SHORT TITLE:
QUE VS VS RE REVILLA
LONG TITLE:
CONRADO N. QUE, Complainant, vs. ATTY. ANASTACIO E. REVILLA, JR., Respondent
A.C. No.7054
Novembe !!, "0!4
PER CURIAM CURIAM
TOPIC: Reinstatement to the Practice of Law -- The basic inquir in a !etition for Reinstatement reinstatementto the !ractice of "aw is whether the "awer has sufficient" rehabi"itate# himse"f or herse"f in con#uct an# character. $ $ $ The "awer has to #emonstrate an# !ro%e b c"ear an# con%incin con%incin& & e%i#ence that he or she is a&ain worth of membershi! in the 'ar. The Court wi"" ta(e into consi#eration his or her character an# stan#in& !rior to the #isbarment) the nature an# character of the char&e*s for which he or she was #isbarre#) his or her con#uct subsequent to the #isbarment) an# the time that has e"a!se# in between the #isbarment an# the a!!"ication for reinstatement. +, TATEM TA TEMET ET O/ /AC /ACT: T:
ATTY.. ANASTA ATTY ANASTACIO CIO E. REVILLA, JR. (REVILLA) was disa!!ed " t#e $o%!t &!om t#e p!a$ti$e o& law on t#e &ollowin' '!o%nds a%se o& $o%!t p!o$ed%!es and p!o$esses p!o$ esses &ilin' o& m%l m%ltip tiple le a$t a$tion ionss and &o! &o!%m*s %m*s#opp #oppin' in' wil will&% l&%l, l, int intent ention ional al and del delie ie!at !atee !es !eso!t o!t to &alse#ood and de$eption e&o!e t#e $o%!ts mali'nin' t#e name o& #is &ellow law"e! and &!a%d%lent and %na%t#o!i+ed appea!an$es in $o%!t. !io! to said disa!ment disa!ment , t#e $o%!t #ad penali+ed #im al!ead" in l%s -%ilde!s, -%ilde!s, In$. and Ed'a!do a!$ia ve!s%s Att". Att". Anasta$io E. Revilla &o! #is will&%l and intentional &alse#ood e&o!e t#e $o%!t &o! mis%se o& $o%!t p!o$ed%!es p !o$ed%!es and p!o$esses to dela" t#e e/e$%tion o& a 0%d'ment and &o! $ollao!atin' wit# non*law"e!s in t#e ille'al p!a$ti$e o& law. 1e s#owed lenien$" t#en " !ed%$in' #is penalt" to s%spension &o! si/ (2) mont#s. T#e $o%!t in !ende!in' t#ei! de$ision stated t#at 3e is a $ontin%in' !is4, too, to t#e p%li$ t#at t#e le'al p!o&ession se!ves. Not even #is a!do! and ove!+ealo%sness in de&endin' t#e inte!e int e!ests sts o& #is $lient $lient $an save #im #im.. S%$# t!aits t!aits at t#e e/pense e/pense o& eve! eve!"t "t#in #in' ' els else, e, pa!ti$%la!l" t#e inte'!it" o& t#e p!o&ession and t#e o!de!l" administ!ation o& 0%sti$e, t#is Co%!t $annot a$$ept no! tole!ate. TATEM TA TEMET ET O/ CAE: CAE:
On J%l" 5, 6787, Revilla &iled a etition &o! J%di$ial Clemen$" and Compassion9 p!a"in' t#at #is li$ense to p!a$ti$e law e !esto!ed ased on #%manita!ian $onside!ations, %t t#e Co%!t En -an$ !esolved to den" t#e petition &o! la$4 o& me!it. S%se:%entl", Revilla appealed #is $ase and pleaded t#e $o%!t;s me!$", %t #is p!a"e!s we!e denied " t#e $o%!t. Aleit, Revilla $ontin%ed to &ile appeals e&o!e t#e $o%!t and $ontin%ed to !e$eive ne'ative !esponse &!om t#e $o%!t.
On J%l" 85, 678<, t#e !espondent &iled a !o&o%nd Appeal &o! J%di$ial Clemen$"8= !eite!atin' #is apolo'ies to t#e Co%!t. 3e st!essed t#at t#e penalt" o& disa!ment #as al!ead" ta4en its toll on #is #ealt# #e #as now e$ome most &!ail and wea4 and #e #ad een dia'nosed wit# $#!oni$ 4idne" disease at sta'e &ive (>) and %nde!'oin' dial"sis t#!i$e wee4l". 3e also st!essed t#at in t#e "ea!s t#at #e #ad een e/$l%ded &!om t#e p!a$ti$e o& law, #e devoted #is time to C#!istian and $#a!it" p%!s%its se!vin' wit# all #%milit" as a La" ?iniste! and a !e'%la! le$t%!e! on Le'al Aspe$t o& ?a!!ia'e at St. ete! C#%!$#, @%e+on Cit". T#e !espondent also pleads &o! $lemen$", not e$a%se #e intends to p!a$ti$e law a'ain, %t to e made w#ole, to !e$ove! &!om ein' s#atte!ed, and to &inall" #ave pea$e o& mind. 3ee/p!essed #is sin$e!e !epentan$e and deep !emo!se " ta4in' &%ll !esponsiilit" &o! #is misdemeano!. 3e also p!a"ed t#at #is disa!ment e li&ted and t#at #e e !einstated as a meme! o& t#e #ilippine a!. As pa!t o& #is petition, #e s%mitted a ?edi$al Ast!a$t85eviden$in' #is dia'nosis &o! $#!oni$ 4idne" disease, and a $e!ti&i$ation8 &!om St. ete! a!is#, Commonwealt# Aven%e, @%e+on Cit", p!ovin' t#at #e and #is &amil" a!e dedi$ated pa!is#ione!s. IUE: 0O Att Re%i""a is qua"ifie# for reinstatement in the !ractice of "aw. 1EL2: O) Att Re%i""a is no "on&er qua"ifie#.
?eme!s#ip in t#e -a! is a p!ivile'e %!dened wit# $onditions. 67 It is not a nat%!al, asol%te o! $onstit%tional !i'#t '!anted to eve!"one w#o demands it, %t !at#e!, a spe$ial p!ivile'e '!anted and $ontin%ed onl" to t#ose w#o demonst!ate spe$ial &itness inintelle$t%al attainment and in mo!al $#a!a$te! .68 T#e same !easonin' applies to !einstatement o& a disa!!ed law"e!. 1#en e/e!$isin' its in#e!ent powe! to '!ant !einstatement, t#e Co%!t s#o%ld see to it t#at onl" t#ose w#o estalis# t#ei! p!esent mo!al &itness and 4nowled'e o& t#e law will e !eadmitted to t#e -a!. T#%s, t#o%'# t#e doo!s to t#e p!a$ti$e o& law a!e neve! pe!manentl" $losed on a disa!!ed atto!ne", t#e Co%!t owes a d%t" to t#e le'al p!o&ession as well as to t#e 'ene!al p%li$ to ens%!e t#at i& t#e doo!s a!e opened,it is done so onl" as a matte! o& 0%sti$e.66 The basic inquir in a !etition for reinstatement to the !ractice of "aw is whether the "awer has sufficient" rehabi"itate# himse"f or herse"f in con#uct an# character.+3 0hether the a!!"icant sha"" be reinstate# in the Ro"" of Attornes rests to a &reat e$tent on the soun# #iscretion of the Court. +4 The "awer has to #emonstrate an# !ro%e b c"ear an# con%incin& e%i#ence that he or she is a&ain worth of membershi! in the 'ar. The Court wi"" ta(e into consi#eration his or her character an# stan#in& !rior to the #isbarment) the nature an# character of the char&e*s for which he or she was #isbarre#) his or her con#uct subsequent to the #isbarment) an# the time that has e"a!se# in between the #isbarment an# the a!!"ication for reinstatement. +,
In t#e p!esent $ase, we a!e not &%ll" $onvin$ed t#at t#e passa'e o& mo!e t#an &o%! (<) "ea!s is s%&&i$ient to enale t#e !espondent to !e&le$t and to !eali+e #is p!o&essional t!ans'!essions. 1e emp#asi+e t#at t#is is t#e se$ond timet#at t#e !espondent was a$$%sed and was &o%nd '%ilt" o& '!oss mis$ond%$t.8Bwp#i8 T#e !espondent, in an ea!lie! $ase o& l%s -%ilde!s, In$. v. Att". Anasta$io E. Revilla,J!.,6 was li4ewise &o%nd '%ilt" o& '!oss mis$ond%$t &o! $ommittin' will&%l and intentional &alse#ood e&o!e t#e $o%!t mis%sin' $o%!t p!o$ed%!e and p!o$esses to dela" t#e e/e$%tion o& a 0%d'ment and $ollao!atin' wit# nonlaw"e!s in t#e ille'al p!a$ti$e o& law mostl" t#e same '!o%nds on w#i$# t#e De$ision dated De$eme! <, 677 (6nd disa!ment) was ased. In l%s -%ilde!s, we '!anted t#e !espondent;s motion &o! !e$onside!ation and !ed%$ed t#e penalt" o& s%spension &!om t#e p!a$ti$e o& law &!om two (6) "ea!s to si/ (2) mont#s o%t o& $ompassion to t#e !espondent. Conside!in' t#e !espondent;s ea!lie! disa!ment $ase(and s%se:%ent !ed%$tion o& t#e penalt" imposed as an a$t o& $lemen$"), and anot#e! disa!ment $ase a'ainst #im still pendin' !eview " t#e Co%!t, we a!e not &%ll" and $onvin$in'l" satis&ied t#at t#e !espondent #as al!ead" !e&o!med. T#e pe!iod o& &ive (>) "ea!s is li4ewise not $onside!al" lon' $onside!in' t#e nat%!e and pe!ve!sit"o& t#e !espondent;s misdeeds. 1e elieve t#at it is still ea!l" &o! t#e Co%!t to $onside! t#e !espondent;s !einstatement. %!t#e!mo!e, we a!e not pe!s%aded " t#e !espondentFs sin$e!it" in a$4nowled'in' #is '%ilt.8Bwp#i8 1#ile #e e/p!essl" stated in #is appeal t#at #e #ad ta4en &%ll !esponsiilit" o& #is misdemeano!, #is p!evio%s in$lination to pass t#e lame to ot#e! individ%als, to invo4e sel&*denial, and to ma4e aliis &o! #is w!on'doin's, $ont!adi$ted #is asse!tion. T#e !espondent also &ailed to s%mit p!oo& satis&a$to!il" s#owin' #is $ont!ition. 3e &ailed to estalis# " $lea! and $onvin$in' eviden$e t#at #e is a'ain wo!t#" o& meme!s#ip in t#e le'al p!o&ession. 1e t#%s ente!tain se!io%s do%ts t#at t#e !espondent #ad $ompletel" !e&o!med. As a &inal wo!d, w#ile t#e Co%!t s"mpat#i+es wit# t#e !espondentFs %n&o!t%nate p#"si$al $ondition, we st!ess t#at in $onside!in' #is appli$ation &o! !einstatement to t#e p!a$ti$e o& law, t#e d%t" o& t#e Co%!t is to dete!mine w#et#e! #e #as estalis#ed mo!al !e&o!mation and !e#ailitation, dis!e'a!din' its &eelin' o& s"mpat#" o! pit". S%!el" at t#is point, t#is !e:%i!ement was not met. Gntil s%$# time w#en t#e !espondent $an demonst!ate to t#e Co%!t t#at #e #as $ompletel" !e#ailitated #imsel& and dese!ves to !es%me #is meme!s#ip in t#e -a!, O%! de$ision to disa! #im &!om t#e p!a$ti$e o& law stands.
2IPOITI5E PORTIO:
13EREORE, p!emises $onside!ed, t#e !o&o%nd Appeal &o! J%di$ial Clemen$" &iled " Att". Anasta$io E. Revilla, J!. is #e!e" DENIED.
