Facts:

• Foodsphere, Inc. (complainant) filed a case against Atty. Melanio L. Mauricio, Jr. (respondent), a media personality and lawyer.
• The issue began on June 22, 2004, when Alberto Cordero bought a can of CDO Liver spread, which was found to be sour and contained worms upon consumption on June 27, 2004.
• Cordero's wife lodged a complaint with the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration (BFAD), which confirmed the presence of parasites.
• During a conciliation hearing on July 27, 2004, the Corderos demanded P150,000 in damages, which Foodsphere refused, offering to reimburse actual medical expenses instead.
• Atty. Mauricio sent a fax to Foodsphere on August 6, 2004, containing disparaging articles and threatened to publish them unless the company complied with the Corderos' demands.
• Foodsphere's counter-offer was rejected, and Mauricio proposed a settlement of P50,000, part of which would go to his Batas Foundation.
• The Corderos later withdrew their complaint, leading to its dismissal by the BFAD, but Mauricio continued to publish articles damaging to Foodsphere's reputation.
• Foodsphere filed criminal complaints against Mauricio for libel and threats, which were pending during the administrative complaint.
• Despite a temporary restraining order, Mauricio continued to publish defamatory articles, prompting an investigation by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• Yes, Atty. Melanio L. Mauricio, Jr. engaged in grossly immoral conduct.
• Yes, he violated his oath as a lawyer.
• Yes, he showed ...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court upheld the IBP's findings, stating that Atty. Mauricio's actions were grossly immoral as he exploited the complaint against Foodsphere for personal gain through threats and media manipulation.
• His disregard for the temp...continue reading