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ALLAN SINDATOC MARCABAN
PROBLEM AREAS IN LEGAL ETHICS
CASE SUMMARY
SC DECISION DATED MAY 20, 2008 IN
G.R. NO. 161455 UNDER RULE 139-B
OF THE RULES OF COURT,
vs.
ATTY. RODOLFO D. ACTOLIN, Respondents
FACTS!
Elmer Abastllas! t"e pla#n$ %oa%" o& t"e O'ams Ct#
(olle#ball team! )rote Ma#or Ben*amn
A+ ,-entes o& O'ams Ct#! re.-estn$ &nan%al assstan%e
&or "s team+ Ma#or ,-entes appro(ed
t"e re.-est and sent Abastllas/ letter to t"e Ct# Treas-rer
&or pro%essn$+ Ma#or ,-entes also
des$nated Maro R+ ,erraren! a %t# %o-n%l member! as
O&&%er0n0C"ar$e 1OIC2 o& t"e %t#
)"le Ma#or ,-entes )as a)a#+
Respondent la)#er! Att#+ Rodol&o D+ Pa%toln! t"en a
San$$-nan$ Panlala)$an member
o& Msams O%%dental! $ot a p"oto%op# o& Abastllas/ letter
and! -sn$ t! &led on 3-ne 45! 6778
a %omplant )t" t"e O&&%e o& t"e Dep-t#
Omb-dsman0Mndanao a$anst ,erraren &or alle$ed
lle$al dsb-rsement o& P69!999+99 n p-bl% &-nds+ Att#+
Pa%toln atta%"ed to t"e %omplant a
%op# o& )"at "e %lamed )as a &als&ed letter o&
Abastllas! )"%" s"o)ed t"at t )as ,erraren!
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not Ma#or ,-entes! )"o appro(ed t"e dsb-rsement+ A$$re(ed!
,erraren &led )t" t"e
Sand$anba#an n Crmnal Case 4:88: a %omplant a$anst Att#+ Pa%toln
&or &als&%aton o&
p-bl% do%-ment+ T"e Sand$anba#an &o-nd Att#+ Pa%toln
$-lt# o& &als&%aton -nder Art%le
6;4+ Att#+ Pa%toln appealed to t"e %ase to t"e S-preme Co-rt and
t a&&rmed "s %on(%ton+
Sn%e t"e Co-rt treated t"e matter as an admnstrat(e %omplant
a$anst "m as )ell -nder R-le
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T"s Co-rt on%e a$an remnds all la)#ers t"at t"e#! o& all
%lasses and pro&essons! are most
sa%redl# bo-nd to -p"old t"e la)+ T"e pr(le$e to pra%t%e la) s
besto)ed onl# -pon
nd(d-als )"o are %ompetent ntelle%t-all#! a%adem%all# and!
e.-all# mportant! morall#+ Ass-%"! la)#ers m-st at all tmes %ond-%t
t"emsel(es! espe%all# n t"er dealn$s )t" t"er %lents
and t"e p-bl% at lar$e! )t" "onest# and nte$rt# n a manner
be#ond reproa%"+ Att#+ Rodol&o
D+ Pa%toln s "ereb# DISBARRED and "s name REMO"ED &rom
t"e Rolls o& Attorne#+
