SAMUEL B. ARNADO, Complainant, v. ATTY. HOMOBONO A.

ADAZA,
Respondent. [A.C. No. 9834, August 26, 2015] CARPIO, J.

Digest by: Jomari Jericho G. Dinsay, EH 203

Principle in sum:

“Bar Matter No. 850 requires members of the IBP to undergo continuing legal education "to
ensure that throughout their career, they keep abreast with law and jurisprudence,
maintain the ethics of the profession and enhance the standards of the practice of law."

The Case

This is an administrative case against Atty. Homobono A. Adaza (respondent) for his failure
to comply with the requirements of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE)
under Bar Matter No. 850.

FACTS:

1. In a letter, dated 15 March 2013, Atty. Samuel B. Arnado (complainant) called the
attention of this Court to the practice of respondent of indicating "MCLE application
for exemption under process" in his pleadings filed in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012,
and "MCLE Application for Exemption for Reconsideration" in a pleading filed in
2012.
2. Complainant informed the Court that he inquired from the MCLE Office about the
status of respondent's compliance and received the following Certification, dated 2
January 2013, from Prof. Myrna S. Feliciano (Prof. Feliciano), MCLE's Executive
Director:

This is to certify that per our records, ATTY. HOMOBONO A. ADAZA with Roll
Number 14118 of IBP MISAMIS ORIENTAL Chapter did not comply with the
requirements of Bar Matter [No.] 850 for the following compliance periods:

1. First Compliance Period (April 15, 2001 -April 14, 2004)

This is to further certify that Arty. Adaza filed an Application for Exemption from the
MCLE requirement on (sic) January 2009 but was DENIED by the MCLE Governing Board
on (sic) its January 14, 2009 meeting.

3. Respondent enumerated his achievements as a lawyer and claimed that he had been
practicing law for about 50 years. He stated:
Fifth, with a great degree of immodesty, I was the first outsider of the Supreme Court
WHOM PRESIDENT CORAZON C. AQUINO, offered, immediately after she took over
government in February 1986, a seat as Justice of the Supreme Court but I refused the
intended appointment because I did not like some members of the Cory crowd to get me to
the SC in an effort to buy my silence;

Sixth, I almost single-handedly handled the case of CORAZON C. AQUINO in the

xxxx

Eighth; I was one of the two lead counsels of now SENATOR MIRIAM DEFENSOR
SANTIAGO in the national canvassing before the National Canvassing Board when she ran
for President against then GENERAL FIDEL RAMOS. The other counsel was former
Justice of the Supreme Court SERAFIN CUEVAS;

Ninth, I handled the 1987 and 1989 as well as the 2003 COUP CASES for leading generals
like ABENINA and COMMENDAOR and COLONELS like GREGORIO HONASAN as well
as the SIX OAKWOOD CAPTAINS, including now SENATOR ANTONIO TRILL ANES;

Tenth, I filed a case with the Supreme Court contesting the constitutionality and validity of
the 2010 national elections, still undecided up to this day;

Eleventh, I filed together with another lawyer, a case in the Supreme Court on the
constitutionality and legality of the Corona impeachment which the SC only decided after
the Senate decided his case and former SC Chief Justice Corona conceding to the decision,
thus the SC declaring the case moot and academic;

Twelfth, I have been implementing and interpreting the Constitution and other laws as
GOVERNOR OF MISAMIS ORIENTAL, COMMISSION OF IMMIGRATION and the senior
member of the Opposition in the regular Parliament in the Committee on Revision of Laws
and Constitutional Amendments;

Thirteenth, I was the leading Opposition member of Parliament that drafted the Omnibus
Election Law;

Fourteenth, I was the leading member of the Opposition in Parliament that prepared and
orchestrated the debate in the complaint for impeachment against PRESIDENT
FERDINAND MARCOS;
Fifteenth, I have been practicing law for about fifty years now with appearances before the
Supreme Court when Justices were like Concepcion, Barrera and JBL REYES; in the Court
of Appeals; and numerous courts all over the country;

Sixteenth, I have been engaged as lawyer for a number of lawyers who have exemptions
from the MCLE;

4. Respondent further claimed that he had written five books: (1) Leaders From Marcos
to Arroyo; (2) Presidentiables and Emerging Upheavals; (3) Beginning, Hope and
Change; (4) Ideas, Principles and Lost Opportunities; and (5) Corona Impeachment.
Thus, he asked for a reconsideration of the notice for him to undergo MCLE. He
asked for an exemption from MCLE compliance, or in the alternative, for him to be
allowed to practice law while complying with the MCLE requirements.

In its 2 June 2014 Resolution, the Court referred respondent's Compliance and Comment to
the Office of the Bar Confidant (OBC) for evaluation, report and recommendation.

5. In its Report and Recommendation dated 25 November 2014, the OBC reported that
respondent applied for exemption for the First and Second Compliance Periods on
the ground of expertise in law.

6. The MCLE Governing Board denied respondent's application for exemption on 14

7. However, the MCLE Office failed to convey the denial of the application for
exemption to the respondent. The MCLE Office only informed respondent, through
its letter dated 1 October 2012 signed by Prof. Feliciano, when it received inquiries
from complainant, Judge Sinfroso Tabamo, and Camiguin Deputy Provincial
Prosecutor Renato A. Abbu on the status of respondent's MCLE compliance.

8. The OBC found that respondent had been remiss in his responsibilities as a lawyer.
The OBC stated that respondent's failure to comply with the MCLE requirements
jeopardized the causes of his clients because the pleadings he filed could be stricken
off from the records and considered invalid.

9. The OBC recommended that respondent be declared a delinquent member of the Bar
and guilty of non-compliance with the MCLE requirements. The OBC further
recommended respondent's suspension from the practice of law for six months with a
stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar act in the future will be dealt
with more severely. The OBC also recommended that respondent be directed to
comply with the requirements set forth by the MCLE Governing Board.
ISSUE:

Whether or not the respondent is administratively liable for his failure to comply with the
MCLE requirements?

RULING:

1. SC: Bar Matter No. 850 requires members of the IBP to undergo continuing legal
education "to ensure that throughout their career, they keep abreast with law and
jurisprudence, maintain the ethics of the profession and enhance the standards of
the practice of law."

2. SC: The records of the MCLE Office showed that respondent failed to comply with
the four compliance periods. The records also showed that respondent filed an
application for exemption only on 5 January 2009. According to the MCLE
Governing Board, respondent's application for exemption covered the First and
Second Compliance Periods. Respondent did not apply for exemption for the Third
Compliance Period.

3. SC resolves to:LawlibraryofCRAlaw
4.
(1) REMIND the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Office to promptly act on matters
that require its immediate attention, such as but not limited to applications for exemptions,
and to communicate its action to the interested parties within a reasonable period;

(2) DENY the prayer of Atty. Homobono A. Adaza to be exempted from MCLE compliance
as the matter had already been denied with finality by the MCLE Governing Board on 28
November 2013;

(3) DECLARE Atty. Homobono A. Adaza as a delinquent member of the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines and SUSPEND him from the practice of law for SIX MONTHS, or until he
has fully complied with the MCLE requirements for the First, Second, Third, and Fourth
Compliance Periods, whichever is later, and he has fully paid the required non-compliance
and reinstatement fees.

Let a copy of this Decision be attached to Atty. Homobono A. Adaza's personal record in the
Office of the Bar Confidant and copies be furnished to all chapters of the Integrated Bar of
the Philippines and to all courts in the land. Let copies be also furnished to the MCLE
Office and the IBP Governing Board for their appropriate actions.