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CASES REPORTED
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A.C. No. 7353. November 16, 2015.*
NELSON P. VALDEZ, petitioner, vs. ATTY. ANTOLIN
ALLYSON DABON, JR., respondent.
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* EN BANC.
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PER CURIAM:
This is an administrative complaint for disbarment filed
by Nelson P. Valdez (Nelson) against Atty. Antolin Allyson
M. Dabon, Jr. (Atty. Dabon) anchored on the ground of
grossly immoral and indecent conduct which transgressed
the high moral standards required for membership in the
Bar.
The Position of the Complainant
Complainant Nelson charged respondent Atty. Dabon, a
Division Clerk of Court of the Court of Appeals (CA), with
gross immorality for allegedly carrying on an adulterous
relationship with his wife, Sonia Romero Valdez (Sonia),
which was made possible by sexual assaults and
maintained through threat and intimidation.
In his Affidavit-Complaint,1 dated September 13, 2006,
Nelson averred, among others, that he married Sonia on
January 28, 1998 in Paniqui, Tarlac; that Sonia was
employed as Court Stenographer of the CA from 1992 until
her resignation on May 15, 2006;2 that Sonia admitted to
have had an adulterous and immoral relationship with
Atty. Dabon, from 2000 to 2006, a span of more than five
years; that he came to know of the relationship only on
April 18, 2006 after receiving an anonymous text message
hinting/stating about the existence of an illicit affair
between the two; and that initially, Sonia denied the affair
but eventually broke down and admitted her sexual liaison
with Atty. Dabon when confronted with a text message he
received from Atty. Jocelyn Dabon (Atty. Joy), the wife of
the respondent, on May 4, 2006 at about 9:47 o’clock in the
morning, which stated:
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9 Id., at p. 107.
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13 Id., at p. 204.
14 Id., at p. 196.
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17 Ui v. Bonifacio, 388 Phil. 691, 708; 333 SCRA 38, 53 (2000).
18 590 Phil. 270; 569 SCRA 247 (2008).
19 Abella v. Barrios, A.C. No. 7332, June 18, 2013, 698 SCRA 683, 692.
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Sorting out the maze of technicalities, denials and
evasions of the respondent as well as the oftentimes
exaggerated language of complainant or his wife,
Sonia, and the self-exculpatory declarations of Sonia,
this
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27 Vitug v. Rongcal, 532 Phil. 615, 626-627; 501 SCRA 166, 178 (2006).
28 546 Phil. 431, 446-447; 517 SCRA 600, 616-617 (2007).
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CONCURRING OPINION
LEONEN, J.:
This court resolves an administrative Complaint for
disbarment filed by complainant Nelson P. Valdez (Nelson)
against respondent Atty. Antolin Allyson M. Dabon, Jr.
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1 Ponencia, p. 6.
2 Rollo, pp. 3 and 6, Affidavit.
3 Id., at p. 3, Affidavit, and p. 526, Report and Recommendation of the
IBP.
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37 G.R. No. 179267, June 25, 2013, 699 SCRA 352 [Per J. Perlas-
Bernabe, En Banc].
38 Rep. Act No. 9262 is entitled An Act Defining Violence Against
Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for
Victims, Prescribing Penalties therefore, and for Other Purposes.
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47 Id.
48 Tiong v. Florendo, 678 Phil. 195, 199; 662 SCRA 1, 5 (2011) [Per J.
Perlas-Bernabe, Third Division].
49 Id., at pp. 199-200; p. 5.
50 Advincula v. Macabata, 546 Phil. 431, 442; 517 SCRA 600, 611-612
(2007) [Per J. Chico-Nazario, Third Division].
51 Id., at p. 443; p. 612.
52 A.C. No. 1512, January 29, 1993, 218 SCRA 30 [Per Curiam, En
Banc]. (Resolution)
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53 376 Phil. 336; 318 SCRA 229 (1999) [Per Curiam, En Banc].
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54 590 Phil. 270; 569 SCRA 247 (2008) [Per Curiam, En Banc].
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55 625 Phil. 347; 611 SCRA 508 (2010) [Per Curiam, En Banc].
56 Id., at p. 366; p. 526.
57 Rollo, p. 107.
58 Id., at p. 108.
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