Lawyer files complaint vs LRA chief

MANILA, Philippines - Court of Appeals Justice Jose Sabio’s lawyer has filed a complaint against Land Registration Authority chief Benedicto Ulep before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly issuing a memorandum circular tagging him as a fixer.

Lawyer Vicente Chuidian said the ranking government official’s actions caused him undue injury in violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. He also accused Ulep of violating RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

Chuidian lodged the six-page complaint noting that sometime in 2007, the LRA administrator issued Circular No. 19-2007 entitled “Public Warning Against Mr. Vicente Chuidian.” In the document, Ulep allegedly informed employees of how he learned from Solicitor General and now Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera that “a certain ‘Vicente Chuidian’ has been using her name in transacting business at LRA.”

“Let it be known that she has not authorized him or any other person to transact business at LRA. In this connection, everyone is advised to immediately report to this authority (Ulep) such unauthorized use of her name,” the circular said.

Chuidian said he was able to get a copy of the document and was offended that he was the one being referred to.

According to him, he wrote a letter to Ulep about the memorandum noting that the same portrays him as “a fixer, a name dropper or one of the denizens that regularly haunt the LRA and its various offices.”

“I emphasized that respondent’s statements in the circular is neither premised in fact, nor in law, and are patently libelous. I therefore warned him that I would be filing the necessary civil, criminal and administrative charges against him,” the letter says. However, Ulep allegedly failed to even respond to his letter nor did he issue another memorandum to amend or clarify the previous one.

Chuidian said the LRA chief’s acts caused him injury by dishonoring and discrediting him as an individual and as a practicing lawyer for over 40 years.