Disbarred lawyer fined for berating court worker

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July 22, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has fined a disbarred lawyer for berating a court employee in Butuan City and disobeying orders of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

In a decision promulgated on June 10 and released only yesterday, the SC imposed a fine of P155,000 on Berteni Causing for violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.

The infraction stemmed from an incident in 2016, six years before Causing was stripped of his license to practice law.

In her complaint, legal researcher Bernadette Oncines of the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 in Butuan City said Causing berated her in front of her fellow court workers after she refused to grant his request for a retraction because she was no longer the clerk of court.

During an investigation conducted by the IBP, Causing submitted a mandatory conference brief containing what the court described as a “blatant yet baseless accusations of partiality and malice” against RTC Branch 2 Judge Emmanuel Escatron.

The IBP said Causing repeatedly ignored its directive to submit his position paper and attend mandatory conferences.

In its ruling, the SC said that Causing’s actions violated his sworn duty to maintain a respectful attitude toward the courts.

“Such slanderous remarks and menacing language against members of the bench and their employees show that the respondent lacks reverence toward the courts,” the high tribunal said.

While lawyers have the right to criticize judges, the SC said this right does not constitute an unbridled license to malign and insult the courts and their officers.