Cruz v. Mijares G.R. No. 154464 | Sept 11, 2008 | J. Nachura FACTS Peti Petiti tion oner er Cruz Cruz sou souht ht per! per!is issi sion on to ente enterr his his appearance "or an# on his $eha%", $e"ore the R&C in a ci'i% case "or ($ate!ent o" Nuisance. Petitioner, a "ourth )ear %a* stu#ent, anchors his c%ai! on Section +4 o" Ru%e 1+8 o" the Ru%es o" Court that a non%a*)er !a) appe appear ar $e"or $e"ore e an) cour courtt an# an# con# con#uc uctt his his %iti %itia ati tion on persona%%). urin the pretria%, Ju#e Prisci%%a -iares re/uire# the petitioner to secure a *ritten per!ission "ro! the Court (#!inistrator $ e"ore he cou%# $e a%%o*e# to appear as counse% "or hi!se%", a part)%itiant. (tt). Stan%e) Stan%e) Ca$rera, counse% "or ena!in -ina, Jr., "i%e# a -otion to is!iss inst instea ea# # o" a pretr pretria ia%% $rie $rie"" to *hic *hich h peti petiti tion oner er Cruz Cruz 'ehe!ent%) o$ecte# a%%ein that a -otion to is!iss is not a%%o*e# a%%o*e# a"ter a"ter the (ns*er (ns*er ha# $een $een "i%e# "i%e#.. Ju#e Ju#e -ia -iare res s then then re!a re!ar re#, e#, 3a) 3a) nau nau,, !asa !asa!a !a )un )un !arunon pa sa 3u*es. 7 an# procee#e# to hear the pen#in -otion to is!iss an# ca%en#are# the net hearin. Petit Petition ioner er Cruz Cruz "i%e# "i%e# a -ani" -ani"est estati ation on an# -otio -otion n to 9nhi$i 9nhi$it, t, pra)i pra)in n "or the 'o%unt 'o%untar) ar) inhi$i inhi$iti tion on o" Ju#e Ju#e -iares. &he -otion a%%ee# that epecte# partia%it) on the part o" the respon#ent u#e in the con#uct o" the tria% cou%# $e in"erre# "ro! the contu!acious re!ars o" Ju#e Ju#e -iare -iares s #urin #urin the pretri pretria%. a%. 9t assert asserts s that that the u#e, in utterin an unca%%e# "or re!ar, re"%ects a neati'e "ra!e o" !in#, *hich enen#ers the $e%ie" that ustice *i%% not $e ser'e#. 9n an r#er r#er,, Ju# Ju#e e -ia -iare res s #eni #enie# e# the the !oti !otion on "or "or inhi$iti inhi$ition on statin statin that thro*in tenuous tenuous a%%eation a%%eations s o" partia%it) $ase# on the sai# re!ar is not enouh to *arrant her 'o%untar) inhi$ition, consi#erin that it *as sai# e'en prior to the start o" pretria%. Petitioner "i%e# a -R o" the sai# or#er. Ju#e Ju#e -iare -iares s #enie# #enie# the !otion !otion *ith *ith "ina%i "ina%it) t).. 9n the sa!e r#er, the tria% court he%# that "or the "ai%ure o" petitioner Cruz to su$!it the pro!ise# #ocu!ent an# urispru#ence, an# "or his "ai%ure to satis") the re/uire!ents or con#itions un#er Ru%e 1+8( o" the Ru%es o" Court, his appearance *as #enie#. 9n -R, -R, peti petiti tion oner er reit reiter erat ate# e# that that the the $asi $asis s o" his his appearance appearance *as not Ru%e 1+8(, $ut Section +4 o" Ru%e 1+8. 3e conten#e# that the t*o Ru%es *ere #istinct an# are are app% app%ic ica$ a$%e %e to #i"" #i""er eren entt circ circu! u!st stan ance ces, s, $ut $ut the the respon#ent u#e #enie# the sa!e, sti%% in'oin Ru%e 1+8(. Petitioner "i%e# this case *ith SC. ISSUES 1: ; Ru%es o" Court !a) issue 2: ;
uris#iction *hen it #enie# the appearance o" the petitioner as part) %itiant an# *hen the u#e re"use# to inhi$it herse%" "ro! tr)in the case HELD 1) YES YES (It (It shou shoul l !e "ile "ile #ith #ith CA$ CA$ !ut !ut SC too% too% &o'i &o'iza za&e &e !e&aus !e&ause e it ivolv ivolves es iter iterr reta etatio tio o" ro&eural rules). &his &his Court? Court?s s uris# uris#ict ictio ion n to issue issue *rits *rits o" certi certiora orari, ri, prohi$ition, !an#a!us an# inunction is not ec%usi'e@ it has concurrent uris#iction *ith the R&Cs an# the Court o" (ppea (ppea%s. %s. &his &his concur concurren rence ce o" uris# uris#ict iction ion is not, not, ho*e'er ho*e'er,, to $e taen taen as an a$so%u a$so%ute, te, unrest unrestrai raine# ne# "ree#o "ree#o! ! to choose choose the court court *here *here the app%i app%icat cation ion there" there"or or *i%% *i%% $e #irect #irecte#. e#. ( $eco!i $eco!in n rear# rear# o" the u#icia% hierarch) !ost certain%) in#icates that petitions "or the issuance o" etraor#inar) *rits aainst the R&Cs shou%# $e "i%e# *ith the Court o" (ppea%s. &he &he hier hierar arch ch) ) o" cour courts ts is #ete #eter! r!in inat ati' i'e e o" the the appropriate "oru! "or petitions "or the etraor#inar) *rits@ an# an# on%) on%) in ece ecept ptio iona na%% case cases s an# an# "or "or co!p co!pe% e%%i %in n reason reasons, s, or i" *arra *arrante nte# # $) the nature nature o" the issues issues re'ie*e#, !a) this Court tae conizance o" petitions "i%e# #irect%) $e"ore it. Consi#erin, ho*e'er, that this case in'o%'es the interpretation o" Section +4, Ru%e 1+8 an# Ru%e 1+8( o" the Ru%es o" Court, the Court taes conizance o" herein petition. *) +, (-ut aeara&e).
it
err erre
i
e ei'
eti etitio tioer/ er/s
Sec. +4 or Ru%e 1+8 reconizes the riht o" an in#i'i#ua% to represent hi!se%" in an) case to *hich he is a part). &he Ru%es state that a part) !a) con#uct his %itiation persona%%) or *ith the ai# o" an attorne), an# that his appe appear aran ance ce !ust !ust eith either er $e pers person ona% a% or $) a #u%) #u%) authorize# !e!$er o" the ar. &he in#i'i#ua% %itiant !a) persona%%) #o e'er)thin in the course o" procee#ins "ro! co!!ence!ent to the ter!ination o" the %itiation. Consi# Consi#eri erin n that that a part) part) person persona%% a%%) ) con#uc con#uctin tin his %itiation is restricte# to the sa!e ru%es o" e'i#ence an# proce#ure as those /ua%i"ie# to practice %a*, petitioner, not $ein a %a*)er hi!se%", runs the ris o" "a%%in into the snares snares an# hazar#s o" his o*n inorance. inorance. &here"ore &here"ore,, Cruz as p%ainti" p%ainti"", ", at his o*n instance, instance, can persona%%) persona%%) con#uct the %itiation. 3e *ou%# then $e actin not as a counse% or %a*)er, $ut as a part) eercisin his riht to represent hi!se%". &he tria% court !ust ha'e $een !is%e# $) the "act that the peti petiti tion oner er is a %a* %a* stu# stu#en entt an# an# !ust !ust,, ther there" e"or ore, e, $e su$ect su$ect to the con#itions con#itions o" the Aa* Stu#ent Stu#ent Practice Practice Ru%e. 9t erre# in app%)in Ru%e 1+8(, *hen the $asis o" the petitioner?s c%ai! is Section +4 o" Ru%e 1+8. &he "or!er ru%e pro'i#es "or con#itions *hen a %a* stu#ent !a) appear in courts, *hi%e the %atter ru%e a%%o*s the appear appearanc ance e o" a non%a*) non%a*)er er as a part) part) repres represent entin in hi!se%". +o 0AD o the art o" u'e
Petitioner "i%e# an a#!inistrati'e case aainst the respon#ent "or 'io%ation o" the Canons o" Ju#icia% Bthics, *hich *e #is!isse# "or %ac o" !erit on Septe!$er 15, 2002. ;e no* a#opt the Court?s "in#ins o" "act in the a#!inistrati'e case an# ru%e that there *as no ra'e a$use o" #iscretion on the part o" Ju#e -iares *hen she #i# not inhi$it herse%" "ro! the tria% o" the case. 9n a -otion "or 9nhi$ition, the !o'ant !ust pro'e the roun# "or $ias an# preu#ice $) c%ear an# con'incin e'i#ence to #is/ua%i") a u#e "ro! participatin in a particu%ar tria%, as 'o%untar) inhi$ition is pri!ari%) a !atter o" conscience an# a##resse# to the soun# #iscretion o" the u#e. &he #ecision on *hether she shou%# inhi$it herse%" !ust $e $ase# on her rationa% an# %oica%
assess!ent o" the circu!stances pre'ai%in in the case $e"ore her. ($sent c%ear an# con'incin proo" o" ra'e a$use o" #iscretion on the part o" the u#e, this Court *i%% ru%e in "a'or o" the presu!ption that o""icia% #ut) has $een reu%ar%) per"or!e#. ,THE2 A20UME+TS Riht to counse% !a) not $e *ai'e# on%) app%ies in cri!ina% cases ar -atter >+0 a %a* stu#ent !a) appear as an aent or a "rien# o" a part) %itiant, *ithout nee# o" the super'ision o" a %a*)er, $e"ore in"erior courts
