FIRSTDIVISION

[A.M.No.P052059.August19,2005]

ATTY.AUDIEC.ARNADO,complainant,vs.EDILBERTOR.SUARIN,SheriffIII,MunicipalTrialCourtinCities,Branch8,CebuCity,respondent.

DECISIONYNARESSANTIAGO,J.:

Inhiscomplaint[1]

filedonOctober3,2003with theOfficeof theCourtAdministrator (OCA),Atty.AudieC.ArnadochargedSheriff IIIEdilbertoR.SuarinofMunicipalTrialCourtinCities(MTCC)CebuCity,Branch8,withSeriousMisconduct,Oppression,HarassmentandUnethicalConductrelativetoCivilCaseNo.R37529entitledLourdesL.Rosarosov.Sps.AudieandCarolineArnado.

ComplainantallegedthatSheriffSuarinprematurelyimplementedthewritofexecutionandservednoticestovacatebybanginghisgate,shoutingandcreating

publicscandal,andpostingnoticesatthegatewhichcausedhimhumiliation.[2]

InhisComment,[3]

SheriffSuarinallegedthathemerelyimplementedthefinaldecisionofthetrialcourt.[4]

Hebeliedtheallegationsinthecomplaintandclaimedthathealwaysused thebuzzereach timeheserved thenotice incomplainants residence thatanemployeeofspousesArnadowouldopen thepeepholeandinformhimthatthespousesarenotaroundtheninstructhimtoslipthenoticeintheopeningunderneaththegate.

IntheMarch30,2003AgendaReport,[5]

theOCArecommendedthedismissalofthecomplaintagainstSheriffSuarinforlackofmeritandthatAtty.Arnadobedirected to explain why he should not be administratively sanctioned for filing a frivolous complaint, which recommendation was adopted by this Court in its

Resolution[6]

ofJune7,2004.

InhisComment,[7]

Atty. Arnadomaintained that his complaint against Sheriff Suarin is not frivolous andwas not filed to exact revenge but to bring to theattentionof theCourt thecorruptactsof judicialemployees.HeallegedthatJudgeMamertoY.ColifloresofMTCCCebuCity,BranchI,waspaidP30,000.00torenderthejudgmentofevictionwhileSheriffSuarinreceivedP60,000.00toimplementthesame.Thelatterallegedlyimplementedthewritwithoutwaitingforthetrialcourtsresolutionoftheircomplainttoannulthesaleanddeedofdonation.

TheOCArecommendedthatcomplainant,Atty.ArnadobefinedintheamountofP5,000.00forfilingagroundlesssuit.[8]

WeagreewiththefindingsoftheOCA.ItappearsthatinCivilCaseNo.R37529forEjectmentfiledbyLourdesL.RosarosoagainstspousesArnadobeforeMTCCCebuCity,Branch1,decisionwas

rendereddirecting,amongothers,spousesArnadotovacatethepremisesandturnoverphysicalpossessionthereoftoRosaroso.Thedecisionbecamefinaland

executory[9]

onDecember9,1999perEntryofJudgmentissuedbytheJudicialRecordsOffice[10]

ofthisCourt.

OnApril28,2000,JudgeColifloresissuedaWritofExecution[11]

butitsimplementationwasdelayed[12]

becausespousesArnadofiledseveralmotions.They

moved to quash the writ and/or suspend execution but the same was denied.[13]

After denial of their motion for reconsideration,[14]

they filed a petition for

certiorari[15]

withtheRTCprayingthatMTCCbeorderedtostayexecution[16]

pendingresolutionofCivilCaseNo.CEB19194forNullityorAnnulmentofSaleand

RevocationofDonationwithDamages[17]

beforetheRTCofCebuCity.TheyalsomovedfortheinhibitionofJudgeColifloreswhichwasgranted,hence,thecase

wasraffledtoMTCCCebuCity,Branch8,presidedbyJudgeEdgemeloC.Rosales.[18]

InanOrderdatedJanuary25,2002,[19]

JudgeRosalesdirectedfullimplementationofthewrit.Again,Atty.Arnadomovedtoquashthewrit[20]

butthesame

wasdeniedonFebruary19,2002.[21]

APetition forCertiorariwas filedbeforeRTCCebuCity,Branch12whichwasalsodenied.[22]

Theorderdismissing the

applicationforpreliminaryinjunctiontostopexecutionlikewisebecamefinalandexecutory.[23]

ThewritwasimplementedinitiallybySheriffIIIRoldanArteswhoservedaNoticetoVacate,a2ndNoticetoVacateandNoticetoImplementWritofExecution,

andaNoticeofLevyonExecutionuponRealProperty[24]

whichwereallunheeded.Onsubsequentdates,[25]

SheriffSuarinattemptedtoservethenotices,but

spousesArnadowerenotaroundandthelattersemployeesrefusedhimentry.Thus,onOctober11,2002,anorder[26]

tobreakopenthepremiseswasissuedbyJudgeRosales.

Atty. Arnado sought reconsideration of the break open order andmoved to inhibit JudgeRosales and charged him administratively[27]

forPartiality, Gross

IgnoranceoftheLawandGraveAbuseofDiscretion.[28]

Incidentally,thisCourtdismissedAtty.ArnadoscomplaintagainstJudgeRosalesforlackofsufficientevidenceandatthesametimereferredthecountercharge

ofJudgeRosalestotheOfficeoftheBarConfidantforappropriateaction.[29]

Thereafter,SheriffSuarinserveda2ndNoticetoVacatedatedJanuary7,2003,[30]

3rdNoticetoVacatedatedSeptember16,2003,[31]

andaFinalNoticeto

VacatedatedOctober6,2003[32]

butonlytotheemployeesofspousesArnadobecausethelatterwerenotalwaysaround.ItiswelltonotethatasearlyasDecember9,1999,thejudgmentintheejectmentcasehasbecomefinalandexecutory,butthroughlegalmaneuverings,Atty.

Arnadowasabletodelayitsexecutionforseveralyears.Inadministrativeproceedings,complainantshavetheburdenofprovingbysubstantialevidencetheallegationsintheircomplaints.Administrativeproceedings

againstjudicialemployeesarebynature,highlypenalincharacterandaretobegovernedbytherulesapplicabletocriminalcases.Thequantumofproofrequired

tosupporttheadministrativechargesshouldthusbemoresubstantialandtheymustbeprovenbeyondreasonabledoubt.[33]

Inthiscase,Atty.Arnadonotonlylackedpersonalknowledgeofthechargesbutalsofailedtosubstantiatethem.HeclaimedthatSheriffSuarinbangedathisgate,shoutedandpostednoticesatthegatebuthefailedtomentionthedetailsandthedatesonwhichtheseinfractionswereallegedtohavebeencommitted.Hepresentednowitnessestoprovehisclaimparticularlyhisemployeeswhohadalwaysinformedthesheriffthatheandhiswifewereawayeachtimethenoticeswereserved.

Atty.ArnadomustknowthatitwastheministerialdutyofSheriffSuarintoimplementthewritofexecutionandthathewasmerelyfollowingalawfulorderofthecourt. This complaint was filed less than a month after his complaint against Judge Rosales was dismissed. Atty. Arnado must be sanctioned for filing this

unfoundedcomplaint.Althoughnopersonshouldbepenalizedfortheexerciseoftherighttolitigate,however,thisrightmustbeexercisedingoodfaith.[34]

Asofficersofthecourt,lawyershavearesponsibilitytoassistintheproperadministrationofjustice.Theydonotdischargethisdutybyfilingfrivolouspetitionsthatonlyaddtotheworkloadofthejudiciary.

Alawyerispartofthemachineryintheadministrationofjustice.Likethecourtitself,heisaninstrumenttoadvanceitsendsthespeedy,efficient,impartial,correct and inexpensive adjudication of cases and the prompt satisfaction of final judgments. A lawyer should not only help attain these objectives but shouldlikewiseavoidunethicalorimproperpracticesthatimpede,obstructorpreventtheirrealization,chargedasheiswiththeprimarytaskofassistinginthespeedyand

efficientadministrationofjustice.[35]

Canon12[36]

oftheCodeofProfessionalResponsibilitypromulgatedonJune21,1988isveryexplicitthatlawyersmustexerteveryeffortandconsiderittheirdutytoassistinthespeedyandefficientadministrationofjustice.

InRetuya v. Gorduiz,[37]

respondentlawyer was suspended for six (6) months for filing a groundless suit against a former client in order to harass andembarrassher.Inthiscase,wefindthefineofP5,000.00,asrecommendedbyOCA,commensurateunderthecircumstances.

Thepracticeoflawisasacredandnobleprofession.Itislimitedtopersonsofgoodmoralcharacterwithspecialqualificationsdulyascertainedandcertified.Therightdoesnotonlypresupposeinitspossessorintegrity,legalstandingandattainment,butalsotheexerciseofaspecialprivilege,highlypersonalandpartaking

ofthenatureofapublictrust.[38]

Thus,alawyershouldnotusehisknowledgeoflawasaninstrumenttoharassapartynortomisusejudicialprocesses,asthe

sameconstitutesserioustransgressionoftheCodeofProfessionalResponsibility.[39]

WHEREFORE,Atty.AudieC.ArnadoisFINEDintheamountofP5,000.00forfilinggroundlesssuit.HeisSTERNLYWARNEDthatarepetitionofthesameorsimilaractwillbedealtwithmoreseverely.

SOORDERED.Davide,Jr.,C.J.,Quisumbing,Carpio,andAzcuna,JJ.,concur.

[1]Rollo,pp.001007.

[2]Id.at005.

[3]Id.at029030.

[4]Id.at029.

[5]Id.at084086.

[6]Id.at087.

[7]Id.at104113.

[8]Id.at118.

[9]Id.at3233.

[10]Id.at040.

[11]Id.at33.

[12]Id.at040.

[13]Id.at018.

[14]Id.at019.

[15]Id.at018027.

[16]Id.at024.

[17]Id.at010015.

[18]Id.at040.

[19]Id.

[20]Id.at041.

[21]Id.

[22]Id.at044.

[23]Id.

[24]Id.at035.

[25]Id.

[26]Id.at034035.

[27]Id.at049.

[28]DocketedasAdministrativeMatterOCAIPINo.031367MTJtitledAudieC.Arnadov.JudgeEdgemeloC.Rosales,MTCC,CebuCity,Branch8.

[29]PerResolutiondated8September2003,Rollo,p.54.

[30]Rollo,p.037.

[31]Id.at038.

[32]Id.at039.

[33]Duduacov.JudgeLaquindanum,A.M.No.MTJ051601,11August2005.

[34]Id.

[35]Agpalo,CommentsontheCodeofProfessionalResponsibilityandtheCodeofJudicialConduct,2004Edition,p.117.

[36]Alawyershallexerteveryeffortandconsiderithisdutytoassistinthespeedyandefficientadministrationofjustice.

[37]Adm.CaseNo.1388,28March1980,96SCRA526,529530.

[38]Peoplev.Santocildes,Jr.,G.R.No.109149,21December1999,321SCRA310,316.

[39]Re:AdministrativeCaseAgainstAtty.Occea,433Phil.138,156(2002).