This case has been cited 2 times or more.
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2006-09-11 |
CORONA, J. |
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| CANON 6 - These canons shall apply to lawyers in government service in the discharge of their official tasks. As lawyers in the government service, respondents were under an even greater obligation to observe the basic tenets of the legal profession because public office is a public trust.[18] | |||||
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2005-06-30 |
PER CURIAM |
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| Disbarment proceedings are undertaken solely for public welfare. The only question for determination is whether respondent is fit to be a member of the Bar. The complainant or the person who called the attention of this Court to the lawyer's alleged misconduct is in no sense a party and generally has no interest in the outcome except as all good citizens may have in the proper administration of justice.[13] Thus, this Court may investigate charges against lawyers, regardless of complainant's standing. In fact, it can do so motu proprio. Our ruling in Rayos-Ombac vs. Rayos[14] applies four-square, thus:"x x x A case of suspension or disbarment may proceed regardless of interest or lack of interest of the complainant. What matters is whether, on the basis of the facts borne out by the record, the charge of deceit and grossly immoral conduct has been duly proven. This rule is premised on the nature of disciplinary proceedings. A proceeding for suspension or disbarment is not in any sense a civil action where the complainant is a plaintiff and the respondent lawyer is a defendant. Disciplinary proceedings involve no private interest and afford no redress for private grievance. They are undertaken and prosecuted solely for the public welfare. They are undertaken for the purpose of preserving courts of justice from the official ministration of persons unfit to practice in them. The attorney is called to answer to the court for his conduct as an officer of the court. The complainant or the person who called the attention of the court to the attorney's alleged misconduct is in no sense a party, and has generally no interest in the outcome except as all good citizens may have in the proper administration of justice. Hence, if the evidence on record warrants, the respondent may be suspended or disbarred despite the desistance of complainant or his withdrawal of the charges." | |||||