THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A NOTARY PUBLIC It has been emphatically stressed that notarization is not an empty, Meaningless, routinary act. It is invested with substantive public interest, such that only those who are qualified or authorized may act as notaries public. It must be underscored that the notarization by a notary public converts a private document into a public document making that document admissible in evidence without further proof of authenticity. A notarial document is by law entitled te full faith and Credit upon its face. For this reason, notaries public must observe with utmost care the basic requirements in the performance of their duties Performing a noterial without such commission Is a violation of the lawyer's oath to obey the laws, more specifically, the Notanal Law. Then, too, by making it appear that he is duly commissioned when he is not, he is, for all legal intents and purposes, indulging in deliberate falsehood, which the lawyer’s oath similarly Proscribes. These violations fall squarely within the prohibition of Rule 1.01 of Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, which provides: “A lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct.” By such misconduct as a notary public, the lawyer likewise violates Canon 7 of the same Code, which directs every lawyer to uphold at all times the integrity and dignity of the legal profession. A notarial document is by law entitied to full faith and credit upon its face and, for this reason, notaries public must observe with utmost care the basic requirements in the performance of their duties, lest, the confidence of the Public in the integrity of the decument will be undermined. As a lawyer commissioned as a notary public, he is mandated to discharge with fidelity the sacred duties appertaining to his office, such duties being dictated by public policy and impressed with public interest. Faithful observance and utmost respect for the legal solemnity of an cath in an acknowledgment are sacrosanct. He cannot simply disregard the requirements and solemnities of the Notarial Law. He should not notarize a document unless the persons who signed the same are the very same persons who executed and personally appeared before him to attest to the contents and truth of what are stated therein. The presence of the parties te the deed making the acknowledgment will enable him to verify the genuineness of the signature of the affiant. A notary public Is enjoined from notarizing a fictitious ar spurious document. The function of @ notary public, is among others, to guard against any illegal deed. aati rice tn eterna een eaeThe principal function of a notary public is to authenticate documents. When @ notary public certifies to the due execution and delivery of a document under his hand and seal, he gives the document the force of evidence. Indeed, one of the purposes of requiring documents to be acknowledged before a notary public, In addition to the solemnity which should surround the execution and delivery of documents, is to authorize such documents to be given without further proof of their execution and delivery. A notarial document is by law entitled to full faith and credit upon its face. Courts, administrative agencies and the public at large must be able to rely upon the acknowledgement executed before a notary public and appended to a private instrument. Hence, a notary public must discharge his powers and duties, which are impressed with public interest, with accuracy and fidelity. The act of notarizing the document despite the non-appearance of one of the signatories should not be countenanced. This conduct, if left unchecked, is fraught with dangerous possibilities considering the conclusiveness on the due execution of a document that our courts and the public accord to notarized documents. The Honorable Supreme Court, in a long line of cases (Bon v. Ziga,""*! Serzo v. Flores,'*°) Zaballero v. Montalvan,'*"| Tabas v. Mangibin,"22! and similar cases), found the revocation of the notarial commission and disqualification from securing reappointment, insufficient to punish a notary public for violations of the notarial rules. Hence, the Court did not only revoke their notarial commission but likewise suspended them from the practice of law. The requirements for the issuance of a commission as notary public must not be treated as a mere casual formality. The Court has characterized a lawyer's act of notarizing documents without the requisite commission therefore as “reprehensible, constituting as it does not only malpractice but also x x x the crime of falsification of public documents.” For such reprehensible conduct, the Court has sanctioned erring lawyers by suspension from the practice of law, revocation of the notarial commission and disqualification from acting as such, and even disbarment.HONING OUR S$ INLEGAL W AND ORAL ADVOCA\ by JUDGE REYNALDO A. ALHAMBRA INTRODUCTION “The conduct of a case in court is a peculiar art for which many men, however learned in the law, are not fitted: and where a lawyer has but one or even a dozen experiences in court in each year, he can never become a competent trial lawyer. I am not addressing myself to clients, who ofien assume that, because we are duly qualified ax lawyers, we are therefore competent to try their cases; I am speaking in behalf of our courts, against the congestion of the calendars, and the consequent crowding out of weighty commercial litigations. “One experienced in the trial of causes will not require, at the utmost, more than a quarter of the time taken by the most learned inexperienced lawyer in developing his facts. His case will be thoroughly prepared and understood before the trial begins. His points of law and issues of fact will be clearly defined and presented sich. may not be appealed from-atall or, if appealed, will be sustained by a higher court, instead of being sent back for a retrial and the consequent consumption of the time of another judge and jury in doing the work all over again,” - Francis L, Wellman (The Art of Cross-Examination, pp. 23-24 j These words expressed in 1903 by one of the great 19" century trial lawyers who made his reputation in the musty New York courtrooms of the 1880's ang 1890s still apply in our time. Successful trial lawyers do not depend on trickery but on hard work and methodical preparation. 1 am confident and convinced that I am in the midst of trial lawyers who belong to this special breed of professionals described by Mr. Wellman. When we took the lawyer's oath and entered our names in the Roll of Attorneys, the Honorable Supreme Court presented us to the public as worthy of its confidence and as a person fit and proper to assume and nici discharge the responsibilities of an attorney. (in re Alamacen, 31 SCRA139). Rule 18.02 of the Code of Professional Responsibility mandates: “A lawyer shall not handle any legal matter without adequate preparation.” | The full protection of the client's interests requires no less than a mastery of the applicable law and the facts involved in a case, regardless of the nature of the assignment and keeping constantly abreast of the latest jurisprudence and developments in all branches of the law. In his address to the successful 1973 bar candidates, Justice Salvador Esquerra counseled them: ‘A lawyer owes that duty not only to his client but to the court, to the bar and to himself. That most cases are won within the four waills"6f the attorney's study room and before he goes to court requires no elaboration. Moreover, to be able to put up a good fight in the court room, hard work and intensive study and Preparation are the guarantees of coming out unscathed.” Indeed, any attempted presentation of a case without adequate preparation would result in adverse effects. Careless preparation may cast doubt on the lawyer's intellectual honesty and capacity. It may prove embarrassing to himself and may expose him to disciplinary action or contempt of court. As part of a trial lawyer's preparation, it is important to hone his skills in legal writing and oral advocacy. For many of you, what I am about to discuss will not be new. At any rate, this may serve as a “review” of what you may have been doing all along, ALL LAWYERS ARE PRESUMED TO HAVE SUFFICIENT SKILLS IN LEGAL WRITING AND ORAL ADVOCACY Are all lawyers required to hone their skills in Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy? Perhaps the first question that should be asked is — are all lawyers equipped with effective skills in Legal Writing and Oral Advocacy? Definitely, all lawyers possess sufficient communication skills, both oral and written. Proof of this is the fact that before one can be a lawyer, he must pass the bar examinations. Four years in law school must have provided him adequate basic knowledge of the various laws and jurisprudence in preparation for the bar examinations. Four years of reading, writing and recitations in law schools are inevitable. By passing the bar examinations, We can safely assume that all lawyers have the ability to organize their thoughts and ideas that they-must have conveyed exactly through their handwritten answers to the bar examination questions. In short, you can er Gly RSS THE Par examinations i yoware-able to communicate =o persuade ree convince” The SANTEE Tres Page 2 of 13 EE* But, do all lawyers have effective communication skills? Surely, we have ‘ the basic communication skills but certainly we would like to know more on how to use these skills more effectively: This is what we hope to achieve in this short review. This morning, 1 shall attempt to discuss and share with you ways and methods in’improving our communication skills. Simply put, we will look into some techniques, strategies and devises that we can use in the preparation of pleadings and other papers. To be honest with you, some of these suggestions are not totally from books on trial technique, legal writing and oral advocacy, that were written by prominent authorities and experts. Some are lessons learned from more experienced lawyers and members of the bench who have, wittingly or unwittingly, taught young lawyers with their impressive performance in handling cases in the courtrooms. Some mentored me when I was a young upstart, others I had the privilege of working with. + PART ONE: LEGAL.WRITING hat is legal writing? A writing project begins with the decision being made that a particular ing must be done. If all information is not available to accomplish the task, it must be gathered. Then a draft is prepared. The draft may undergo one or several revisions before final preparation. After editing, and if a careful proofreading reveals nothing to be corrected, the writing is ready for whatever purpose it was prepared. A lawyer true to his profession must see to it that the final version of the writing is in proper form, is correct in all aspects of grammar, word usage, spelling, punctuation, .and capitalization, and is crisp and clean ~ all of which create a favorable impression to whoever reads or sees it. Remember, a lawyer and the law office are judged according to how good (or how bad) the end product is, both in content and appearance, and the lawyer is ultimately responsible. Legal Writing covers a broad area. If legal writing is considered to be any writing prepared by a lawyer, then the general category includes letters, status reports, opinion letters, memoranda, court pleadings and papers, briefs, wills and trusts, agreements, affidavits, powers of attorney, real estate documents, and papers for filing with administrative agencies. What are the characteristies of legal writing? Page 3 of 13,‘The hallmarks of good legal writing are clarity, conciseness, accuracy of facts and authority, and proper form. CLARITY in writing includes choosing the appropriate: words and phrases to convey the meaning intended while at the same time omitting redundancies and using simple, easily understood words instead of “legalese.” , Clarity also exists if the writer utilizes an organized, step-by- step? comprehensive approach that leaves nothing to be assumed by the reader, The goal is to convince the reader of the credibility of what is written, Writing CONCISELY is difficult. The talent for writing concisely grows with the experience of the writer. A carefully worded letter containing one or two paragraphs is better than one which rambles on for two or three pages with the same message. Likewise, court pleading and papers do not need to. be as lengthy as some are. Although the courts and the rules of court do not limit the length of briefs and memoranda, the lawyer must decide how much argument and how many authorities need to be included to prove the point or points he wishes to make, ACCURACY of facts and authorities in writing enhances the credibility of what is written; it builds the good reputation of the lawyer and the law firm; and it avoids trouble. Dates and spelling of names must be checked. Legal descriptions and quoted matter must be double-checked. Authorities must be cited correctly. Proper FORM of court pleadings, papers, and briefs is dictated by the rules of court. We must take into account the provisions of the Rules of Court with regard to pleadings, the parts thereof, verification, etc. The rules also set forth the kind and size of paper to be used, caption style, type size, line spacing, and placement on the page of the various components of a litigation paper. (See Rule 136, Sec. 15, 16, as amended by SC Res. Nov. 24, 1992) It is important to keep track of Supreme Court issuances in connection with the requirements for pleadings and papers that need to be filed in the various courts, For example: Certificate of Non-forum shopping, ete. Papers filed with-administrative agencies must also conform to the forms required by the particular ageney. Letters too have a proper form. A demand letter addressed to someone who owes your client some money or other kind of obligation will be given serious consideration and priority by the addressee if the letter gives the impression of professionalism. Use quality correspondence paper and envelopes with your name or law firm, address, telephone, fax, and e-mail address printed at the letter head. Remember that the contents of the letter Page 4 of 13should be'clear, concise, and accurate. Don't forget to put the date when it : was written and remember to affix your signature. Correspondence from + “your law fir should be typewritten or-printed if you are using a personal computer. Keep file copies of all letters, especially those that will eventually be used as evidence in litigation. Handwritten correspondence is reserved forclose friends and relatives. Maintaining a file of printed forms may be kept by you in your office for easy reference. This will make it easier for you to prepare similar documents. The file may also be contained in a folder stored in your laptop or desk top computer. Nowadays, the personal computer has become a vital equipment for lawyers. In fact, for lawyers who use the computer, this wonderful machine has made legal work easier. I am certain that all of you are familiar with the almost unlimited power of the computer. Legal research has become easier by accessing websites offering information on any topic. So, in addition to your law textbooks, codes, dictionaries, Form Books, etc., explore the web and exploit the potentials of your personal computer to aid you in legal writing. The latest decisions of the Honorable s Supreme Court can be accessed at which is the website of the SC._ * ASSISTANCE FROM PARALEGALS AND ASSOCIATES IN PREPARING DOCUMENTS Law firms, whether big or small, use paralegals. They make life easier for the lawyer. They are given various tasks by lawyers. The mechanical aspect of drafting of the wills, contracts, powers of attomey, and letters of demand can be handled very well by your paralegals or your associates in your law firms. But, any draft prepared by them should be subjected to your scrutiny and supervision. Remember: you are the lawyer, and ultimately you are going to be held responsible for the output of your law office. You cannot blame your associate or your secretary for a defective document. PRELIMINARY TO LEGAL WRITING Before you can even start preparing or even ask your associates to prepare a drait, it is important to confer with your client #horoughly about the case he wants you to handle. More often than than not, clients are referred to you by friends, relatives, and former’ clients. Clients referred to you by friends mean that the latter believe in your capacity as a lawyer (or perhaps, they do not know any other lawyer other than you). When relatives refer to you a client, then expect to give a discount. When they are referred to you by former clients, then you can congratulate yourself because you have built up a reputation of a being a capable and reliable trial lawyer. (In short, puwede na.) Ultimately, it is the kind of service that you give to your clients that builds your reputation. That reputation can be one of trustworthiness which Page 5 of 13can make you famous; or, one of unreliability, which can make you notorious. During the conference, gather all the information from your client. Let him spill out the “facts”. Start by finding out what the legal problem is all about by the simple question: What is your problem? This simple question will result in a fesponse which, often than not, does not give you sufficient information. Allow the client to let off “steam”. From seemingly unconnected events that tend to confuse you, giving him attention by attentively listening to him without interruption eventually calms your client. I am sure that you have encountered a lot of this kind of clients. They give : you a narrative of the events, the persons involved, and segments of the subject matter of the legal consultation. Be calm. Keep your cool. As soon as they have repeated their version of the problem for the third or nth time, you would be ready to take control of the situation. By then, you may have a general idea of the nature of the problem. Now, it is your turn to inquire into more details. Don't forget the fact finding queries that should be posed: : WHO? WHERE? WHEN? WHAT? WHY? HOW? The first four ‘ interrogatives provide you facts, The HOW provides a descriptive action. Many conferences are wasted when the answers to these questions are not obtained because the lawyer forgot to ask them, It is only after gathering the facts when you can then intelligently evaluate the problem and properly advise your client. Give yourself enough time to study the problem. Some legal research will certainly help you. By the way, during the conference, do not forget to inform your client HOW much you are billing him for you services. Being professionals, you are entitled to the service you provide. DRAFTING THE DOCUMENT In drafting a document, always give special attention to the formal parts; the caption, the recitals, the consideration, the operative clauses, the testimonium or testimonial clause. Always see to it that the parties are clearly identified throughout the document. Who are the contracting parties? What are the parties' intentions in entering into that agreement? What is the party's commitment. Be clear on the operative cla When is the obligation due? Is it subject to a suspensive condition? Is it with a term? Are the witnesses to the document possessed with sufficient qualification? If the document contains a number of topics or main ideas, prepare an outline. By determining the main topics, you can further subdivide a topic into subtopics. From this outline, you can give flesh to each subtopic until all of these are integrated into one document. You can use Roman numerals, Page 6 of 13 cmcapital leiters, arabic numbers, and low case letters to designate main top subtopics, and other subdivisions of the document Remember that some documents require some formal requisites to be valid, For example, a donation mortis causa must comply with the formal requirements of a will. When real property is to be sold through an agent, a special power of attorney is necessary for the deed of sale to be valid, A testamentary will should be signed by the testator and the witnesses in the presence of each and everyone of them before the notary public on each and every page. The acknowledgment should make reference to the nature of the document and the number of pages constituting the same and with the statement that it was the parties’ voluntary act and deed. Be mindful of the notarial law. Also, explain to the parties the document and find out from them if the document contains their intentions including the terms and conditions. If necessary, revise. A well crafted document will save you and your client a lot of trouble and money later on. DRAFTING PLEADINGS, BRIEFS AND OTHER PAPERS Let us now focus on pleadings, briefs, and papers prepared by you in handling cases before the courts. PLEADINGS KINDS OF PLEADINGS: Pleadings are the written statements of the respective claims and defenses of the parties submitted to the court for appropriate judgment. (Rule 6, Sec. 1). ‘The various kinds of pleadings are defined in Rule 6 of the Rules of PARTS OF A PLEADING |. Caption — name of the court, title of action (indicates the names of the parties), docket nuniber. 2. Body — sets forth its designation, the allegations of the parties claims and defenses, the relief prayed for, and the date of the pleading. (a)Paragraphs — numbered as to be readily identified and contain a statement of a single set of circumstances so far as that can be done with convenience. 2 Page 7 of 13,(b)Headings — when two or more causes of action are joined, the statement of the first shall be prefaced “first cause of action”, etc. In like manner, defenses shall be prefaced “answer to first cause of action”, etc. (c) Relief- must be specified, but it may add a general prayer f or such furthe? or other relief as may be just and equitable. (d) Date — every pleading must be dated, 3. Signature and Address ~ the signature of counsel is a certification by the lawyer that he has read the pleading; that to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief there is good ground to support it; and that it is not interposed for delay. The address must not be a post office box. 4. Verification — a pleading is verified by an affidavit ‘that the affiant has read the pleading and that the allegations therein are true and correct of his personal knowledge based on authentic documents. Under A.M. No. 00-2- 10-SC, May I, 2000, a pleading which contains a verification based on “information and belief” or upon “knowledge, information and belief,” or lacks a proper verification, shhall be treated as an unsigned pleading. 5. Certification against forum shopping - (Sec. 5, Rule 7) Failure to comply with the requirements shall not be curable by mere amendment of the complaint or other initiatory pleading but shall be cause for dismissal of the case without prejudice, unless otherwise provided, upon motion and after hearing Submission of a false certification or noncompliance with any of the undertaking therein shall constitute indirect contempt. If deliberate forum shopping, the same shall be ground for summary dismissal with prejudice and shall constitute direct contempt as well as cause for administrative sanctions, ORAL ADVOCACY Whether it is in-your office-or in a court room, the facility to connect with the persons you are addressing through oral expression is, one of the coinerstones of suceess for the trial lawyer, Some successful trial lawyers I have met admitted to being susceptible to a degree of stage fright. It is the reason why very few accept speaking engagements and are considered reclusive. But as a trial lawyer, you are forced to overcome stage fright since part of trial work is having to conduct oral examination of witnesses in open court. Thus, we understand that lawyers must train themselves to tame and overcome the fear of public speaking. Developing. self-confidence begins with doing one's homework. Nothing helps more than knowing what Page 8 of 13you are doing. Making an effort to keep learning constantly throughout life is primordial among achievers in the legal profession. Successful people are diligent and hardworking. You should have great organization ,skills and disciplined productive work habits. You should distinguish between what's important and what is not. COMMON PROBLEMS IN LEGAL WRITING AND ORAL ADVOCACY 1 PROBLEMS IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR English is the official language used in carrying out legal and judicial proceedings. We use English in preparing pleadings, motions and other papers. In the conduct of trials, English is also used in examining witnesses. Hearings in open court are conducted in English and lawyers are expected to present their positions regarding an issue and to argue with the contending party's counsel in English. Aside from the fact that in our country, law hools require English as the medium of instruction, practically all statute qi books, text books, and other reading materials are written in English. In ; fact, decisions are written in English, although occasionally, some judges ‘ and magistrates have penned decisions in (tagalog or) Pilipino. Also, court stenographers take down testimony in English because they have been trained to take down stenographic notes in English. Consequently, until such time that the Honorable Supreme Court shall have come out with a rule or circular allowing lawyers to prepare pleadings, motions and papers in Pilipino and also authorize the conduct of trial in Pilipino, it is imperative for us lawyers to use this foreign language as our official language in legal proceedings. Unfortunately, not all members of the legal profession are proficient in the English language in spite of the fact that they studied and graduated from laweschool, and took and passed the bar examinations. With all due respect to my companeros and companeras who are suffering from some faults in speaking and writing in English, I have to say this because it is a reality of life in our profession. English, not being our own native tongue, it is understandable that not every one can communicate in English fluently. But we can improve our skills by identifying the grammatical errors and learning to correct them, Page 9 of 13 ii miaAllow me to give you some examples of statements that bear grammatical errors. A list of suspects have been posted on the board. Either of your two suggestions are practical Behind the kitchen is an oven and two freezers. The clerk of court or the legal researcher are always on duty Since when you became a member of Police Station 5? What time did you caught the suspect? Did you saw the accused again after he shoot the victim? You will agree to me that there are two malefactors and one femalefactor in the area when you go to the area to conduct surveillance? The accused is not necessary to Present evidence to prove his innocence. ‘The common errors in English grammar committed are the following: 1 Subject — Verb Agreement The verb changes from not only in tense but also in person and number. ‘The Person and number of a verb are determined by the person and number of its subject A verb is singular in form when it ends in —s or —es, For example, walks, rings, plays, deseribes, catches, does, chooses, loses. The root or base form of the verb is referr ed to as its plural form. It is used with all kinds of subjects except the third person. . 1. A verb must agree with its subject in person and number, Examples: a. He asks for help every day. b. We ask for help evéry day. They ask for help every day 2. Each, everyone, everybody, everyone, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, nobody, no one, either, and neither are singular. ‘They take singular verbs. Page 10 of 13Examples: a. Every loyal Filipino must do his share. b, Either of the two cars is a good bargain: c. Bach has something to offer. d. Ne one is“allowed to enter the gate. 3. Singular subjects joined by or or nor require a singular verb. Examples: a. Neither Pedro nor Pablo expects to go to jail. : b. Either Mary or Jane is behind all this. Plural subjects joined by or or nor require a plural verb. Example: Neither the lawyers nor the prisoners are in court. If two subjects connected by either or or neither nor differ in person or number the verb agrees with the nearer subject Examples: a. Bi b. Either the owner or the workers are responsible. er the workers or the owner is responsible. ¢. Neither the prosecutor nor the lawyers are ready « 4. Compound subjects joined-by and normally require plural verbs. Examples: a, His coat and tie are lying on the bed. b. A prisoner and his guard are in the court room 5. The pronoun you éven if it refers to one person requires a plural verb. Examples: a. Mary, you were there last night b. Peter, are you going? Page 11 of 13 i ain6. Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verbs, for example, politics, economics, physics, mathematics. Examples: a, Ethics deals with problem of moral duty. b. Physics ’s my favorite subject. 7. In “there is” and “there are” sentences, make the verb agree with the subject that follows it. ples a. There is too much noise in this room, b. There were several good reasons for my decision, 8. When a relative pronoun is used as the subject of a clause, the form of the verb is determined by the antecedent of the Pronoun, because the pronoun has the same person and number that the antecedent has. Examples: a. [have met the woman who is on the program. b. [have met the women who are on the program, ¢. She is one of those girls who are never on time. . 9. A collective noun is considered singular when the group is regarded as a a Unit; itis plural when the emphasis is upon the individuals of the group. A plural noun of amount, distance, etc., takes a singular verb when the subject is used as a unit of measurement, Sa les of mass nouns: committee, jury, band. Examples a. The clas: is orderly. b. The class are divided in their plan to go to Baguio ;venty pesos is too much'to pay for a handkerchief. a Thirty kilometers is a good day's ride, PELLING : One of the spelling problems is the E/IE group. An old jungle that has ‘ proved helpful to many will help you. Page 12 of 13 ai einenI before £, except after C Or when sounded like 4 : As in neighbor or weigh. ' The spelling rule for this group is: words are spelled with ie after all letters except C. ~Another way of remembering is the use of ALICE. Note that generally, when the letter “L" precedes the combination, it is followed by seen it the letter “C” precedes the comibination, then itis followed by the letter “E as can be readily gleaned from the name Alice. Examples: a. believe b. receive Exceptions: a. either b. leisure ‘ . seize : 4d. weird ‘ UL. IRREGULAR VERBS trregular verbs do not add d or ed to the present to form the past and past Participle. They may remain the same regardless of whether these are used in simple form, past form or past participle Verbs with no separate past tense bet bet bet quit quit quit burst burst burst thrust thrust thrust cost cost cost : It is my singular. hope that you might find my observations and ' recommendations useful in honing your communication skills in. leval writing and oral advocey. Page 13 of 13PRACTICE COURT 4 Reading assignment: (Read and note the important lessons learned trom these cases.) 1. DUTY OF ALAWYER AS AN OFFICER OF THE COURT ROMEO G. ROXAS ET AL., PETITIONERS, VS. ANTONIO DE ZUZUARREGUI. JR. ETAL, G.R. NO. 152072, duly 12, 2007; G.R. NO. 152104 2. POWER OF THE SUPREME COURT OVER JUDGES AND LAWYERS RE: SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM DATED JANUARY 11, 2010 OF ACTING DIRECTOR ALEU A. AMANTE, PIAB-C, OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN (AM. No. 10-1-13-SC, March 02, 2010) 3. PRACTICE OF LAW DONNA MARIE S. AGUIRRE, COMPLAINANT, VS. EDWIN L. RANA, RESPONDENT. (8. M. No. 1036, June 10, 2003) 4. CERTIFICATE OF NON-FORUM SHOPPING NELLIE VDA. DE FORMOSO AND HER CHILDREN, NAMELY, MA. THERESA FORMOSO-PESCADOR, ROGER FORMOSO, MARY JANE FORMOSO, BERNARD FORMOSO AND PRIMITIVO MALCABA, PETITIONERS, VS. PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK, FRANCISCO. ARCE, ATTY. BENJAMIN. BARBERO, AND ROBERTO NAVARRO, G.R. No. 154704, June 01, 2011) ASIA UNITED BANK, CHRISTINE T. CHAN, AND FLORANTE C. DEL MUNDO, PETITIONERS, VS. GOODLAND. COMPANY, INC., RESPONDENT, (GR. No, 191388, March 09, 2011) 5. MOTIONS - Notice of Hearing (“3-day rule”) CAMARINES SUR IV ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC., PETITIONER, VS EXPEDITA L. AQUINO, RESPONDENT (G.R. No. 167691, September 23, 2008) 6. RULE 6.03 OF THE CODE OF. PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON GOOD GOVERNMENT (PCGG), PETITIONER, VS. SANDIGANBAYAN (FIFTH DIVISION), LUCIO C. TAN, ET AL. (G.R. NOS. 151809-12, April 12, 2005) N . PRACTICE OF LAW: A SACRED AND NOBLE PROFESSION RE: ADMINISTRATIVE CASE NO, 44 OF THE REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, BRANCH IV, TAGBILARAN CITY, AGAINST ATTY. SAMUEL C. OCCENA (A.C. No. 2841, July 03, 2002)