Skip to content

IBP to SC: suspend Gonzalez for misconduct

Update from Malaya: Comelec pins down Gonzalez

See story in comments.

Case was his 2007 elections offer of P10,000 for 12-0 win of administration senatorial candidates

by Evangeline de Vera

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines has recommended the suspension of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez for obstruction of electoral processes.

In a one-page notice, the IBP Commission on Bar Discipline through its national secretary Tomas Prado took note of the Board of Governors’ Resolution dated Nov. 20, 2008 that “resolved to reverse… the Report and Recommendation of the Investigating Commissioner and approve the suspension from the practice of law for one year of Gonzalez for his reprehensible conduct of openly and publicly offering P10,000 to any barrio captain in his area (Iloilo) of political influence who can give a 12-0 vote in favor of President Arroyo’s senatorial candidates and taking into consideration his previous professional misconduct.”

As mandated, the IBP through the Commission on Bar Discipline acted as prosecutor in the complaint that investigated the case for finding of probable cause.

The Supreme Court was furnished a copy of the IBP Resolution for review, but Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said they have yet to receive a copy.

Lawyer Elly Velez Pamatong, declared a nuisance presidential candidate in the 2004 elections, in his complaint docketed as Admin Case No. 7490, alleged that Gonzalez’ admission constituted violations of the election laws and the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers.

Gonzalez had said in the interview that the money would come from his own pocket anyway and it would only cost him only a night’s production from his wife’s poultry farm

In 1989, Gonzalez was sanctioned and suspended by the SC from the practice of law for an indefinite period as a Tanodbayan for ignorance of the law when he questioned the court’s ruling in Zaldivar vs. Gonzalez.

On Jan. 11, 1993, he filed an ex-parte motion before the SC to lift his suspension from the practice of law, alleging that he has given free legal aid services to the poor and needy. The suspension lasted for four years before he was able to convince the SC to lift his suspension.

Gonzalez downplayed the new IBP ruling.

“The IBP resolution is not executory. It is only recommendatory. The final say belongs to the SC. I’m not worried about these things. Anyway, the complainant here is a nut. The things he does border on him being either a genius or a nut,” he said.

Gonzalez said it was Pamatong who disseminated the IBP Resolution in the face of IBP restrictions of confidentiality. “That fellow is looking for publicity,” he said.

He said the Commission on Elections and not the IBP has jurisdiction over the complaint.

Published inGeneral

21 Comments

  1. chi chi

    IBP to SC: suspend Gonzalez for misconduct

    In their dreams. No way for as long as Gloria is alive!

  2. bitchevil bitchevil

    IBP to SC: Kill Gonzalez for possessing a fake kidney.

  3. Suspend? He should be sacked and send to jail for obstruction of justice, perjury, etc, for the many blunders he has done that has caused Filipinos to lose faith in their justice system.

    Ipakulong ang inutil na iyan kasama noong amo niya!

  4. Tama si BE, hindi tatanggalin ni Dorobo iyan kasi malaki ang pakinabang sa kaniya. Kaya nga matapang na maging unggoy e. Sa amin iyan sa totoo lang, matagal nang nagbigti iyan. Pero wala, matiisin kasi si Juan at Juana dela Cruz.

    Kawawang bansa!

  5. rose rose

    ..tie a rope around his neck and hang him on a tree…that to me is the way to suspend him…. sama na niya ang mahal niyang reyna..

  6. syria syria

    Goonzales is in a lie low mode just recently, e.g., lie low as in saying false statements and state of low activity. Malacanang might have scolded him for being so stupid and so stubborn. He might have realized that he is for real a DOM and is in his second childhood.

  7. bitchevil bitchevil

    Goonzalez needs dialysis in the brain.

  8. From Rep. Roilo Golez:

    “When it rains, it pours.”

    The IBP recommendation to suspend Sec Raul Gonzalez as a member of the bar has made his stay as a DOJ secretary really untenable.

    His peers in the law practice are the ones asking for his suspension. We cannot have a secretary of justice that has lost the esteem of his peers. That demeans both the person and position.

    Now, he will be seriously encumbered by having to defend himself before the Supreme Court.

    My earlier statement that resignation was “the only honorable option” for him has beocme compelling in the face of his IBP indictment.

  9. MPRivera MPRivera

    kapag natanggal na siya sa IBP at naalis na sa pagiging kalihim ng sobra nating pagtitiis, ano ba ang dapat gawin sa kanya?

    pabayaan na lamang mamuhay nang tahimik sa kanyang tahanan sa pagitan ng pagliliwaliw niya gamit ang salaping naipon mula sa pag-aabsuwelto niya sa mga anak mayaman at pabuya mula sa pinakapangit na hayop sa balat ng lupang nananahanan sa malakanyang?

    paano naman ang kahihiyang tinamo ng mga biktimang kanyang pinagkaitan ng hustisya? ang mga kawawang sa halip na katarungan ang kinamit ay inilublob pa ni raul gonzalez sa kawalang pag-asa?

  10. MPRivera MPRivera

    ano kaya’t tadtarin siya nang pinong pino at gawing patuka sa mga manok na alaga ng kanyang asawa?

    mas maigeng ipakain na lang sa piranha!

  11. Re: ““the only honorable option” for him has become compelling in the face of his IBP indictment.”

    Of course, it is. But the trouble is this siRaulo is as thick-skinned as Gloria, his patron.

  12. Update from Malaya:

    Comelec pins down RaulGon

    Comelec legal department chief Ferdinand Rafanan yesterday said that the mere fact that Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez offered P10,000 to barangay captains in Iloilo to ensure an administration sweep in the 2007 elections already constituted an election law offense.

    “Base sa ating (election) law, ang pag-offer ng pera ay maituturing na vote-buying, which is an election offense,” Rafanan said.

    He said in the event that vote-buying is consummated, cases would be filed against the person who sold his vote and the one who bought the vote.

    Under the law, an election offender can be imprisoned for at least six years, his right to vote cancelled, and is permanently banned from holding public office.

    Rafanan was reacting to the recommendation of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Tuesday to the Supreme Court to suspend Gonzalez for obstruction of the electoral process.

    The IBP, in its resolution, said Gonzalez should be suspended from the practice of law for one year for openly and publicly offering P10,000 to any barrio captain in his area (Iloilo) of political influence who could give a 12-0 vote in favor of President Arroyo’s senatorial candidates.

    Rafanan said it is highly unlikely that the Supreme Court will suspend Gonzalez.

    “I think it doesn’t fall in the category. Sa regulations dapat may case of dishonesty, graft and corruption or betrayal of public trust,” he said.

    Gonzalez criticized the IBP for making public a copy of a resolution recommending his suspension.

    In a letter to the president and the board of governors of the IBP, Gonzalez said the release to the media of their resolution violated the confidentiality of the document.

    Gonzalez said that with the release of the resolution to the media, the board of governors “unnecessarily” besmirched his reputation not only as a lawyer but as a former member of the IBP board, a former Tanodbayan, three-term congressman and former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and as secretary of justice.

    Gonzalez had downplayed the recommendation, saying it is not final and executory until the Supreme Court affirms it. – Gerard Naval and Evangeline de Vera

  13. bitchevil bitchevil

    Off topic:

    The hands of FG are all over DPWH projects. He is now fingered as the one allegedly behind Eduardo de Luna, the contractor blacklisted by the World Bank for corruption, who reportedly clears all foreign assisted public works contracts. In Leyte, the contractor Ronnie Albao, who is running for Congress is again an alleged “bagman” for FG.

  14. Suspension is not the best option. Goonzales should be sent to prison even for that election violation stated above. The Comelec should initiate the action.

    Sipain na, ngayong taon na!

  15. MPRivera MPRivera

    “……..Gonzalez said that with the release of the resolution to the media, the board of governors “unnecessarily” besmirched his reputation not only as a lawyer but as a former member of the IBP board, a former Tanodbayan, three-term congressman and former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and as secretary of justice.”

    **************************************

    ‘kapal ng mukha talaga nitong ulol na siraulo na gagonggonzalez pa!

    ano ano ba ang matinong nagawa niya habang nasa mga posisiyong kanyang ipinagmamalaki?

    ‘yun lang pabor (kahit isa) sa mga mamamayan at hindi ‘yung para sa mga kapritso ng kanyang alagang pinakapangit na hayop sa balat ng lupa, ha?

  16. MPRivera MPRivera

    teka!

    meron pa bang natitirang integrity itong DOJ?

    nasaan?

    hindi pa ba tapos hakutin ng mga basurero?

    o, baka naman kaya nilalantakan na ng mga aso!??!

  17. Inilalaglag na ba si Sir Raul O. Gonzalez?

    Nung isang araw, maingay pa siya nung i-announce ng NBI na walang batayan yung bribery charge against DOJ prosecutors, kesyo mainit pa rin ang dugo niya sa PDEA, kesyo kakasuhan pa si Marcelino.

    Nang maramdaman nilang walang kumagat sa pakulo ng NBI, at maaaring may pressure kung saan nanggaling, biglang nangamoy na tila nagbago ang timpla ni Pandak kay Raul. Ni hindi pa niya mailabas yung resulta ng review niya. Mawawalan kasi ng saysay yung pag-upo ni Pandak bilang czarina.

    Kaya kahapon, bigla namang nag-isyu si tanda ng statement sa NBI na “Go slow on PDEA”. Sabay namang naglabas ng anonymous letter kuno na si Resado ang tumanggap ng P1.6M nung araw na pirmahan yung dismissal.

    Hahaha. Naiipit na si Raul kaya isasakripisyo na yung bata niya!

    Bakit ko nasabi yan? Kasi nung una, galit na galit sila sa PDEA dahil walang basehan daw yung akusasyon ng suhulan. Ngayon meron nang ano? Anonymous letter? Bwahahaha!

    Tangna nyo, hindi kami bobo.

  18. MPRivera MPRivera

    tongue,

    ayun nga sa itaas, o!

    kasama ‘yun sa dahilan kaya inilalaglag ngayon si rebosado.

    para masalbeyds ‘yung kanyang repyuteysiyon.

    gumagawa ng bagong pauusuhing lumang sayaw na lambana!

    sacrificial lamb, kayo naman!

Leave a Reply