Canon 17 & 18, CPR (Fidelity, Competence, and Diligence) - 05 Basil Maguigad
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A.C. No. 10543, March 16, 2016 |Bersamin, J., his adminis!ra!i"e case rela!es !o !he #er$ormance o$ du!% o$ an a!!orne% !o&ards his clien! in &hich !he $ormer is $ound and declared !o 'e lac(ing in (no&ledge and s(ill su$$icien! $or !he engagemen!. )oes *uan!um merui! a!!ach a!!ach &hen &hen an a!!orn a!!orne% e% $ails $ails !o accom# accom#lis lish h !as(s !as(s &hich &hich he is na!ura na!urall% ll% e+# e+#ec! ec!ed ed !o #er$or #er$orm m during during his #ro$es #ro$essio sional nal engagemen! FAC'S Complainant enita D Sanc.e/ .a% c.aged e%pondent Atty Romeo Agilo% (e%pondent) 2it. mi%condct 3o 3o t.e t.e latt latte e4% 4% e3 e3%a %all to et etn n t.e t.e amo amont nt o3 P70,0000 P70,00000 0 %.e .ad paid 3o .i% po3e%%io po3e%%ional nal %e$ice% %e$ice% de%pit de%pite e .i% not .a$ .a$ing ing pe3o pe3omed med t.e contem contempla plated ted po3e%%ional %e$ice% -he a"ers !ha! in March 2005, she sough! !he legal ser"ices o$ !he res#onden! !o re#resen! her in !he annulm annulmen! en! o$ her marria marriage ge &i!h &i!h her es!ran es!range ged d hus'and. -he su'se*uen!l% &i!hdre& !he case $rom him, and re*ues!ed !he re$und o$ !he amoun!s alread% #aid, 'u! he re$used !o do !he same as he had alread% s!ar!ed &or(ing on !he case !ha! she had sen! him a le!!er, !hrough A!!%. /sidro -.C. Mar!ine, !o demand !he re!urn o$ her #a%men! less &ha!e"er amoun! corres#onded !o !he legal ser"ices he had alread% #er$ormed ha! ha! !he res#onde res#onden! n! did no! no! heed heed her demand demand le!! le!!er er des# des#i! i!e e his his no! ha"i ha"ing ng rend render ered ed an% an% a##rec a## recia' ia'le le legal legal ser"ic ser"ices es !o her her5 and and !ha! !ha! his his cons!an! re$usal !o re!urn !he amoun!s #rom#!ed her !o 'ring an adminis!r adminis!ra!i"e a!i"e com#lain! com#lain! agains! agains! him6 in !he /n!egra!ed Bar o$ !he hili##ines /B on March 20, 200. •
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+P +n$e%tigating Commi%%ione 6o%e + De a Rama, 6 declaed t.at t.e e%pondent4% in%i%tence t.at .e cold .a$e og.t a petition 3o legal %epaation a%ed on t.e t.e p%yc p%yc.o .olo logi gica call inca incapac pacit ity y o3 t.e t.e comp complai laina nant4 nt4%% .%an .%and d 2a% %ancti %anctiona onale le eca% eca%e e .e .im%el .im%el33 2a% appaently not con$e%ant 2it. t.e gond% 3o legal %epa %epaa ati tion on t.at t.at eca eca% %e e .e end ende eed ed %ome %ome lega legall %e$ice% %e$ice% to t.e complainant, complainant, .e 2a% entitled to ecei$e ecei$e only P90,00000 ot o3 t.e P70,00000 paid to .im a% acceptance 3ee, t.e P90,00000 eing t.e $ale o3 t.e %e$ %e$ic ice% e% end ende eed ed nde nde t.e t.e pinc pincipl iple e o3 :1ant1m me01it and t.at, accodingly, .e %.old e made to etn to .e t.e amont o3 P;0,00000
Re%pondent 2a% liale 3o mi%condct, and .e %.old e odeed to etn t.e entie amont ecei$ed 3om t.e client Clealy, t.e e%pondent mi%epe%ented .i% po3e%%ional comp compet eten ence ce and and %=il %=illl to t.e t.e comp complai laina nant nt A% t.e t.e 3oe 3oego goin ing g 3ind 3indin ing% g% e$e e$eal al,, .e did did not not =no2 no2 t.e t.e di%tinction di%tinction et2een t.e gond% gond% 3o legal %epaation %epaation and 3o annlment o3 maiage Sc. =no2ledge 2old .a$e .a$e een een a%i a%icc and and e>pe e>pect cted ed o3 .im .im a% a la2ye la2ye accepting accepting a po3e%%iona po3e%%ionall engagement engagement 3o eit.e ca%e% o3 action is action is e+#lana!ion !ha! !he clien! ini!iall% in!ended !o #ursue !he ac!ion $or legal se#ara!ion should 'e dis'elie"ed. he case un*ues!iona'l% con!em#la!ed '% !he #ar!ies and $or &hich his ser"ices &as engaged, &as no o!her !han an ac!ion $or annulmen! o$ !he com#lainan!s marriage &i!h her hus'and &i!h !he in!en!ion o$ marr%ing her Bri!ish $iancee. he% did no! con!em#la!e legal se#ara!ion a! all, $or legal se#ara!ion &ould s!ill render her inca#aci!a!ed !o re7marr%. ha! !he res#onden! &as insis!ing in his ans&er !ha! he had #re#ared a #e!i!ion $or legal se#ara!ion, and !ha! she had !o #a% more as a!!orne%s $ees i$ she desired !o ha"e !he ac!ion $or annulmen! &as, !here$ore, 'e%ond com#rehension o!her !han !o ser"e as a hallo& a$!er!hough! !o 8us!i$% his claim $or ser"ices rendered. As such, !he res#onden! $ailed !o li"e u# !o !he s!andards im#osed on him as an a!!orne%. e !hus !ransgressed Canon 19, 19, and and :ule :uless 19.0 19.01, 1, 19.0 19.02 2 and and 19.0 19.03 3 o$ !he !he Code Code o$ 1ro$essional :es#onsi'ili!% , !o &i!; CAN< CAN? =A>?@: @: -A= -A=== -@: -@:@ @ //- C=/@ C=/@N N >/ >/ C
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(a) (a) <.et <.et.e .e o not not t.e t.e e%p e%pon onde dent nt %.o %.old ld e .eld .eld admini%tati$ely liale 3o mi%condct and () <.et.e o not .e %.old e odeed to etn t.e attoney4% 3ee% paid
he Cour! RD"RS A!!%. RD"RS A!!%. :omeo . Aguilos !o R"'*R !o R"'*R !o !he com#lainan! &i!hin !hir!% 30 da%s $rom no!ice !he sum o$ 0,000.00, #lus legal in!eres! o$ 6D #er annum rec(oned rec(oned $rom !he da!e o$ !his decision un!il $ull # a%men!.
/B also recommend recommended ed !ha! A!!%. Aguilos Aguilos 'e sus#ende sus#ended d $rom !he #rac!ice o$ la& $or a #eriod o$ si+ mon!hs.
