PHILIPPINE ASSOCIATION OF FREE LABOR UNIONS (PAFLU), ENRIQUE ENTILA & VICTORIANO TENAZAS v. BINALBAGAN ISABELA SUGAR COMPANY COMPANY,, COURT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, & QUINTIN MUNING G.R. No. L-!"#", Nov$%$' ", ", REYES, *.B.L., J. A non-lawyer may not recover attorney’s attorney’s fees for for services rendered. rendered.
F+/ In the Case No. 72-ULP-Il 72-ULP-Iloilo oilo entitled, entitled, "PAFLU "PAFLU et al. vs. Binalbag Binalbagan an Isabela Suga Suga Co., Co., et al." al.",, CI! CI! ende endeed a dei deisi sion on ode odei ing ng the the eins einsta tate te#e #ent nt $ith $ith ba%$ages o& o#'lainants (ni)ue (ntila and *itoino +enaas. Ci'iano Cid Assoi Ass oiate ates, s, ouns ounsel el o& eo eod d &o the $inni $inning ng o#'l o#'lain ainant ants, s, led led a noti notie e o& attone/0s lien e)uivalent to 13 o& the total ba%$ages. Att/. Atanaio Pais also led a si#ila notie &o a easonable a#ount. +he o#'lainants had no ob4etion ove the a$ad o& attone/5s &ees. 6uentin uning led a "Petition &o the A$ad o& Sevies Sevies !endee !endeed" d" e)uivalen e)uivalentt to 23 o& the ba%$age ba%$ages. s. unings unings 'etition 'etition $as o''osed b/ Ci'iano Cid Assoiates the gound that he is not a la$/e. It $as sho$n in the eods that a''eaanes in behal& o& the o#'lainants in the ase $ee #ade at st b/ Att/. Pais and subse)uentl/ b/ uning. CI! a$aded 83 o& the ba%$a ba%$ages ges as o#'en o#'ensat sation ion &o 'o&e 'o&ess ssion ional al sevi sevies es ende endee ed d b/ 6uinti 6uintin n uning.
I0$/ 9hethe 9hethe the a$ad a$ad o& 83 o& ba%$ages ba%$ages as o#'ensa o#'ensation tion &o 'o&es 'o&ession sional al sevies endeed to 6uintin uning b/ the CI! is 'o'e o not.
R01234/ No. +he 'e#ission 'e#ission &o a non-#e#be non-#e#be o& the ba to e'esent e'esent o a''ea o de&end in the said out on behal& o& a 'at/-litigant does not b/ itsel& entitle the e'esentative to o#'ensation &o suh e'esentation. Fo Setion 2:, !ule 81;, o& the !ules o& Cout, 'oviding < Se. 2:. Compen Compensat sation ion of attor attorney ney's 's agree agreemen mentt as to fees fees . < A n attone/ shall be entitled to have and eove &o# his lient no #oe than a easonable o#'ensation &o his sevies, ... i#'o i#'ots ts the e=is e=isten tene e o& an atto attone/ ne/-l -lien ientt elat elation ionsh shi' i' as a ondi onditio tion n to the eove eove/ / o& attone/0s attone/0s &ees. Suh a elatio elationshi nshi' ' annot annot e=ist e=ist unless unless the lient0s lient0s e'esentative in out be a la$/e. Sine es'ondent uning is not one, he annot establish an attone/-lient elationshi' $ith (ni)ue (ntila and *itoino +eneas o $ith PAFLU, and he annot, thee&oe, eove attone/0s &ees. Cetainl/ 'ubli 'oli/ de#ands that legal $o% in e'esentation o& 'aties litigant should be entusted onl/ to those 'ossessing tested )ualiations and $ho ae s$on, to obseve the
ules and the ethis o& the 'o&ession, as $ell as being sub4et to 4udiial disi'lina/ ontol &o the 'otetion o& outs, lients and the 'ubli. +he easons ae that the ethis o& the legal 'o&ession should not be violated> that ating as an attone/ $ith authoit/ onstitutes onte#'t o& out, $hih is 'unishable b/ ne o i#'ison#ent o both, and the la$ $ill not assist a 'eson to ea' the &uits o benet o& an at o an at done in violation o& la$> and that i& $ee to be allo$ed to non-la$/es, it $ould leave the 'ubli in ho'eless on&usion as to $ho# to onsult in ase o& neessit/ and also leave the ba in a haoti ondition, aside &o# the &at that non-la$/es ae not a#enable to disi'lina/ #easues. 9?(!(F@!(, the odes unde evie$ ae heeb/ set aside inso&a as the/ a$aded 83 o& the ba%$ages as attone/0s &ees &o es'ondent 6uintin uning. Said odes ae a#ed in all othe es'ets. Costs against es'ondent uning.