SPECIAL THIRD DIVISION
[A.C. No. 11119. March 9, 2022.]
ATTY. JOSEPH VINCENT T. GO, petitioner,vs. ATTY. VIRGILIO T. TERUEL, respondent.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, Third Division, issued a Resolution datedMarch 9, 2022, which reads as follows:
"A.C. No. 11119 (Atty. Joseph Vincent T. Go v. Atty. Virgilio T. Teruel). — The Court resolves to PARTLY GRANT respondent's motion for reconsideration of the Decision promulgated on November 4, 2020, which found him guilty of violating the Lawyer's Oath and the Code of Professional Responsibility. Respondent clearly committed forum shopping when he prepared and filed Fr. Reyes' Complaint and his Counter-Complaint knowing that they involved the same cause of action and contained the same allegations. By violating the rule against forum shopping, respondent clearly violated his duties as a lawyer specifically Canon 1, Rules 12.02, and 12.04 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Nonetheless, in view of the Court's sound discretion as well as previous cases with similar milieu, and in consideration of respondent's feelings of remorse and the economic setback the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the legal profession, especially in the private practice, the penalty of suspension from the practice of law for six (6) months should be reduced to three (3) months, with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar acts will be dealt with more severely.
WHEREFORE, the motion for reconsideration is PARTLY GRANTED. The Decision dated November 4, 2020 is hereby MODIFIED in that Atty. Virgilio T. Teruel is suspended from the practice of law for a period of three (3) months and given a STERN WARNING that a repetition of the same or similar acts will be dealt with more severely.
SO ORDERED."
By authority of the Court:
(SGD.) MISAEL DOMINGO C. BATTUNG IIIDivision Clerk of Court