4 bogus lawyers charged in court

Charges of usurpation of authority and official functions were filed in court yesterday against the four typists who misrepresented themselves as lawyers and engaged in notarial services without authority from the Supreme Court.

Three of the four accused, however, gained temporary liberty after they each posted P10,000 bail. The other one, who is facing two counts of usurpation of authority, failed to raise the needed P20,000 bail, prompting the court to issue a commitment order for his detention at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center.

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Antonio Real, Hilarion Galgo, Antonio Binarao, Jr. and Marcelino Inodio during Monday's entrapment operation along Sanciangko Street while performing notarial services pretending to be lawyers.

Real pretended himself as Atty. Sergio Monzolin, Jr., Galgo as Atty. Patrick Benedicto, Binarao as Atty. Vernardo Saren and Inodio as Atty. Cornelio Anadeo.

Real, Galgo and Inodio were charged each with one count of usurpation of authority while two counts were filed against Binarao because one of his alleged victims went to the NBI yesterday to file a complaint against him.

Assistant Cebu City prosecutor Fernando Gubalane who conducted the inquest proceedings yesterday afternoon immediately filed the information before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities after the accused did not ask for a preliminary investigation.

The four said that they are willing to accept whatever penalty the court would impose upon them for their illegal act. They readily admitted that they have committed the crime and expressed their intention to plead guilty to the charge.

Meanwhile, some of their alleged victims started to come out and report to the NBI.

One of those who went to the NBI yesterday claimed he had a deed of sale of a parcel of lot notarized by Inodio and that the documents were already submitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The NBI arrested the four due to the complaint filed by the Cebu City chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines through its president Alex Tolentino.

The IBP sought the NBI's assistance Monday morning after it confirmed from Manila that the people engaged in notarial services along Sanciangko Street are not lawyers.

Aside from the four, at least six other people are also pretending to be lawyers and doing the same job in Cebu City, according to Tolentino.

Tolentino warned the public not to engage the notarial services of these people because they are not authorized. He said most of the unauthorized persons are doing notarial services along the sidewalk. - Fred P. Languido