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Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURT

Manila

EN BANC

LASANTA April 30, 1957

Re Charge !" LILIAN #$ VILLASANTA "!r I%%!rali&',

ARION M$ PERALTA,respondent.

mon J. Diaz for respondent.

RAS, C. J.)

R. No. L-9!" has a direct bearin# on the present co$plaint. %aid case ori#inated fro$ a cri$inal action filed in the Court 'nstance of Ca#a(an b( the co$plainant a#ainst the respondent for a violation of Article ") of the Revised Penal Codch the respondent *as found #uilt(. +he verdict, *hen appealed to the Court of Appeals, *as affir$ed. +he appeal b(tioraritaen to this Court b( the respondent *as dis$issed for lac of $erit.

e co$plaint sees to disualif( the respondent, a !9/ successful bar candidate, fro$ bein# ad$itted to the bar. +he bas are the sa$e as those found b( the Court of Appeals, to *it0 1n April !2, !9"9, the respondent *as $arried to Ri3alin

de3 in Ri3al, Nueva Eci5a. 1n or before March 6, !9!, he courted the co$plainant *ho fell in love *ith hi$. +o have ca*led#e of her, the respondent procured the preparation of a fae $arria#e contract *hich *as then a blan docu$ent. de her si#n it on March 6, !9!. A *ee after, the docu$ent *as brou#ht bac b( the respondent to the co$plainant, sihe 8ustice of the Peace and the Civil Re#istrar of %an Manuel, +arlac, and b( t*o *itnesses. %ince then the co$plainarespondent lived to#ether as husband and *ife. %o$eti$e later, the co$plainant insisted on a reli#ious ratification of thrria#e and on 8ul( , !9!, the correspondin# cere$on( *as perfor$ed in Aparri b( the parish priest of said $unicipalitst no lon#er reuired the production of a $arria#e license because of the civil $arria#e contract sho*n to hi$. After thee$on( in Aparri, the couple returned to Manila as husband and *ife and lived *ith so$e friends. +he co$plainant thencovered that the respondent *as previousl( $arried to so$eone else: *hereupon, she filed the cri$inal action for a violArticle ") of the Revised Penal Code in the Court of &irst 'nstance of Ca#a(an and the present co$plaint for i$$oralit(

court..

on consideration of the records of G.R. No. L-9!" and the co$plaint, this Court is of the opinion that the respondent is$oral. 7e $ade $ocer( of $arria#e *hich is a sacred institution de$andin# respect and di#nit(. 7is conviction in the ce involves $oral turpitude. +he act of respondent in contractin# the second $arria#e is contrar( to honest(, 5ustice, decenc(, andralit(.

us lacin# the #ood $oral character reuired b( the Rules of Court, the respondent is hereb( declared disualified fro$ $itted to the bar. %o ordered.

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ngzon, Padilla, Montemayor, Reyes, A., Bautista Angelo, Labrador, Concepcion, ndencia, and !eli" JJ.,concur.

e La*phil Pro5ect - Arellano La* &oundation