Case Digest (A.C. No. 13674)
Facts:
Monette Manauis-Taggueg v. Atty. Vincenzo Nonato M. Taggueg, A.C. No. 13674 [Formerly CBD Case No. 16-5221], August 01, 2023, the Supreme Court En Banc, Per Curiam. The complainant is Monette Manauis-Taggueg; the respondent is Atty. Vincenzo Nonato M. Taggueg.The parties were married on June 6, 2002, and had one child, Vincent Nayyef M. Taggueg. On December 13, 2016, complainant filed an administrative Complaint‑Affidavit with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Commission on Bar Discipline (IBP‑CBD) seeking respondent’s disbarment for allegedly abandoning his lawful wife and family to cohabit with a woman named Cindy Villajuan, whom complainant alleged respondent had purportedly married despite his subsisting first marriage.
Complainant alleges that in March 2015 respondent suddenly left their marital home after an encounter at his law office, telling her by text that he would not return. Complainant’s inquiries, aided by a friend in the CIDG, located respondent in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, cohabiting with Villajuan. Complainant found photos on Villajuan’s social media bearing respondent’s surname and allegedly documenting a wedding; she also obtained a reservation slip and a customer inquiry form indicating a ceremony on February 20, 2015.
The IBP‑CBD issued an Order (May 22, 2017) directing respondent to file a verified answer; respondent did not comply. A mandatory conference was set for October 23, 2017; complainant appeared and filed a pre‑trial brief with documentary exhibits (marriage certificate, child’s birth certificate, social media printouts, reservation slip, customer inquiry form), while respondent again failed to appear or file any briefs. The Investigating Commissioner (IBP‑CBD) issued a Report and Recommendation (Aug. 3, 2020) recommending disbarment for Gross Immorality under Section 27, Rule 138, Rules of Court and Canons 1 and 7 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, and noting respondent’s prior three‑month suspension in A.C. No. 12422.
The IBP Board of Governors, by Resolution dated June 25, 2022, modified the Investigating Commissioner’s recommendation to impose an indefinite suspension from the practice of law and a total fine of PHP20,000 for respondent’s failures to comply with IBP directives. The disciplinary matter was forwarded to the Supreme Court for final disposition under the Court’s disciplinary power. During the IBP pro...(Pro-only)
Issues:
- Is respondent administratively liable for Gross Immorality for abandoning his lawful wife and cohabiting with another woman?
- Did the evidence establish that respondent contracted a bigamous marriage with the other woman?
- If respondent is liable, what penalty...(Pro-only)
Ruling:
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Ratio:
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Doctrine:
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