Jesthony G.

Lagura
JD – 1
Legal Ethics

1. AM No. RTJ-11-2302, January 16, 2018

OFFICE OF THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, ,

vs.
RESIDING JUDGE FERNANDO L. FELICEN, CLERK OF COURT V ATTY. ALLAN
SLY M. MARASIGAN, SHERIFF IV ANSELMO P. PAGUNSAN, JR., COURT
STENOGRAPHERS ROSALIE MARANAN and TERESITA P. REYES, COURT
INTERPRETER IMELDA M. JUNTILLA, and PROCESS SERVER HIPOLITO O.
FERRER, all of the RTC, Branch 20, Imus, Cavite; PRESIDING JUDGE NORBERTO J.
QUISUMBING, JR., CLERK OF COURT ATTY. MARIA CRISTITA A. RIVAS-SANTOS,
LEGAL RESEARCHER MANUELA O. OSORIO, SHERIFF IV FILMAR M. DE VILLA,
COURT STENOGRAPHERS MARILOU CAJIGAL, WENDILYN T. ALMEDA and
HELEN B. CARALUT, COURT INTERPRETER ELENITA T. DE VILLA, and PROCESS
SERVER ELMER S. AZCUET A, all of the RTC, Branch 21, Imus, Cavite; PRESIDING
JUDGE CESAR A. MANGROBANG, CLERK OF COURT VI ATTY. REGALADO E.
EUSEBIO, CLERK OF COURT V ATTY. SETER M. DELA CRUZ-CORDEZ, LEGAL
RESEARCHER DEVINA A. REYES BERMUDEZ, COURT STENOGRAPHERS
PRISCILLA P. HERNANDEZ, NORMITA Z. FABIA, MERLY O. PARCERO, and JOYCE
ANN F. SINGIAN, COURT INTERPRETER MICHELLE A. ALARCON, and PROCESS
SERVER ELMER S. AZCUET A, all of the RTC, Branch 22, Imus, Cavite; EXECUTIVE
JUDGE PERLA V. CABRERA-FALLER, CLERK OF COURT ZENAIDA C. NOGUERA,
SHERIFF IV TOMAS C. AZURIN, OIC LEGAL RESEARCHER OPHELIA G. SULUEN,
COURT STENOGRAPHERS JESUSA B. SAN JOSE, ROSALINA A. COS TUNA, and
MARIA LOURDES M. SAPINOSO, COURT INTERPRETER MERLINA S. FERMA, and
PROCESS SERVER RIZALINO RINALDI B. PONTEJOS, all of the RTC, Branch 90,
Dasmariñas, Cavite,Respondents

Court personnel are, first and foremost, public officials. They are held to a high standard of ethics
in public service and exhorted to discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity,
competence, and loyalty, as well as to uphold public interest over personal interest. As
professionals, they are expected to perform their duties with the highest degree of excellence,
intelligence and skill. The presence or absence of objections cannot be the measure by which our
public officials should perform their sacred duties. First and foremost, they should be guided by
their conscience; and, in the case of those employed in the judiciary, by a sense of responsibility
for ensuring not only that the job is done, but that it is done with a view to the proper and efficient
administration of justice.

Judges and court personnel are expected to avoid not just impropriety in their conduct, but even
the mere appearance of impropriety. In the instant administrative cases, respondents miserably
failed in this regard. Note must be taken that what prompted the judicial audit in the four courts
involved herein are reports that they have become havens for "paid-for annulments."
2. A.C. No. 10684, January 24, 2018
ILUMINADA D. YUZON, Complainant, v. ATTY. ARNULFO M. AGLERON, Respondent.
Respondent Atty. Arnulfo M. Agleron is hereby held GUILTY of Gross Misconduct in violation of
Section 27, Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, as well as Rules 16.01 and 16.03, Canon 16 of the Code
of Professional Responsibility. Accordingly, he is hereby SUSPENDED from the practice of law
for a period of one (1) year, with a WARNING that a repetition of the same or similar acts in the
future will be dealt with more severely. Respondent is also ORDERED to PAY complainant the
amount of Five Hundred Eighty-Two Thousand Pesos (P582,000.00), with twelve percent (12%)
interest from the date of demand until June 30, 2013 and six percent (6%) per annum from July 1,
2013 until full payment.