[LEGAL PROFESSION] 2nd semester, sem ester, A.Y. 2014-2015
Angalan v. Delante A.C. No.: 7181 Ponente: Per Curiam Date: Februar !, 200" Petitioner: #eirs o$ An%a&an 'ama& married to 'anaan 'ama& ()aria, Nena, Dioni*io, )a%da&ena, Fran*is*a, +nis, osa&ino and ose$ina An%a&an es/ondent: Att. Att. eonido De&ante e&ie$: Administratie Administratie *ase $or %ross io&ation o$ te CP FACTS: •
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Com/&ainants are te eirs o$ An%a&an 'ama& and 'anaan 'ama&. 3e a&&e%e tat te are i&&iterate and be&on% to te 'ama& 3ribe. 3e oned a ".102-e*tare /ar*e& o$ &and in arrio 'an ose, 6a/utian, +s&and arden Cit o$ 'ama&, Daao de& Norte. 3e / ro/ert as *oered b ri%ina& Certi$i*ate Certi$i*ate o$ 3i&e 3i&e No. P-114"". P-114"". n 1"71, An%a&an and *om/&ainants borroed P15,000 $rom s/ ouses Naarro and Arabe&&a 9ustauio. 3o 3o se*ure te &oan, *om/&ainants mort%a%ed 8.102 e*tares o$ teir /ro/ert and surrendered te C3 to te s/ouses. 3e s/ouses /re/ared a do*ument and as;ed *om/&ainants to si%n it. Com/&ainants a$$i0,000. CF+ a//roed te ami*ab&e sett&ement. Com/&ainants did not ae te P>0,000 re/ur*ase /ri*e $or te /ro/ert. Att. Att. De&ante adan*ed te P>0,000 and, in return, *om/&ainants a&&oed res/ondent to /ossess te /ro/ert and %ater its /rodu*e unti& e is /aid. =en *om/&ainants tried to re/a te P>0,000 re/ur*ase /ri*e and re*oer te /ro/ert $rom Att. Att. De&ante, te &atter re$used. Com/&ainants &earned tat e trans$erred te tit&e o$ te /ro/ert to is name. Com/&ainants $i&ed a *om/&aint it 3C o$ Daao Cit, /rain% tat te 3C3 o$ Att. Att. De&ante be de*&ared oid a nd tat e be mad e to /a tem dama%ed. Att De&ante ar%ued tat *om/&ainants neer en%a%ed is seri*e and ere on& borroin% mone $rom im, and tat e bou%t te /ro/ert in uestion in bea&$ o$ is ?'-based *&ient. Com/&ainants $i&ed a *om/&aint *ar%in% res/ondent it %ross io&ation o$ te CP. 3e *ase as re$erred to te +P. +P. Commissioner #ababa% $ound tat res/ondent io&ated te CP and re*ommended tat res/ond ent be sus/ended $rom te /ra*ti*e o$ &a $or ! monts. 3e +P oard o$ oernors ado/ted and a//roed tis re*ommendation it modi$i*ation o$ in*reasin% te sus/ension $rom ! monts to 1 ear.
ISSUE1: =N Att. Att. De&ante io&ated te CP @ Y9' HELD/RATIO1: A$ter a *are$u& reie o$ te di$$erent ersions o$ $a*ts o$ *om/&ainants and res/ondents, te Court %ae *reden*e to *om/&ainants ersion. es/ondents *redibi&it is i%& uestionab&e. An%a&an and *om/&ainants ent to res/ondents o$$i*e not to see; adi*e about borroin% mone but to en%a%e is seri*es $or te /ur/ose o$ re*o erin% teir /ro/ert. 3e $a*ts *&ear& so tat *om/&ainants en%a%ed te seri*es o$ res/ondent. - a$ter *om/&ainants ent to res/ondents o$$i*e, res/ondent $i&ed a *om/&aint it CF+ /rain% tat te s/ouses re*one te /ro/ert to *om/&ainants - res/ondent stated in te *om/&aint tat Bb reason o$ unarranted re$usa& on te /art o$ te s/ouses to re*one te /ro/ert to te *om/&ainants, te &atter ae been *onstrained to en%a%e, and in $a*t ae en%a%ed, te seri*es o$ a *ounse& - res/ondent issued a re*ei/t o$ te P1,200 /ro$essiona& $ee - in res/ondents &etter addressed to te barrio *a/taion o$ ?mba, 'ama&, Daao de& Norte, e stated tat e as te &aer o$ *om/&ainants +t is a&so obious $rom te $a*ts tat res/ondents stor about is ?'-based *&ient bein% te one o bou%t te /ro/ert in uestion as on& a ain attem/t to sa&a%e is ma&i*ious a*ts too $&ims to %ain be&ie$ and a**e/tan*e.
ata*, 9ndaa, in%at, 'antos, 'aturnino, i&&a$uerte, Yee
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[LEGAL PROFESSION] 2nd semester, A.Y. 2014-2015
+t is a&so immateria& =N te *om/&ainants e"- o$ C states tat, BNo inesti%ation sa&& be interru/ted or terminated b reason o$ te desistan*e, sett&ement, *om/romise, restitution, itdraa& o$ *ar%es, or $ai&ure o$ te *om/&ainant to /rose*ute te same. es/ondent io&ated Canons 1! and 17 o$ te CP. Canon 1 states tat la!"e#$ $%all %ol& 'n t#($t all )#o)e#t'e$ o* t%e'# +l'ent$ t%at ,a" +o,e 'nto t%e'# )o$$e$$'on. es/ondent sou&d ae e&d in trust 3C3 No. 3-""2! and returned te /ro/ert to *om/&ainants u/on demand. +nstead o$ o&din% in trust te /ro/ert o$ *om/&ainants, res/ondent (1 trans$erred te tit&e o$ te /ro/ert to is name, (2 re$used to return te /ro/ert to *om/&ainants, and (> re$erred to *om/&ainants *ar%es as ma&i*ious and untrut$u&. Canon 1- states tat la!"e#$ $%all e ,'n&*(l o* t%e t#($t an& +on*'&en+e #e)o$e& 'n t%e,. es/ondent sou&d ae been mind$u& o$ te trust and *on$iden*e *om/&ainants re/osed in im. Com/&ainants a&&e%e tat te are i&&iterate and tat te '/ouses 9ustauio too; adanta%e o$ tem. Com/&ainants en%a%ed te seri*es o$ res/ondent in te o/e tat e ou&d e&/ tem re*oer teir /ro/ert. +nstead o$ /rote*tin% te interests o$ *om/&ainants, res/ondent too; adanta%e o$ *om/&ainants and trans$erred te tit&e o$ te /ro/ert to is name. Considerin% te de/rait o$ res/ondents o$$ense, te Court $inds te re*ommended /ena&t too &i%t. 'olat'on o* Canon$ 1 an& 1- +on$t't(te$ g#o$$ ,'$+on&(+t. 'e*tion 27, u&e 1>8 o$ te u&es o$ Court states tat a member o$ te bar ma be disbarred or sus/ended $rom is o$$i*e as attorne b te Court $or %ross mis*ondu*t. +n Hernandez v. Go, te Court disbarred a &aer $or trans$errin% te tit&es oer te /ro/erties o$ is *&ient to is name itout te ;no&ed%e o$ is *&ient. A /erson o ta;es te 8.102-e*tare /ro/ert o$ is i&&iterate *&ients and o is in*a/ab&e o$ te&&in% te trut is un$it to be a &aer. DISPOSITIE: =#99F9, te Court $inds Att. eonido C. De&ante ?+3Y o$ io&atin% Canons 1! and 17 o$ te Code o$ Pro$essiona& es/onsibi&it. A**ordin%&, te Court DIS0ARS im $rom te /ra*ti*e o$ &a and D9' tat is name be stri*;en $rom te o&& o$ Attornes.
ata*, 9ndaa, in%at, 'antos, 'aturnino, i&&a$uerte, Yee
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