7/23/2019 Guevarra vs Eala Digest
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Guevarra vs. Eala, A.C. No. 7136, August 1, 2007
Facts: Joselano Guevarra file a Co!"laint for #is$ar!ent $efore
t%e &ntegrate 'ar of t%e(%ili""ines )&'(* Co!!ittee on 'ar
#isci"line )C'#* against Att+. Jose E!!anuel . Ealaa.-.a. Noli Eala
)res"onent* for grossl+ i!!oral conuct an un!itigate violation of
t%ela/+ers oat%.
%e co!"lainant first !et res"onent in Januar+ 2000 /%en %is
)co!"lainants* t%enfiancee&rene oe )&rene* introuce
res"onent Att+. Eala, a la/+er an a s"ortscaster, to %i! as
%erfrien /%o /as !arrie to ar+ Ann antoco /it% /%o! %e %a t%ree
c%ilren.
After %is !arriage to &rene, co!"lainant notice t%at
&rene %a $een receiving fro! res"onentcell"%one calls, as /ell
as !essages so!e of /%ic% rea & love +ou, & !iss +ou, or
eet +ouat ega!all. 4e also notice t%at &rene %a$ituall+ /ent
%o!e ver+ late at nig%t or earl+ in t%e!orning of t%e follo/ing a+,
an so!eti!es i not go %o!e fro! /or-. 5%en %e as-e a$out%er
/%erea$outs, s%e re"lie t%at s%e sle"t at %er "arents %ouse in
'inangonan, ial or s%e/as $us+ /it% %er /or-. ore so, co!"lainant
%as seen &rene an res"onent toget%er on t/ooccasions. 8n t%e
secon occasion, %e confronte t%e! follo/ing /%ic% &rene a$anone
t%e
conugal %ouse.
oreover, Co!"lainant later foun, in t%e !asters $eroo!, a fole
social car $earing t%e/ors & 9ove ou on its face, /%ic% car
/%en unfole containe a %an/ritten letter ate8cto$er 7, 2000, t%e a+
of %is /eing to &rene. Also, it /as reveale t%at &rene gave
$irt% to agirl in 2002 an &rene na!e res"onent in t%e
Certificate of 9ive 'irt% as t%e girls fat%er.
&n %is ans/er, es"onent s"ecificall+ enies %aving ever
flaunte an aulterous relations%i"/it% &rene, t%e trut% of t%e
!atter $eing t%at t%eir relations%i" /as lo/ "rofile an -no/n onl+
tot%e i!!eiate !e!$ers of t%eir res"ective fa!ilies. 4e also sai
t%at %is s"ecial relations%i"/it% &rene is neit%er uner
scanalous circu!stances nor tanta!ount to grossl+ i!!oralconuct as
/oul $e a groun for is$ar!ent.
&ssue: 5%et%er t%e res"onent $e is$arre fro! t%e "ractice of
9a/.
4el: E;. %e case at $ar involves a relations%i" $et/een a !arrie
la/+er an a !arrie/o!an /%o is not %is /ife. &t is i!!aterial
/%et%er t%e affair /as carrie out iscreetl+.
5%ile it %as $een %el in is$ar!ent cases t%at t%e !ere fact of
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