Compliance-Show Cause Order

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila

FIRST DIVISION MONICO O. PUENTEVELLA, Petitioner,

SC-GR No. 210696 -versusOFFICE OF THEOMBUDSMAN, ET AL., Respondents. x - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

COMPLIANCE !ffice , b" counsel ATTY. HOWARD M. CALLEJAof Calleja La !ffice, and unto this #onorable Court, respectfull" avers$ %. !n & 'pril ()%*, ()%* , the Calleja La !ffice received !ffice  received its cop" of this #onorable Court+s Resolution of ( ebruar" ()%* inforin/ ()%*  inforin/ it, aon/ other thin/s, of  the disissal of the Petition for Certiorari in this case for failure of the  petitioner to sufficientl" sho that the !budsan coitted /rave /r ave abuse of discretion hen it issued the challen/ed jud/ents. (. 0nci 0ncide dent ntal all" l",, this this #ono #onora rabl blee Cour Court, t, in the the afor afore een enti tion oned ed Reso Resolu luti tion on,, re1uired of 'tt". #oard M. Calleja to Calleja  to S#!2 C'3S4 ithin ten 5%)6 da"s fro fro rece receip iptt of the the afor afore een enti tion oned ed Reso Resolu luti tion on h" h" he shou should ld not not be disciplin disciplinaril" aril" dealt ith or held in contept of court, to/ether to/ether ith 'tt". Ralph '. Sariento, Sariento , ho has not ithdre as counsel for petitioner insofar  as 'tt" 'tt".. Calle Calleja ja has has reas reason on to beli believ evee base based d on his his 7no 7nole led/ d/ee and and inforation, in relation to a purportedl" altered  Motion to Transfer Transfer Hearing  that as attached as 'nnex  to the instant Petition for Certiorari filed on (& 8anuar" ()%.#ence, ()% .#ence, this copliance hich is bein/ tiel" filed. 9. Record Record of this this case case ould ould readil readil" " disclos disclosee that 'tt". Calleja filed Calleja  filed ith the #onorable Supree Court on * Noveber ()%: his ()%:  his Entry  Entry of Appearance as coun counse sell for for peti petiti tion oner er Puentevella in this this case case,, hic hich h as as ther therea eaft fter  er  forarded to the #onorable irst ;ivision on %% Noveber ()%:. ()%: . . urther urther note note should should be dul" dul" ta7en ta7en b" this #onorab #onorable le Court Court of the fact fact that that the Petition the Petition for Certiorari (with Application for Preliminary Preliminary Injunction I njunction and  Temporary Temporary Restraining rder! rder! doc7eted as G.R. No. (%)*<* (%)*<*   as filed b"

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'tt". Ralph '. Sariento 5Sariento6 on (& 8anuar" ()%, hile the no 1uestioned 'nnex  thereof, hich is the  Motion to Transfer Hearing dated ( Noveber ())< filed before the !ffice of the ;eput" !budsan for  the =isa"as 5!M>-=isa"as6 in the case doc7eted as !M>-=-C-)&-)%9-; % as filed b" 'tt". 'delaida R. Rendon 5Rendon6  soetie on ( Noveber  ())<, ho as then representin/ petitioner Puentevella as respondent therein durin/ the preliinar" investi/ation bein/ conducted b" the !M>=isa"as. :. Given the circustances surroundin/ this case, insofar as the preparation and filin/ of the Petition for Certiorari before the #onorable Supree Court on (& 8anuar" ()%, the attachent of the 1uestioned  Motion to Transfer   Hearing   dated ( Noveber ())<  as 'nnex  to said Petition, and the  preparation and filin/ of the aforeentioned  Motion, 'tt". Calleja respectfull" subits, as he li7eise be/s the indul/ence of this #onorable Court, that he had no participation hatsoever as re/ards such prior atters since he onl" becae counsel of petitioner hen the case as elevated to the Supree Court and after ore than a "ear had passed since the filin/ thereof. ?o reiterate, the Petition for Certiorari as filed on (& 8anuar" ()%: and as apparentl" prepared for petitioner Puentevella b" 'tt". Sariento hile the 1uestioned 'nnex , hich is the Motion to ?ransfer #earin/ filed  before !M>-=isa"as as prepared for petitioner Puentevella b" 'tt". Rendon and as filed a" bac7 in ( Noveber ())<. *. 'tt". Calleja cannot be reasonabl" expected to 7no hether the 1uestioned 'nnex  as altered or not /iven that he onl" entered his appearance as counsel for petitioner Puentevella on * Noveber ()%: . #e as in no a" involved in the case of petitioner Puentevella fro its inception durin/ the  proceedin/s before the !M>-=isa"as up to the tie the Petition for  Certiorari as filed before the #onorable Supree Court. Moreover, as a fello officer of the court, he relied in /ood faith ith the representations ade b" 'tt"s. Sariento and Rendon  for hich he should not be faulted at all. &. Moreover, 'tt". Calleja respectfull" aintains that he had not violated Rules %).)%, %).)( and %).)9 of Canon %), Code of Professional Responsibilit" 5CPR6. #e respectfull" subits that he had faithfull" and conscientiousl"  perfored his duties, both as counsel for petitioner Puentevella and as an officer of the court. Relative thereto, 'tt". Calleja hubl" posits the folloin/$ a.6 #e has not coitted an" falsehood nor had he consented to the doin/ of the sae, uch ore islead this #onorable Court or allo 0t to be isled b" an" artifice, as provided in Rule %).)%, Canon %), CPR, as he as not involved in the 1?he case is entitled @8oselito ?. >a"atan vs. Monico !. Puentevella, et al.A, hich later becae

the subject of the instant Petition for Certiorari doc7eted as G.R. No. (%)<*.

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 preparation and filin/ of the subject Petition for Certiorari and the attachent of the 1uestioned Motion as 'nnex  theretoB  b.6 #e has not 7noin/l" is1uote or isrepresent the contents of the subject Petition or the 1uestioned Motion, as provided in Rule %).)(, Canon %), CPR, as he as not the author of  either pleadin/ or paperB and finall" c.6 0n 7eepin/ ith the clear andate of Rule %).)9, Canon %), CPR, he has, at all ties, observed the rules of procedure and has not isused the to defeat the ends of justice as he had been conscientious in his dealin/s ith his client,  petitioner Puentevella, ith his fello la"ers, and ost iportant of all, ith this #onorable Court. . 'tt". Calleja has not been reiss or ne/li/ent in dischar/in/ his tin duties to his client and to the courts, "et he ould nonetheless be/ the understandin/ and lenienc" of this #onorable Court for an" honest lapses for hich he a" be reasonabl" held accountable for, but not for the  purported alterations on the 1uestioned Motion in the off-chance that indeed it as altered.

RELIEF WHEREFORE, in li/ht of the fore/oin/, 'tt". #oard M. Calleja , counsel for petitioner Monico !. Puentevella, respectfull" pra"s that this #onorable Court$

%. NOTE this CoplianceB (. CONSIDER as a!"#$ SUFFICIENTLY E%PLAINED his involveent as re/ards the issue on the purported altered Motion to ?ransfer #earin/ that as attached as 'nnex  to the Petition for  Certiorari filed on (& 8anuar" ()%B and 9. RENDER a R&s'()*"'# +&(a-"#$ A**. H'/a-+ M. Ca((&a /"*')* a# ("a"("*  in the atterDissue at hand. !ther reliefs, just and e1uitable under the preises are li7eise  pra"ed for. Pasi/ Cit" for Manila Cit". %& 'pril ()%*.

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B

Cop" furnished$ OFFICE OF LE3AL AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN  National Governent Center  '/ha Road, ;ilian, EueFon Cit"

SANDI3ANBAYAN Centennial >uildin/ Coonealth 've., EueFon Cit"

E%PLANATION

;ue to distance, tie constraints, and sufficient anpoer, personal filin/ and service of this Copliance as not resorted to and instead copies of the sae ere sent b" re/istered ail ith attached re/istr" receipts. ALFREDO L. BENTULAN JR.