiative an as public inte$est ma* $e0ui$eC B an to ma"e a$$ests. The invocation oes not imp$ess. Sai section oes not #$ant the N/I the po.e$ to ma"e .a$$antless a$$ests. The N/I Cha$te$ clea$l* 0ualifies the po.e$ to ma"e a$$ests to be Cin acco$ ance .ith eFistin# la.s an $ules.C Membe$s of the investi#ation staff of the /u$eau of Investi#ation shall be peace office$s, an as such have the follo.in# po.e$s? +a, To ma"e a$$ests, sea$ches an sei1u$es $% &''o()&%'* +$t, *!$st$%g -&+s &%) (u-*s.; F F F F +!mphasis supplie , /* pe$sistin# in his attempt to a$$est the suspecte stu ents .ithout a .a$$ant, -tt*. Di1on violate Rule &.<4 of Canon & of the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit* .hich p$ovi es? C-NON & G - 6-@8!R SH-66 )PHO6D TH! CONSTIT)TION, O/!8 TH! 6-@S O3 TH! 6-ND -ND PROMOT! R!SP!CT 3OR 6-@ -ND 6!2-6 PROC!SS!S. FFFF Rule &.<4 G - la.*e$ s,&-- %ot 'ou%s*- o( &.*t &'t$/$t$*s &$0*) &t )*1$&%'* o1 t,* -&+ o$ at lessenin# confi ence in the le#al s*stem. +!mphasis supplie ,. @H!R!3OR!, C/D Case No. :(; a#ainst -tt*. Ma$ichu C. 6ambino is DISMISS!D. -tt*. O$lan o V. Di1on is, in C/D Case No. :>:, foun #uilt* of violation of Canon & of Rule &.<4 of the Co e of P$ofessional Responsibilit* an is R!PRIM-ND!D an @-RN!D that a $epetition of the same o$ simila$ inf$action shall be ealt .ith mo$e seve$el*. 6et a cop* of this Decision be fu$nishe the Office of the /a$ Confi ant, the National /u$eau of Investi#ation, an the Depa$tment of Austice. SO ORD!R!D.