CANON 13 - A LAWYER SHALL RELY UPON THE MERITS OF HIS CAUSE AND

REFRAIN FROM ANY IMPROPRIETY WHICH TENDS TO INFLUENCE, OR GIVES THE

APPEARANCE OF INFLUENCING THE COURT.

Rule 13.01 - A lawyer shall not extend extraordinary attention or hospitality to, nor seek
opportunity for cultivating familiarity with Judges.

Rule 13.02 - A lawyer shall not make public statements in the media regarding a pending case
tending to arouse public opinion for or against a party.

Rule 13.03 - A lawyer shall not brook or invite interference by another branch or agency of the
government in the normal course of judicial proceedings.

Foodsphere, Inc. vs. Atty. Mauricio, Jr. [AC No. 7199. July 22, 2009]

‘’Grocery store’’

GUY 1: ‘’namimili ng mga pagkain (Canned goods etc.)

Ano pa kaya pwede naming ihanda para sa pag bisita nila kuya Arnaldo

Siguro eto, tsaka eto at sige na nga eto nadin

‘’Nag iikot sabay nakita ang tinapay sabay kumuha’’ At siyempre hindi pwedeng mawala ang
paborito ng pamilya (referring sa tinapay) ‘’sabay lumingon lingon tsaka nakita ang CDO liver
spread’’ kasama na ang CDO liver spread.

-------PAGKAUWI-------

GUY 1: hay grabe nakakapagod

GIRL 1: hi dad kamusta nakabili kaba ng mga panghanda natin

GUY 1: aba’y siyempre naman

GIRL 1: e ang paborito nating…

(SABAY) GUY 1 and GIRL 1: tinapay at palaman na CDO liver spread

GUY 1 (laugh): oo naman

-----nag ayos na para sa handaan----

-----may bumusina sa labas ng bahay----

CHILD 1: mami daddy anjan na silaaaaaaa

GIRL 1: ayan sakto kakatapos ko lang ayusin at lutuin ang mga ito

----PUMASOK ANG MGA BISITA AT NAG KAMUSTAHAN AT KWENTUHAN----

---habang kumakain at nag kakasayahan---

CHILD 2 (binuksan na ang tinapay at nag spread ng liver spread)

CHILD 2: eto talaga ang pinaka masarap sa lahat ng handa hinding hindi ako mag sasawa

CHILD TITA 1 TITO 1 TITA (pwede all cast kasi na excite sila dun sa tinapay): penge ako, ako
din, sige ikaw muna, pasa mo dito pagtapos mo

----habang kumakain may napansin yung huling nag lagay----

GUY 1: teka teka bakit ganito

TITO 1: ano yon? Ang sarap kaya kumain kana

-----nasusuka na yung iba kasi may ibang lasa na silang natitikman----

CHILD 1 2: AHHHH MAY UOD.

HOST/NARRATOR: The cordero’s filed a complaint before the BFAD. After conciliation
meetings between Cordero and the petitioner, the Corderos eventually forged a KASUNDUAN
seeking the withdrawal of their complaint before the BFAD thus dismissed the case.

Respondent, Atty. Mauricio, Jr., who affixed his signature to the KASUNDUAN as a witness,
later wrote in one of his articles/columns in a tabloid that he prepared the document and even
announce on national television.

Live telecast (Double B Batas ng Bayan at radio station) DZBB

Announce:
ATTY MAURICIO: ok ngayon meron akong pa contest, total mag papasko na o ha, kapag alam
niyo tumawag kayo sa telepono 756-7831, ok eto na, anong LIVER SPEAD ang may UOD daw?
Ayan ha madali lang yan malaman, uulitin ko, ano itong sikat na LIVER SPREAD na may uod
at sinong kompanya kaya ang gumawa neto

HOST/NARRATOR: The respondent also wrote in his columns in the tabloids articles which put
complainant in bad light.

Foodsphere Inc. a corporation under the brand of CDO filed a complaint against Atty. Mauricio
Jr. for violating the Rule 13.02 of the Canon of Professional Responsibility which reads: “A
lawyer shall not make public statements in the media regarding a pending case tending to arouse
public opinion for or against a party.”
Clerk of court:
"The power of the media to form or influence public opinion cannot be underestimated…On
reading the articles respondent published, not to mention listening to him over the radio and
watching him on television, it cannot be gainsaid that the same could, to a certain extent, have
affected the sales of complainant….To the Court, suspension of respondent from the malpractice
of law for three years is, in the premises, sufficient," .

WHEREFORE, Atty. Melanio Mauricio is, for violation of the lawyer’s oath and breach of
ethics of the legal profession as embodied in the Code of Professional
Responsibility,SUSPENDED from the practice of law for three years effective upon his receipt
of this Decision. He is warned that a repetition of the same or similar acts will be dealt with more
severely.