SC junks administrative complaint vs. Mans Carpio, lawyer

The Supreme Court has dismissed an administrative complaint against lawyer Manases Carpio, the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, and another lawyer for lack of merit.

In a resolution dated June 1, the SC First Division dismissed the complaint against Carpio and lawyer Edgar Dennis Padernal which accused them of filing cases that were supposedly baseless and frivolous.

“Indeed, the mere filing and prosecution by Atty. Padernal and Carpio of multiple suits against Alfredo and Lumenaria do not, by themselves constitute unethical conduct deserving of administrative sanction,” the Court said.

The Court said that the lawyers are allowed to report through all legal means to protect their clients, adding that the Code of Professional Responsibility “expects nothing less from lawyers of clients with legitimate grievances.”

“In the absence of any indication that the suits against Alfredo and Lumenaria have been filed or prosecuted with bad faith, or on the basis of concocted claims or baseless legal arguments, Attys. Pademal and Carpio cannot be penalized for their resort to remedies allowed by law,” it said.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by spouses Alfredo and Lumenaria Honneger before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines - Commission on Bar Discipline (IBP-CBD) over a number of legal actions taken against them by the lawyers from 2014 to 2018.

The spouses alleged that the numerous cases filed against them were frivolous and were only filed to harass them.—LDF, GMA Integrated News