SC CIRCULAR NO. 33-90, June 30, 1992

OFFICE OF THE COURT OF ADMINISTRATOR

For the information and guidance of. all concerned, quoted
thereunder are pertinent portions of the Resolution of the Court En Banc
dated May 8, 1992, in A. C. No. 2427 entitled “Atty. Onofre P. Tejada
vs. Atty. Harold M. Hernando”, to wit: :

“We recall this Court’s Resolution in Vda. de Guerrero v.
Hernando (Adm. Case No. 704, November 24, 1975, 68 SCRA 76), where we
had previously found the Respondent guilty as a notary in making it
appear in the jurat of a tenancy contract that affiant Tranquilino
Bernardo exhibited to him a residence certificate when in fact he did
not do so. He was then

‘severely censured for the falsehood which he had committed
and at the same time x x x barred or disqualified from acting as a notary
public for a period of one year counted from notice of the entry of
judgment in this case. He is warned that a more drastic punishment would
be imposed on (sic) a of the same anomaly.’

The imposition of that severer penalty on respondent is now in
order for the commission of a more blatant anomaly. He has miserably
failed to live up to the standards expected of a member of the Bar
(Bautista v. Gonzales (Adm. Matter No. 1625, February 12, 1990, 182
(SCRA 151, citing Artiaga v. Villanueva, Adm. Matter No. 1892, July 29,
1988, 163 SCRA 638). His actuations amount to gross misconduct and
dishonesty, in violation of his lawyer’s oath and the fundamental
ethics of the profession (Merritt v. Cacanindin, Adm. Case1 No. 1422,
October 27, 1983, 125 SCRA 286).

WHEREFORE, respondent, Harold M. Hernando, is found guilty of
grave professional misconduct and. is hereby SUSPENDED from the practice
of law UNTIL FURTHER ORDERS.”

June __30__, 1992.