THE SANDIGANBAYAN has recently flagged a lawyer for inaccurate citations in the pleadings that she filed, which she later admitted to having been crafted with the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool. 

The court emphasized the errors in the filing, stating that the citations that were noted in the file were either “non-existent or did not contain the quoted portions cited and had incorrect docket numbers and dates.” 

The pleadings that she filed were on behalf of the former Technology Resource Center deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, who is currently facing graft and malversation cases that are related to the pork barrel fund scam.    

It also pointed out that the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability states that lawyers are not to “misquote, misrepresent, or mislead the court as to the existence or the contents of any document, argument, evidence, law, or other legal authority.”  

Boco later acknowledged the severity of her errors and apologized for the errors in the motion that she filed. 

She later explains that the motions were made by Cunanan’s former lawyer, Froilan Clerigo. 

According to her, she believed that the content that she got was faithful and accurate, and admitted that she failed to do a thorough review.  

The court then acknowledged Boco’s apology, stating that she was “forthright in admitting her errors without any intention to mislead the court.” 

“While Atty. Boco explained that she did not, on her own, draft the motions, and that AI-enabled tools were employed in researching the issues; the ultimate responsibility for the misquotations ultimately fell on her shoulders as she signed the same,” the Seventh Division stated.

“In future submissions of documents before the court, counsel is reminded to fact-check any AI-generated research and to strictly observe proper citations of legal authorities concomitant to her duties under the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability,” they added.