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Sunday, September 19, 2004
Married lawyer disbarred for marrying Danding's daughter
THE Supreme Court (SC) has finally disbarred a married lawyer who ran off with business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco's daughter more than twenty years ago.
The SC found lawyer Leo J. Palma guilty of grossly immoral conduct and violation of his oath as a lawyer.
Cojuangco met with Palma sometime in the 70's when he was a client of Angara Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (Accra).
Palma was the lawyer assigned to handle Cojuangco's cases.
Owing to his growing business concerns, complainant decided to hire Palma as his personal counsel.
Client and lawyer traveled and dined with each other extensively with the lawyer frequenting their house and even tutoring Cojuangco's 22-year-old daughter named Maria Luisa Cojuangco (Lisa), then a student of Assumption Convent.
On June 22, 1982, without the knowledge of complainant's family, Palma married Lisa in Hongkong.
It was only the next day that Palma informed the complainant and assured the latter of everything was legal.
Cojuangco was shocked, knowing that Palma is already a married man and has three children.
It was learned that Palma courted Lisa during their tutoring sessions.
The lawyer misrepresented himself as "bachelor" to convince the Hong Kong authorities to facilitate his marriage with Lisa.
On August 24, 1982, Cojuangco filed with the Court of First Instance, Branch 27 in Pasay City a petition for declaration of nullity of the marriage between Palma and Lisa.
The court declared the marriage null and void three months later.
Thereafter, Cojuango asked the High Tribunal to disbar Palma for marrying his daughter.
"The ringing truth in this case is that respondent (Palma) married Lisa while he has a subsisting marriage with Elizabeth Hermosisima," the SC ruled.
Certification from the Local Civil Registrar of Cebu City shows that Palma married Elizabeth on December 19, 1971 at the Cardinal's Private Chapel in Cebu City.
The Certificate of Marriage from the Deputy Registrar of Marriages, Hong Kong, on the other hand, proves Palma's subsequent marriage with Lisa on July 9, 1982.
"Undoubtedly, respondent's (Palma) act constitutes grossly immoral conduct, a ground for disbarment under Section 27, Rule 138 of the Revised Rules of Court. He exhibited a deplorable lack of that degree of morality required of him as a member of the Bar. In particular, he made a mockery of marriage, which is a sacred institution demanding respect and dignity. His act of contracting a second marriage is contrary to honesty, justice, decency and morality." (Benjamin B. Pulta)
(September 19, 2004 issue)
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