Thursday, August 21, 2008 John Hay lawyers confident of clearing names By Ace Alegre
LAWYERS of the Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo) facing disbarment raps before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) are confident they will eventually clear their names.
Lawyers Georgina Alvarez, senior vice president of the privately run CJHDevCo developing the former American rest and recreation facility in Baguio City and Hilario Belmes, said the firm's legal officer were sued before the IBP's Commission on Bar Discipline for disbarment for allegedly "taking the law into their hands and abetting other officers of the corporation to take the law into their hands" when a concessionaire was demolished several months ago.
Last month, businesswoman-concessionaire Corazon Aniceto also sued Alvarez, Belmes and other top brass of CJHDevCo for robbery, malicious mischief, grave threats and coercion before the City Prosecutor's Office.
Aniceto, though her lawyer, Emiliano Gayo, claimed before the IBP's Commission on Bar Discipline that Alvarez, also CJHDevCo's senior vice president and Belmes, the firm's legal officer, "took the law into their hands and abetted their co-officers and co-employees of CJH to take the law into their hands in clear grave abuse of rights."
The disbarment complaint against Alvarez and Belmes emanates from Aniceto's July 9 complaint before Assistant City Prosecutor Rolando Vergara on the demolition of her El Rancho restaurant allegedly by CJHDevCo in the wee hours of the morning on April 30 despite an injunctive relief already filed in court.
Aniceto blamed Alvarez and Belmes for breaching the Code of Professional Responsibility and their Oath of Office, "when they allegedly ordered the demolition despite a case still pending in court."
Insisting the disbarment case is still part of Aniceto's harassment against them, Alvarez said: "mere accusation is not tantamount to guilt." It is unfortunate aside from harassing our officers with criminal cases, comes this, she added.
The CJHDevCo senior vice president also claimed these are already "part of desperate moves (of Aniceto) to unfairly attack counsels."
At the end of the day, Alvarez confidently said, "we will be able to clear our names and prove the suit is baseless."
