Cerina B. Likong vs. Atty. Alexander H. Lim, A.C. No. 3149, August 17, 1994 AC!"# Com$lainant Cerina B. Likong exe%uted a deed o& assignment assigning to 'eesnell L. (a$ $ension %)e%ks *)i%) s)e regularly re%eives &rom t)e +" government as a *ido* o& a +" $ensioner. !)e deed o& assignment states t)at t)e same s)all e irrevo%ale until )er loan is &ully $aid. Cerina like*ise exe%uted a s$e%ial $o*er o& attorney aut)ori-ing (a$ to get )er $ension %)e%ks &rom t)e $ost o%e. Aout t)ree mont)s a&ter t)e exe%ution o& t)e "/A, Cerina in&ormed t)e $ost o%e t)at s)e *as revoking t)e "/A. (a$ 0led a %om$laint &or inun%tion against Cerina. 2es$ondent Alexander H. Lim a$$eared as %ounsel &or (a$ *)ile Attys. 2oland B. nting and ri%o B. Aumentado a$$eared &or Cerina. Cerina and (a$ 0led a oint motion, *)i%) does not ear t)e signatures o& Cerina5s %ounsel, to allo* t)e (a$ to *it)dra* t)e $ension %)e%ks. !)ey like*ise entered into a %om$romise agreement *it)out t)e $arti%i$ation o& Cerina5s %ounsel. n t)e %om$romise %om$romise agreement, it *as stated t)at %om$lainant Cerina admitted an oligation to (a$ and t)at t)ey agreed t)at t)e amount *ould e $aid in mont)ly installments. Cerina 0led a %om$laint &or disarment, alleging t)at in all t)e motions, s)e *as $revented &rom seeking assistan%e, advise and signature o& any o& )er t*o la*yers as s)e *as advised y Atty. Lim t)at it *as not ne%essary &or )er to %onsult )er la*yers under t)e $retense t)at# 6a t)is %ould only eo$ardi-e t)e settlement8 6 s)e *ould only e in%urring enormous ex$ense i& s)e %onsulted a ne* la*yer8 6% res$ondent *as assisting )er any*ay8 6d s)e )ad not)ing to *orry aout t)e do%uments oisted u$on )er to sign8 6e %om$lainant need not %ome to %ourt a&ter*ards a&ter*ards to save )er time8 and in any event res$ondent already took %are o& everyt)ing. ")e alleged t)at s)e *as $revented &rom ex)iiting &ully )er %ase y means o& &raud, de%e$tion and some ot)er &orm o& menda%ity $ra%ti%ed on )er y Atty. Lim *)o, &raudulently or *it)out aut)ority, assumed to re$resent %om$lainant and %onnived in )er de&eat. Atty. Lim argued t)at Cerinas %ounsel )ad aandoned )er and it *as u$on )er re:uest t)at )e made t)e %om$romise agreement. Atty. Lim states t)at )e 0rst instru%ted Cerina to noti&y )er la*yers ut *as in&ormed t)at )er la*yer )ad aandoned )er sin%e s)e %ould not $ay )is attorney5s &ees. !)e %om$romise agreement $re$ared y res$ondent in%reased Cerinas det to (a$ and t)e terms %ontained t)erein are grossly $reudi%ial to Cerina. ""+;"# <=N Atty. Lim is guilty o& mis%ondu%t under t)e Code o& /ro&essional 2es$onsiility. HL># (es. Atty. Lim *as sus$ended &rom t)e $ra%ti%e o& la* &or 1 year &or violating 2ule ?.@ o& t)e Code o& /ro&essional 2es$onsiility, %onstituting mal$ra%ti%e and grave mis%ondu%t. 2A!=# Atty. Lim $revented Cerina &rom in&orming )er la*yers y giving )er t)e reasons enumerated in t)e %om$laint. !)ere is no s)o*ing t)at Atty. Lim even tried to in&orm o$$osing %ounsel o& t)e %om$romise agreement. Neit)er is t)ere any s)o*ing t)at Atty. Lim in&ormed t)e trial %ourt o& t)e alleged aandonment o& Cerina y )er %ounsel.nstead, %ounsel.nstead, even assuming t)at s)e *as really aandoned y )er %ounsel, Atty. Lim sa* an o$$ortunity to take advantage o& t)e situation, and t)e result *as t)e exe%ution o& t)e %om$romise agreement *)i%) is grossly and $atently disadvantageous and $reudi%ial to Cerina. +ndoutedly, Atty. Lim5s %ondu%t is une%oming a memer o& t)e legal $ro&ession. $ro&ession. !)e Code o& /ro&essional 2es$onsiility states# 2ule ?.@ A la*yer s)all not, dire%tly or indire%tly, indire%tly, en%roa%) u$on t)e $ro&essional $ro&essional em$loyment o& anot)er la*yer8 )o*ever,
it is t)e rig)t o& any la*yer, *it)out &ear or &avor, to give $ro$er advi%e and assistan%e to t)ose seeking relie& against un&ait)&ul or negle%t&ul %ounsel.
