Disbarment case filed against Verano
By Leila Salaverria, Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:44:00 01/09/2009
Filed Under: PDEA-DOJ bribery issue, Crime and Law and Justice, Illegal drugs, Judiciary (system of justice)
MANILA, Philippines—A complaint for the disbarment of the lawyer of two of the three drug suspects known as the “Alabang Boys” was filed by a crime watch group in the Supreme Court Thursday.
The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) accused lawyer Felisberto Verano Jr. of “unethical conduct” for drafting the release order for his clients Joseph Tecson and Richard Brodett using a letterhead of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for signing by Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
“With the sleaziness in making such a highly irregular maneuver within the walls of the Department of Justice, his deceitful manner, lack of ethical sense and presumptuousness in undermining the legal process, Attorney Verano has made a mockery of justice,” the VACC wrote Chief Justice Reynato Puno.
Verano told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Thursday that he was ready to face the music. “I will give them my reasons for doing what I did—this extreme effort to help my clients,” he said.
At Wednesday’s hearing by the House committee on dangerous drugs, Verano admitted that he drafted the release order and sent it to Gonzalez’s office through Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, his fraternity brother.
Blancaflor is under investigation by the DOJ for following up the suspects’ release with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and for forwarding the release order drafted by Verano, Gonzalez said Thursday.
Whatever his recommendation would be, Gonzalez said Blancaflor’s fate would depend on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Gonzalez said he was reviewing the resolution by DOJ prosecutors to dismiss the charges against Tecson, Brodett and Jorge Joseph who were arrested by PDEA agents on Sept. 20, 2008 in a buy-bust operation.
Brodett and Joseph were arrested in Ayala-Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and Tecson in Cubao, Quezon City.
The PDEA has protested the dismissal of the charges, alleging that it came after P50 million changed hands to get the three young men out of detention.
The VACC urged the Supreme Court to disbar Verano “for acts highly irregular and extremely unethical” because he used a DOJ letterhead for the draft release order without authority and sent it to Gonzalez’s office for signature.
The group submitted to the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant newspaper articles from the Inquirer and another broadsheet along with its complaint.
The complaint was signed by VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez and chair Lauro Vizconde.
“How can we expect victims to trust the criminal justice system with this blatant act unbecoming of this supposed man of law? His pathetic and weak alibis are an embarrassment and a blot to the Bar. We therefore recommend his disbarment,” the group added.
Nothing wrong
Verano Thursday maintained that he did nothing wrong.
“I only did what I thought was right. It was urgent at the time,” the lawyer said, pointing out that days before Christmas the parents of Brodett and Tecson were crying over their children’s continued detention at the PDEA despite the dismissal of the charges by the prosecutors.
“There is no longer a case. Why do they still have to be detained? That is not right,” Verano said.
Supreme Court spokesperson Midas Marquez said the high court would “immediately” take up the complaint against Verano.
The tribunal usually refers disbarment complaints to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), which would investigate the case and come up with its own findings.
If the IBP finds probable cause for disbarment, it files a petition in the Supreme Court.
But if the IBP decides to dismiss the complaint, the VACC has the option to appeal the dismissal to the high court.
Verano pointed out that in talking to Gonzalez two days before Christmas, he had no choice because he and the parents of the two suspects were being given the runaround by the PDEA.
Begging
Verano said he and the Brodetts went to Gonzalez’s office and begged the secretary to immediately approve the release of the three detainees even if they would be placed under heavy guard for the holiday furlough.
All they got was assurances from Gonzalez that he would look into the matter.
In drafting the release order, Verano said he did it in the hope that the release of the boys would be facilitated. “Hindi ko siya pinapalusutan (I was not trying to put one over him). I was begging for his signature,” he said.
Verano said he thought there was a “1-percent hope” that it may happen because the document was already there. “I took my chance and you could say, pushed my luck,” he said.
He said he was fighting not only for his clients’ constitutional right but for the constitutional right of all citizens in the country.
“If I have to suffer for any action, then so be it. I will accept it but I will keep on fighting,” Verano said.
Just a piece of paper
Verano maintained that the draft order was just a piece of paper in the absence of the secretary’s signature and it would have been an entirely different matter had Gonzalez’s signature been forged.
Gonzalez Thursday said he was trying to trace where Verano got the DOJ letterhead.
“It could have come from the office of Blancaflor. It could have come from the prosecutors. Giving (Verano) that letterhead should not have been done. It is not a serious infraction,” the justice secretary said.
“We are reviewing whether (his) actuations in this particular incident were done with malice or in bad faith, or if he violated rules and regulations. I will make my recommendation based on the internal investigation,” Gonzalez said.
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