Perennial candidate Elly Pamatong has been suspended from the practice of law for two years for badmouthing a regional trial court judge.
During its en banc session on Tuesday, the Supreme Court found Pamatong guilty of impropriety for committing a slanderous act against the judge.
The SC upheld the findings of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines recommending the suspension of Pamatong for badmouthing Cagayan de Oro Regional Trial Court Judge Gregorio Pantanosas Jr., but reduced the penalty of three years.
“The Court agreed with the IBP that respondent’s actions of using slanderous language and publishing an account in the newspaper and attributing the alleged account to the judge constituted misconduct but disagreed with the increased penalty of three years. The Court, considering previous cases of similar nature, reduced the penalty to two years suspension from the practice of law,” Court’s spokesman Theodore Te said, in a media briefing.
“We sternly warn the respondent that a repetition of the same or a similar infraction shall merit a more severe sanction,” Te added.
The case arose from a civil case being heard by the sala of Pantanosas wherein Pamatong was appearing as counsel.
The tribunal noted that during one hearing, the presiding judge asked Pamatong to remove his copia or the headwear worn by Muslims while inside the courtroom, to which the latter refused, citing religious grounds and embarrassment because of his “bald pate.”
The presiding judge obliged but with the warning that he would no longer allow it the next time.
Pamatong then proceeded to file a motion for inhibition where he excoriated Pantanosas, accusing him of being corrupt and of being a disgrace to the legal profession.
Pantanosas refuted all allegations of corruption and dismissed Pamatong’s motion for inhibition and required him to show cause why he should not be cited in contempt.
The presiding judge also filed a disbarment complaint against Pamatong before the SC citing the language used by respondent in his motion for inhibition and for publishing in the local newspaper an account of an alleged bribe and attributing the same to the judge.
After initial proceedings, the SC referred the matter to the IBP, which, after going through the procedures, rendered a report and recommendation for suspension from practice of one year. The IBP Board of Governors approved with modification the recommendation increasing the penalty to three years suspension.
Pantanosas was among the judge reprimanded by the high court in 2014 for failure to decide cases within the reglamentary period.
Pamatong earned notoriety in 2004 when he scattered metal spikes on Roxas Boulevard, leaving scores of vehicles with flat tires after the Comelec disqualified him from that year’s presidential race for being a nuisance candidate.
The Comelec also disqualified Pamatong in the 2010 and 2016 presidential elections for the same reason.
