STA. MARIA VS.

TUASON 11 SCRA 562 (Ethics)

January 29, 2010 at 9:24 am (1)
FACTS:
This is a petition for the disbarment of Atty. Eduardo M. Tuason, instituted by Emilio Sta. Maria.
Sometime in June 1955, Atty. Tuason represented the partnership of Sta. Maria, Guanzon and
Chincuanco in a collection case against Enriqueta de Hidalgo, involving a promissory note of
P50,000.00. Defendant Hidalgo in this case was declared in default and was ordered to pay. By
virtue of a writ of execution, the provincial sheriff of Pampanga was able to obtain the amount of
P22,930.64.
Respondent Tuason got the whole amount from the sheriff and applied it in the following manner
: P10,000 attorneys fees, P1,648 supposed expenses of litigation which he claimed to have
advanced during the prosecution and the balance of P11,282.64 to Fausto Chincuanco, his uncle.
Despite demands from Sta. Maria to turn over the money to him or to the sheriff, respondent
failed to comply and contempt proceedings were instituted against Tuason. The matter was
referred to the Office of the Solicitor General who made the findings and recommendation that:
respondent Tuason was not in connivance with his uncle Chincuanco in depriving petitioner of
his lawful share in the liquidation of partnership assets, however, the collection of P10,000 as
attorneys fees after the case was terminated after one brief hearing is unreasonable. There was
also no evidence presented to show that Tuason actually spent P1,648 for the expenses.
The Sol. Gen. recommended that instead of a more severe penalty which he would otherwise
deserve, respondent be reprimanded for professional indiscretion, with a warning that a more
severe penalty be imposed for the repetition of the same of similar acts.
ISSUE : Whether respondent committed acts that would merit his disbarment.
RULING:
The fact that the respondent placed his private and personal interest over and above that of his
clients constitutes a breach of the lawyers oath, to say the least. Call it professional indiscretion
or any other name, but the cold fact remains that the act is not conducive to the health growth of
the legal profession. Respondent is hereby admonished that a repetition of similar acts will merit
more drastic action.

Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
A.M. Case No. 3195. December 18, 1989
MA. LIBERTAD SJ CANTILLER, complainant,
vs.
ATTY. HUMBERTO V. POTENCIANO, respondent.
Eduardo Cabreros, Jr. for complainant.
RESOLUTION

PER CURIAM
Public interest requires that an attorney exert his best efforts and ability in the prosecution
or defense of his client's cause. A lawyer who performs that duty with diligence and
candor not only protects the interests of his client; he also serves the ends of justice,
does honor to the bar and helps maintain the respect of the community to the legal
profession. This is so because the entrusted privilege to practice law carries with it the
correlative duties not only to the client but also to the court, to the bar or to the public.
That circumstance explains the public concern for the maintenance of an untarnished
standard of conduct by every attorney towards his client. 1

Subject of this administrative complaint is Humberto V. Potenciano, a practicing lawyer

and a member of the Philippine Bar under Roll No. 21862. He is charged with deceit,
fraud, and misrepresentation, and also with gross misconduct, malpractice and of acts
unbecoming of an officer of the court.
The essential facts are as follows: 2
Complainant herein is the sister of Peregrina Cantiller, defendant in an action for
"ejectment" docketed as Civil Case No. 6046 before the Metropolitan Trial Court of
Manila, Branch 57, San Juan, Metro Manila.
Another action, likewise involving Peregrina but this time as plaintiff, was then pending
before the Regional Trial Court, Branch 168, Pasig, Metro Manila docketed as Civil

Case No. 54117 for "reconveyance with damages." Both actions involve the apartment
unit being rented by complainant and her sister.
When the two cases were concluded, Peregrina came out the losing party. Civil Case
No. 54117 for reconveyance was ordered dismissed by the Regional Trial Court on June
8, 1987 while Civil Case No. 6046 for ejectment was decided by the Metropolitan Trial
Court against her.
On October 8, 1987 pursuant to the writ of execution issued in Civil Case No. 6046 for
ejectment, complainant and Peregrina were served a notice to vacate the rented
premises within four (4) days from receipt of notice.
Desperate and at a loss on what to do, they consulted a certain Sheriff Pagalunan, on
the matter. Pagalunan, in turn, introduced them to herein respondent. After such
introduction, the parties "impliedly agreed" that respondent would handle their case.
Forthwith, a petition entitled "Annulment of Judgment, Annulment of Sale and Damages
with prayer for Preliminary Injunction and/or Status Quo Order, etc." was prepared by
respondent to forestall the execution of the order to vacate in Civil Case No. 6046.
In the afternoon of October 9,1987, the complainant was made to sign by respondent
what she described as a "[h]astily prepared, poorly conceived, and haphazardly
composed 3 petition for annulment of judgment. Complainant alleges that respondent
promised her that the necessary restraining order would be secured if only because the
judge who would hear the matter was his "katsukaran" (close friend).
Thereupon, the petition was filed with the Regional Trial Court, Branch 153, Pasig,
Metro Manila and docketed as Civil Case No. 55118. Respondent demanded from the
complainant one thousand pesos (P l,000.00) as attorney's fee which the latter paid that
same afternoon.
However, when the case was raffled and assigned to Branch 153, the presiding judge
asked respondent to withdraw as counsel in the case on the ground of their friendship.
On October 11, 1987, respondent went to the house of complainant and asked her to be
ready with two thousand pesos (P 2,000.00) to be given to another judge who will issue
the restraining order in the ejectment case (Civil Case No. 6046). Complainant and her
sister were only able to raise the amount of one thousand pesos which they immediately
gave to respondent.
Later respondent informed the complainant and her sister that he could not locate the
judge who would issue the restraining order. The parties, then, instead went to the

Max's Restaurant where respondent ordered some food - including two plastic bags of
food allegedly to be given to the judge who would issue the restraining order. At this
juncture, respondent asked for the remaining balance of the two thousand pesos (P
2,000.00) which he earlier demanded. Complainant gave her last money-a ten dollar ($
10.00) bill.
Sometime after the filing of Civil Case No. 55118, respondent informed complainant and
Peregrina that there was a need to file another case with the Regional Trial Court to
enable them to retain possession of the apartment. For this purpose, respondent told
complainant to prepare the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos (P 10,000.00) allegedly to
be deposited with the Treasurer's Office of Pasig as purchase price of the apartment
and another one thousand pesos (P 1,000.00) to cover the expenses of the suit.
Respondent stressed to the complainant the need and urgency of filing the new
complaint.
Complainant and Peregrina raised the said amounts through the kindness of some
friends and relatives. On October 26,1987, the money was handed over to the
respondent.
On the same date, a complaint for "Specific Performance, Annulment of Simulated or
Spurious Sale with Damages," later docketed as Civil Case No. 55210, was filed by
respondent with the Regional Trial Court, Branch 165, Pasig, Metro Manila.
At the hearing of the preliminary injunction in Civil Case No. 55118 on October 30,
1987, respondent, contrary to his promise that he would secure a restraining order,
withdrew his appearance as counsel for complainant. Complainant was not able to get
another lawyer as replacement. Thus, no restraining order or preliminary injunction was
obtained. As a consequence, the order to vacate in Civil Case No. 6046 was eventually
enforced and executed.
Sometime thereafter, it came to complainant's knowledge that there was really no need
to make a deposit of ten thousand pesos (P l0,000.00) relative to Civil Case No. 55210.
After further inquiry, she found out that in fact there was no such deposit made. Thus,
on December 23,1987, complainant sent a demand letter to respondent asking for the
return of the total amount of eleven thousand pesos (P 11,000.00) which the former
earlier gave to the latter. However, this letter was never answered and the money was
never returned. Hence, complainant lodged this administrative complaint against herein
respondent.

Meanwhile, on December 29,1987, the Regional Trial Court, Branch 153, dismissed
Civil Case No. 55118 for failure to state a cause of action. 4 On January 20,1988, Civil
Case No. 5521 0 was likewise dismissed for being identical with Civil Case No. 55118.

Respondent in his answer contends that the filing of Civil Cases Nos. 55118 and 55210
was done in good faith and that the allegations of complainant relative to the
administrative charge against him are all lies, product of one's imagination and only
intended to harrass him. 6
This Court agrees that the petitions in Civil Cases Nos. 55118 and 55210 appear to be
poorly prepared and written. having represented himself capable of picking up the
cudgels for the apparently lost cause of complainant respondent should have carefully
prepared the pleadings if only to establish the justness of his representation. The little
time involved is no excuse. Complainant reposed full faith in him. His first duty was to
file the best pleading within his capability. Apparently respondent was more interested in
getting the most out of the complainant who was in a hopeless situation. He bragged
about his closeness to the judge concerned in one case and talked about the need to
"buy" the restraining order in the other. Worse still he got P 10,000.00 as alleged deposit
in court which he never deposited. Instead he pocketed the same. The pattern to milk
the complainant dry is obvious.
When a lawyer takes a client's cause, he thereby covenants that he will exert all effort
for its prosecution until its final conclusion. The failure to exercise due diligence or the
abandonment of a client's cause makes such lawyer unworthy of the trust which the
client had reposed on him. The acts of respondent in this case violate the most
elementary principles of professional ethics . 7
The Court finds that respondent failed to exercise due diligence in protecting his client's
interests. Respondent had knowledge beforehand that he would be asked by the
presiding judge in Civil Case No. 55118 to withdraw his appearance as counsel by
reason of their friendship. Despite such prior knowledge, respondent took no steps to
find a replacement nor did he inform complainant of this fact.
Even assuming that respondent had no previous knowledge that he would be asked to
withdraw, the record is quite clear that four (4) days prior to the hearing of the
preliminary injunction in Civil Case No. 55118 respondent already filed a motion therein
withdrawing as complainant's counsel interposing as reason therefor his frequent
attacks of pain due to hemorrhoids. Despite this void, respondent failed to find a
replacement. He did not even ask complainant to hire another lawyer in his stead. 8

His actuation is definitely inconsistent with his duty to protect with utmost dedication the
interest of his client and of the fidelity, trust and confidence which he owes his client. 9
More so in this case, where by reason of his gross negligence complainant thereby
suffered by losing all her cases.
The filing of Civil Case No. 55210 on October 26, 1987, the same day that he had
already filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for complainant in Civil Case No. 55118,
reveals his lack of good faith as an advocate. He also failed to appear for the
complainant in said case. It was all a show to get more money from her. This adversely
reflects on his fitness to practice law. When confronted with this evident irregularity, he
lamely stated that while he did not physically appear for complainant he nevertheless
prepared and drafted the pleadings.
His services were engaged by complainant hoping that the property subject of the
ejectment proceeding would be returned to her. In fact, it was respondent who
persuaded complainant that the filing of these two cases simultaneously were the
means by which this objective can be achieved. His duty was not only to prepare the
pleadings but to represent complainant until the termination of the cases. This he failed
to do.
His representation that there was an immediate need to file Civil Case No. 55210 when
he already knew that he could no longer physically handle the same is an act of
deception of his client. 10 It shows lack of fidelity to his oath of office as a member of the
Philippine bar.
The allegation of respondent that the ten thousand pesos (P 10,000.00) was given to
him as fee for his services, is simply incredible. Indeed, such amount is grossly
disproportionate with the service he actually rendered. 11 And his failure to return even a
portion of the amount upon demand of complainant all the more bolsters the
protestation of complainant that respondent does not deserve to remain as an officer of
the court.
Lawyers are indispensable part of the whole system of administering justice in this
jurisdiction. At a time when strong and disturbing criticisms are being hurled at the legal
profession, strict compliance with one's oath of office and the canons of professional
ethics is an imperative.
Lawyers should be fair, honest, respectable, above suspicion and beyond reproach in
dealing with their clients. The profession is not synonymous with an ordinary business
proposition. It is a matter of public interest.

WHEREFORE, after considering the entirety of the circumstances present in this case,
this Court finds Atty. Humberto V. Potenciano to be guilty of the charges against him and
hereby SUSPENDS him from the practice of law for an indefinite period until such time
he can demonstrate that he has rehabilitated himself as to deserve to resume the
practice of law.
Finally, respondent is hereby ordered to return to complainant herein the sum of eleven
thousand pesos (P11,000.00) with legal interest from the date of this resolution until it is
actually returned.
SO ORDERED.
Fernan, C.J., Narvasa, Melencio-Herrera, Gutierrez Jr., Cruz, Paras, Feliciano,
Gancayco, Padilla, Bidin, Sarmiento, Cortes, Grio-Aquino, Medialdea and Regalado,
JJ., concur.