(Eagle News)– The lawyer who filed the complaint that led to the 90-day suspension of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang has been barred from practicing law for two years, due to a separate case involving gov’t loans he earlier made for two Pampanga properties.
This was after the Supreme Court adopted the findings of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ Board of Governors that found Eligio Mallari guilty of resorting to “dilatory tactics” to prevent the Government Service and Insurance System from forfeiting his two parcels of land in Pampanga.
The two parcels of land were made collateral to the two loans he obtained from GSIS worth P34,000.
According to the SC, Mallari filed a case with the San Fernando Regional Trial Court to stop the foreclosure.
The court ruled in his favor, but the Court of Appeals reversed the RTC ruling in favor of GSIS 10 years later.
The foreclosure became final and executory after the SC ruled against him in subsequent rulings.
When the Sheriff was about to serve the writ upon the San Fernando court’s order, Mallari asked for an extension to vacate the property.
He also filed a motion for reconsideration to allow for the dismissal of the writ of execution issued by the court, and a civil case against the GSIS which he said painted the fence of the properties with the MR pending.
The RTC denied the motions, prompting Mallari to go to the CA, which also ruled against him.
He then went up to the SC which affirmed the CA decision.
“By arguing a case that has already been rejected repeatedly, he abused his right of recourse to the courts. His acts of not conducting himself ‘to the best of his knowledge and discretion with all good fidelity to the courts’ constitute serious transgression of his professional oath,” the SC said.
Malacañang meted out a 90-day suspension on Carandang following his release of allegedly falsified bank documents that were used as bases for Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s allegations of ill-gotten wealth against Duterte and his family.