SC suspends lawyer over Facebook posts
The Supreme Court (SC) has penalized an activist-lawyer over his Facebook posts against popular celebrity cosmetic surgeon Vicki Belo.
In a 13- page decision released yesterday, the High Court ordered the suspension from law practice for one year of lawyer Argee Guevarra of Sanlakas party-list group after finding him guilty of violations of the Lawyers’ Code of Professional Responsibility.
The case stemmed from Guevarra’s posts on his personal account on social networking site Facebook insulting Dr. Belo-Henares and her Belo Medical Group Inc. (BMGI).
Guevarra specifically called Belo a “quack doctor,” “Reyna ng Kaplastikan,” “Reyna ng Payola,” and “Reyna ng Kapalpakan” while lawyering for a former BGMI patient.
He was then the lawyer of Josefina Norcio, who earlier filed criminal cases against Belo for an allegedly botched surgical procedure on her buttocks in 2002 and 2005.
“A punctilious scrutiny of the Facebook remarks complained of disclosed that they were ostensibly made with malice tending to insult and tarnish the reputation of complainant ( Belo) and BMGI,” read the SC ruling penned by Associate Justice Estela PerlasBernabe.
The SC said that by posting the remarks, Guevarra disregarded the fact that as a lawyer, “he is bound to observe proper decorum at all times, be it in his public or private life.”
Guevarra “acted inappropriately and rudely; he used words unbecoming of an officer of the law, and conducted himself in an aggressive was by hurling insults and maligning complainant’s and BMGI’s reputation,” the High Court said.
In his Facebook posts, Guevarra accused Belo of criminal negligence by saying in his Facebook post that she disfigured Norcio and labeled BMGI as a “Frankenstein Factory.”
The lawyer also called for a boycott of BMGI’s services, despite the pendency of the criminal cases that Norcio had filed against Belo.
Guevarra also alleged that Belo and her firm “perform plastic surgery procedures “without licensed and trained doctors, they nearly killed a client of mine, medical malpractice, use of banned substances or fillers on patients.”
Apart from suspension, the SC warned Guevarra that he will be dealt with more severely if he repeats his actions.