The Supreme Court (SC) has disbarred a lawyer for abandoning his wife with 12 children for another woman.
In a 12-page per curiam decision of the SC en banc, Atty. Ponciano Arnobit's license to practice law was revoked after his wife Rebecca charged him with immorality and abandonment.
Based on her complaint, Rebecca was married to Ponciano on August 20, 1942 and they were gifted with 12 children until he went to law school and became a lawyer.
Unfortunately in 1968, Ponciano abandoned his wife and 12 children and lived with Benita Buenafe Navarro and whom he sired with four children.
This situation prompted Rebecca to charge Ponciano but he denied the charges. On the contrary, he blamed his wife for her frequent travel abroad and abandonment of her obligations to their children that forced him to leave her and their children.
While the case was being heard by the Office of the Solicitor General, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) and the Commission on Bar Discipline (Commission), Rebecca presented strong evidences, including the testimony of Melecio Navarro, the husband of Benita.
Despite the order of the Commission for him to submit his counter-affidavit, Ponciano neither presented his evidence nor testified denying such allegations of Rebecca and he even resorted to frequent postponement of the trial of the case.
Because of this, the Commission has found that Ponciano was guilty of the charges of abandonment and recommended his three-month suspension beginning June 21, 1995.
The IBP affirmed the recommendation of the Commission on January 27, 1996 and even found that Ponciano was guilty of gross immoral conduct, hence, his license to practice law was revoked for violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
In ordering the disbarment of the lawyer, the SC pointed out that a law practitioner should have a high moral ground and possess good moral character. - source: Philippine News Agency
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