A.C. No. 5303 June 15, 2006 Lim Jr. vs. Atty: Villarosa
FACT: !es"on#ents $as t%e la$yer o& Lumot A. Jalan#oni a C%airman or 'resi#ent o& 'enta 'enta !esorts Cor"oration ('!C). T%at *rs. Jalan#oni %as t$o sons+in+la$, namely ennis -. Jaluena marrie# to %er #au/%ter, Carmen J. Jaluena, an# umerto C. Lim Jr., t%e %erein om"lainant marrie# to %er #au/%ter, Cristina J. Lim. T%at *rs. Lumot Lumot Jalan#oni or/anie# or/anie# a or"oration or"oration namely t%e 'enta 'enta !esorts !esorts Cor"oration ('!C) $%ere s%e o$ne# almost ninety seven "erent (4). n ot%er $or#s, in reality, 'enta !esorts Cor"oration is a sin/le "ro"rietors%i" elon/in/ to *rs. Jalan#oni. T%at t%e only "ro"erty o& t%e or"oration is as aove+state#, t%e Al%amra otel, onstrute# solely t%rou/% t%e e7ort o& t%e s"ouses Jaluena on t%at "arel o& lan#. T%e res"on#ent res"on#ent re"resente# re"resente# *rs. Jalan#oni Jalan#oni in a ivil ase. ase. 8tmost trust trust an# on9#ene $as re"ose# on sai# ounsel, %ene #eliate an# on9#ential matters involvin/ all t%e "ersonal irumstanes o& %is lient $ere entruste# to t%e res"on#ent. T%e latter $as "rovi#e# $it% all t%e neessary in&ormation relative to t%e "ro"erty in uestion an# li;e$ise on le/al matters a7etin/ t%e or"oration ('!C) "artiularly involvin/ "rolems $%i% a7et otel Al%amra. ai# ounsel $as "rivy to all transations an# a7airs o& t%e or"oration<%otel. or"oration<%otel. T%e res"on#ent res"on#ent %an#le# %an#le# t%e entire entire ase an# sometime sometime "resente# "resente# *rs. Jalan#oni Jalan#oni as a $itness, eventually res"on#ent res"on#ent 9le# a motion to $it%#ra$ as ounsel &or *rs. Jalan#oni $it%out $it%out any a""roval a""roval or ;no$le#/e ;no$le#/e &orm t%e sai# lient, $%i% resulte# resulte# to irre"arale in=ury to *rs. Jalan#oni eause it su7ere# une>"ete# #e&eat. T%erea&ter, T%erea&ter, s"ouse?s =aluena $as $as sue# y '!C '!C &or esta&a, an# an# t%e res"on#ent res"on#ent re"resente# t%e s"ouse?s =aluena e&ore t%e ity 'roseutor o& @aolo#. n %is ontention t%e res"on#ent sai# t%ere is a retainers%i" a/reement et$een t%em an# ennis Jaluena an# t%at %e annot re&use to t%e sai# lient. A ase $as 9le# a/ainst t%e res"on#ent, res"on#ent, #ue to onit o& interest interest to %is lients an# &or not releasin/ t%e si/ni9ant #ouments $%i% elon/s to *rs. Jalan#oni or '!C an# $%i% $as alle/e#ly use# &or t%e ene9t or a#vanta/e o& "ouses Jaluena in t%e ase 9le# a/ainst t%em y '!C. 8B:
%et%er t%ere e>iste# a onit o& interest in t%e ases re"resente# an# %an#le# y res"on#ent %et%er res"on#ent "ro"erly $it%#re$ %is servies as ounsel o& reor# in Civil Case BL: Des 1. !ule 15.03 A la$yer s%all not re"resent onitin/ interests e>e"t y $ritten onsent o& all onerne# /iven a&ter a &ull #islosure o& t%e &ats. T%e rule on onit o& interests overs not only ases in $%i% on9#ential ommuniations %ave een on9#e# ut also t%ose in $%i% no on9#ene %as een esto$e# or $ill e use#. Anot%er test o& t%e inonsisteny o& interests is $%et%er t%e ae"tane o& a ne$ relation $ill "revent an attorney &rom t%e &ull #is%ar/e o& %is #uty o& un#ivi#e# 9#elity an# loyalty to %is lient or invite sus"iion o& un&ait%&ulness or #oule+ #ealin/ in t%e "er&ormane t%ereo&, an# also $%et%er %e $ill e alle# u"on in %is ne$ relation to use a/ainst %is 9rst lient any ;no$le#/e auire in t%e "revious em"loyment. T%e 9rst "art o& t%e rule re&ers to ases in $%i% t%e o""osin/ "arties are "resent lients eit%er in t%e same ation or in a totally unrelate# aseE t%e seon# "art "ertains to t%ose in $%i% t%e a#verse "arty a/ainst $%om t%e attorney a""ears is %is &ormer lient in a matter $%i% is relate#, #iretly or in#iretly, to t%e "resent ontroversy. T%e rule "ro%iits a la$yer &rom re"resentin/ ne$ lients $%ose interests o""ose t%ose o& a &ormer lient in any manner, $%et%er or not t%ey are "arties in t%e same ation or in totally unrelate# ases. T%e ases %ere #iretly or in#iretly involve# t%e "arties onnetion to '!C, even i& neit%er '!C nor Lumot A. Jalan#oni $as s"ei9ally name# as "arty+liti/ant in some o& t%e ases mentione#. An attorney o$es to %is lient un#ivi#e# alle/iane. A&ter ein/ retaine# an# reeivin/ t%e on9#enes o& t%e lient, %e annot, $it%out t%e &ree an# intelli/ent onsent o& %is lient, at ot% &or %is lient an# &or one $%ose interest is a#verse to, or onitin/ $it% t%at o& %is lient in t%e same /eneral matter. T%e "ro%iition stan#s even i& t%e a#verse interest is very sli/%tE neit%er is it material t%at t%e intention an# motive o& t%e attorney may %ave een %onest. T%e re"resentation y a la$yer o& onitin/ interests, in t%e asene o& t%e $ritten onsent o& all "arties onerne# a&ter a &ull #islosure o& t%e &ats, onstitutes "ro&essional mison#ut $%i% su=ets t%e la$yer to #isi"linary ation. Bven res"on#ents alle/e# e7ort to settle t%e e>istin/ ontroversy amon/ t%e &amily memers $as im"ro"er eause t%e $ritten onsent o& all onerne# $as still reuire#. A la$yer $%o ats as su% in settlin/ a #is"ute annot re"resent any o& t%e "arties to it.
2. No Canon 22 A la$yer s%all $it%#ra$ %is servies only &or /oo# ause an# u"on notie a""ro"riate in t%e irumstanes. An attorney may only retire &rom a ase eit%er y $ritten onsent o& %is lient or y "ermission o& t%e ourt a&ter #ue notie an# %earin/, in $%i% event t%e attorney s%oul# see to it t%at t%e name o& t%e ne$ la$yer is reor#e# in t%e ase. A la$yer $%o #esires to retire &rom an ation $it%out t%e $ritten onsent o& %is lient must 9le a "etition &or $it%#ra$al in ourt. e must serve a o"y o& %is "etition u"on %is lient an# t%e a#verse "arty at least t%ree #ays e&ore t%e #ate set &or %earin/, ot%er$ise t%e ourt may treat t%e a""liation as a mere sra" o& "a"er. !es"on#ent ma#e no su% move. e a#mitte# t%at %e $it%#re$ as ounsel on A"ril 26, 1, $%i% $it%#ra$al $as su""ose#ly a""rove# y t%e ourt on A"ril 2, 1. T%e on&ormity o& *rs. Jalan#oni $as only "resume# y Atty. Villarosa eause o& t%e a""earane o& Atty. Alminaa in ourt, su""ose#ly in %is "lae. T%e a""earane o& Atty. Alminaa in &at $as not even to sustitute &or res"on#ent ut to at as a##itional ounsel. *rs. Jalan#onis on&ormity to %avin/ an a##itional la$yer #i# not neessarily mean on&ormity to res"on#ents #esire to $it%#ra$ as ounsel. !es"on#ent?s s"eulations on t%e "ro&essional relations%i" o& Atty. Alminaa an# *rs. Jalan#oni 9n# no su""ort in t%e reor#s o& t%is ase. !es"on#ent s%oul# not %ave "resume# t%at %is motion to $it%#ra$ as ounsel $oul# e /rante# y t%e ourt. Det, %e sto""e# a""earin/ as *rs. Jalan#onis ounsel e/innin/ A"ril 2, 1, t%e 9rst %earin/ #ate. No or#er &rom t%e ourt $as s%o$n to %ave atually /rante# %is motion &or $it%#ra$al. Gnly an or#er #ate# June H, 1 %a# a semlane o& /rantin/ %is motion: T%at *rs. Jalan#oni ontinue# $it% Atty. Alminaa "ro&essional en/a/ement on %er e%al& #es"ite res"on#ents $it%#ra$al #i# not asolve t%e latter o& t%e onseuenes o& %is un"ro&essional on#ut, es"eially in vie$ o& t%e onitin/ interests alrea#y #isusse#. !es"on#ent %imsel& state# t%at %is $it%#ra$al &rom Civil Case No. 4+65 $as #ue to t%e "ossiility o& a onit o& interest. @e t%at as it may, t%e reor#s #o not su""ort t%e laim t%at res"on#ent im"ro"erly ollete# '5,000 &rom "etitioner. 8n#oute#ly, res"on#ent "rovi#e# "ro&essional servies to Lumot A. Jalan#oni. Furt%ermore, t%ere is no evi#ene t%at t%e #ouments elon/in/ to *rs. Jalan#oni $ere #elierately $it%%el#. T%e ri/%t o& an attorney to retain "ossession o& a lient?s #ouments, money or ot%er "ro"erty $%i% may %ave la$&ully ome into %is "ossession in %is "ro&essional a"aity, until %is la$&ul &ees an# #isursements %ave een &ully "ai#, is $ell+estalis%e#.
