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MANUEL N. CAMACHO,
Complainant,
COMPLAINT
PREFATORY STATEMENT
PARTIES
2
Description Attached As
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05-655
ORDER dated 12 April 2012, in Civil Case No. 05- Annex “I”
655
ORDER dated 5 June 2013 in Civil Case No. 05- Annex “M”
655
BACKGROUND FACTS
2. After trial, the court (RTC Branch 139, Makati City) rendered a
decision in favor of Marsman and against Union Insurance. In
compliance of said Decision, and upon withdrawal of the appeal filed
by Union, through herein complainant’s efforts Marsman and Union
Insurance agreed to settle the claim in order to avoid further
litigation. Marsman agreed to accept P15 million constituting full
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satisfaction of the trial court’s judgment, and soon thereafter
received that amount from Union Insurance.
6. Complainant did not accept the offer and instead filed a motion in
the trial court to determine the correct attorney’s fees.
7. The court, in an Order dated April 12, 2012 (copy attached as Annex
“I), ruled in complainant’s favor. Said Order stated that complainant
was indeed entitled to 20% of the judgment award of P15 million,
and thereupon ordered the payment of said amount, minus P300,000
that complainant had already received as acceptance fee. But the
court, in said Order, also improperly deducted other sums allegedly
received by complainant from Marsman, leaving a balance of only
P1,111,740. Thus, complainant filed a motion for reconsideration,
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alleging that he was entitled to the full amount of attorney’s fees of
P3 million, deducting only the P300,000 acceptance fee, and denying
receipt of all other sums alleged by Marsman.
12.Marsman received the July 6, 2012 Order on July 18, 2012 and did
not file any other motion or manifestation in reference thereto. Thus,
said Order became final and executory.
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him of using the money to bribe the trial judge in that case (Judge
Benjamin Pozon, RTC Branch 139, Makati), and for paying spurious
docket fees. Thus, on July 11, 2012, complainant filed a libel case
against respondent Atty. Sison and other officers and members of the
board of Marsman.
16.Shortly thereafter, on September 10, 2012, Atty. Sison, with the full
approval and authority of the other officers and board members of
Marsman, filed an estafa case against complainant, insisting that they
had already previously paid over to the latter the total sum of P1.288
million, which was allegedly used as bribe money for Judge Pozon in
Civil Case No. 05-655 and for spurious docket fees. The Information in
the estafa case Criminal Case No. 13-1688), which was prepared and
filed by herein respondent public prosecutor Hannibal Santillan, is
attached as Annex “B.”
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Dimaano. This evidence was accepted by the court in Civil Case No.
05-655 and was in fact the basis for its July 6, 2013 Order.
20.The case involving the dirty work that Atty. Sison did for Fidelity
Partners in bilking millions of dollars from the Philippine Government
is well-known and has been widely publicized. An informative write-
up written by columnist Vic Agustin for the Philippine Daily Inquirer
tells of these machinations that led to the loss of U.S. $4.8 million in
public funds. A copy of the write-up is attached as Annex “L.”
21.With the malicious filing of the estafa case, complainant moved for
the recall of the Order dated September 14, 2012 in Civil Case No. 05-
655, which approved his compromise agreement with Marsman
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regarding his attorney’s fees. Instead, complainant asked for the
immediate issuance of a writ of execution of the Order dated July 6,
2012 which ordered Marsman to pay complainant P2.7 million in
attorney’s fees.
23.On June 5, 2013, the court in Civil Case No. 05-655 issued an Order
(copy attached as Annex “M”) granting complainant’s motion to
nullify the compromise agreement, stating the following:
xxx
xxx
xxx
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Accordingly, the Order dated 14 September 2012
treating the plaintiff’s urgent motion for approval of the
compromise agreement as a motion to dismiss is hereby
recalled and reconsidered, and let a writ of execution be
instead issued directing the plaintiff to pay Atty.
Camacho the sum of P1.2 million representing the
balance of his attorney’s fees.”
(Emphases supplied)
27.Complainant in his reply further stated that: “If in the civil case,
which requires only a preponderance of evidence, the accused was
favored by not just one but two Orders adjudging him to be
1
Lopez vs, Reyes, G.R. No. L-29498, 31 march 1977, 76 SCRA 179.
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blameless and in fact entitled to the amount involved, what
foundation then is the prosecution building this criminal case on,
which requires the heavier burden of proof beyond reasonable
doubt?”
DISCUSSION
2
Gutierrez v. CA, G.R. No. 82475, January 28, 1991, 193 SCRA 437.
3
Cruz v. CA, G.R. No. 164797, February 13, 2006, 482 SCRA 379, quoting Heirs of the Late Faustina
Adalid v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 122202, May 26, 2005, 459 SCRA 27.
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In this jurisdiction, the concept of res judicata is embodied in Section
47 (b) and (c) of Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, thus:
(b) In other cases, the judgment or final order is, with respect
to the matter directly adjudged or as to any other matter that
could have been raised in relation thereto, conclusive between
the parties and their successors in interest by title subsequent
to the commencement of the action or special proceeding,
litigating for the same thing and under the same title and in
the same capacity; and,
The above provision outlines the dual aspect of res judicata.4 Section
47 (b) pertains to it in its concept as "bar by prior judgment" or "estoppel
by verdict," which is the effect of a judgment as a bar to the prosecution of
a second action upon the same claim, demand or cause of action.
4
NHA v. Baello, G.R. No. 143230, August 30, 2004, 437 SCRA 86.
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On the other hand, Section 47 (c) pertains to res judicata in its
concept as "conclusiveness of judgment" or otherwise known as the rule of
auter action pendant which ordains that issues actually and directly
resolved in a former suit cannot again be raised in any future case between
the same parties involving a different cause of action.5
Note however that, in the Order dated July 6, 2012 in Civil Case No.
05-655 (Annex “F”), the trial Court there ruled that herein complainant
(therein counsel for the respondents) is entitled to receive from Marsman
the amount of P3 million as his rightful attorney’s fees, deducting only the
P300,000 that the accused had already received as acceptance fee. In said
Order, the Court said herein respondents have not shown proof that herein
5
Spouses Rasdas v. Estenor, G.R. No. 157605, December 13, 2005, 477 SCRA 538.
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complainant had received the other amounts alleged by them to have
already been paid to the latter, and that includes the P1,288,260 subject of
the estafa case. In said Order, the Court said:
Judge Moya must surely know these legal principles because she is a
judge of the Regional Trial Court. But even though herein complainant
keeps belaboring the point that, since the amount of P1,288,260 subject of
the estafa case has already been ruled by a court of competent jurisdiction
to be due him as his attorney’s fees, and that there can be no estafa
because he is entitled to that money on his own right, Judge Moya, with
manifest partiality and evident bad faith, denied the motion to quash on
shaky reasoning. For this, complainant charged Judge Moya in another case
with:
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2. Violation of Article 206, Revised Penal Code for knowingly
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PRAYER
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Article 206. Unjust Interlocutory Order. - Any judge who shall knowingly
render an unjust interlocutory order or decree shall suffer the penalty of
arresto mayor in its minimum period and suspension; but if he shall have
acted by reason of inexcusable negligence or ignorance and the
interlocutory order or decree be manifestly unjust, the penalty shall be
suspension. (Article 206, Revised Penal Code, Article 206)
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Section 3. Corrupt practices of public officers. — In addition to acts or
omissions of public officers already penalized by existing law, the following
shall constitute corrupt practices of any public officer and are hereby
declared to be unlawful:
xxx
(e) Causing any undue injury to any party, including the
Government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits,
advantage or preference in the discharge of his official
administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality,
evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. This provision
shall apply to officers and employees of offices or government
corporations charged with the grant of licenses or permits or other
concessions. (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Republic Act No.
3019, Section 3(e))
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“A judge should administer justice impartially and without delay.”
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WHEREFORE, premise considered, complainant most
respectfully prays of the Honorable Supreme Court that after due
proceedings, judgment be rendered finding respondents guilty of the
charges and ordered PERPETUALLY DISBARRED.
MANUEL N. CAMACHO
Complainant
Suite 1605 Corporate 88 Centre
Valero corner Sedeno Streets
Salcedo Village, Makati City
2. I have caused the filing of the foregoing COMPLAINT, and I verify that
its contents are true and correct of my own personal knowledge and
based on authentic records;
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3. I hereby certify that I have not commenced any similar action or filed
any claim involving the same respondents in relation to the same in
any court, tribunal or quasi-judicial agency, and to the best of my
knowledge, no such other action or claim is pending; and
MANUEL N. CAMACHO
Affiant
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