Facts:

• Maelotisea Sipin Garrido filed a disbarment complaint against Attorneys Angel E. Garrido and Romana P. Valencia.
• Maelotisea married Atty. Angel Garrido on June 23, 1962, at San Marcelino Church, Ermita, Manila.
• They had six children together.
• In May 1991, Maelotisea discovered Atty. Angel Garrido had another family with Atty. Romana Valencia.
• Atty. Angel Garrido married Atty. Romana Valencia in Hong Kong in 1978.
• Atty. Angel Garrido left the conjugal home in June 1993 and did not provide financial support to his children.
• Atty. Angel Garrido claimed his marriage to Maelotisea was void as he was already married to Constancia David when he married Maelotisea.
• He also argued his marriages and children were before he became a lawyer.
• Atty. Valencia denied being a mistress, asserting Maelotisea was not the legal wife of Atty. Angel Garrido.
• The IBP Committee on Discipline recommended disbarment for Atty. Angel Garrido but dismissed the case against Atty. Valencia.
• Atty. Angel Garrido sought relief from the Supreme Court, claiming he did not commit gross immorality and that the offenses had prescribed.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

1. The Supreme Court disbarred Atty. Angel E. Garrido for gross immorality.
2. The Supreme Court also disbarred Att...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court upheld the IBP Board of Governors' findings against Atty. Angel Garrido, noting his conduct was grossly immoral.
• Good moral character is a continuing requirement for membership in the legal profession.
• Atty. Angel Garrido's multiple marriages, extramarital affairs, and failure to provide financial support to his children demonstrated a pattern of grossly immoral...continue reading