7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

1/7

A.C. NO. 3882 July 30, 2004

LILIA C. RONCAL, complainant,

vs.

ATTY. ORLANO C. !ARAY, "#spon$#nt.

% C I & I O N

TIN'A, J.(

On Au)ust *0, *++2, Lilia C. Roncal il#$ -it t# Cou"t a L#tt#"* s##/in) t#

$isa"m#nt o Atty. O"lan$o C. !a"ay 1Atty. !a"ay an$ $ama)#s on account

o t# latt#"s all#)#$ $#"#liction o is $uti#s as couns#l. Accompanyin) t#

L#tt#" is an Ai$avit2 $at#$ Au)ust , *++2 #5#cut#$ y t# complainant

claimin) tat t# $ismissal o #" app#al in C.A.6'.R. &! No. 2807* -as $u#

to Atty. !a"ays ailu"# to il# a m#mo"an$um on app#al, t#"#y puttin) to

nau)t all t# tim#, mon#y an$ #o"t s# sp#nt to av# #" cas# #l#vat#$ tot# Cou"t o App#als.

Atty. !a"ay il#$ a Comm#nt3 $at#$ Nov#m#" *2, *++2 na""atin) t# #v#nts

tat l#$ to t# $ismissal o t# complainants p#tition as ollo-s(

T# complainant an$ #" usan$ initially "#tain#$ Atty. !a"ay as couns#l in

a civil suit o" ##ctm#nt4 il#$ a)ainst t#m y Con"a$o 9. %st"#lla an$

")ia :. %st"#lla -it t# ;unicipal T"ial Cou"t 1;TC o Rosal#s,

!an)asinan. At#" $u# p"oc##$in)s, t# ;TC "#n$#"#$ u$)m#nt a)ainst t#

$##n$ants.

T#y t#n app#al#$7 to t# R#)ional T"ial Cou"t 1RTC o Rosal#s,

!an)asinan, -ic ai"m#$ t# ;TCs $#cision in toto. &us#

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

2/7

complainant an$ #" usan$ i"#$ anot#" la-y#", a c#"tain Atty. T#o$o"o !.

R#)ino, to p"#pa"# an$ il# a p#tition o" "#li# "om u$)m#nt on t#i" #al.

u"in) t# p#n$#ncy o t# sai$ p#tition, t# complainant an$ #" usan$

"#tain#$ Atty. !a"ay an#-.

T# RTC )"ant#$ t# p#tition o" "#li# "om u$)m#nt an$ allo-#$ t#

complainant an$ #" usan$ to pu"su# t#i" p#tition o" "#vi#- -it t#

Cou"t o App#als.=

On Jun# 4, *++2, Atty. !a"ay il#$ a motion o" #5t#nsion -it t# Cou"t o

App#als as/in) o" an #5t#nsion o *7 $ays, "om Jun# 7, *++2 o" until Jun#

20, *++2, -itin -ic to il# t# p#tition. T# app#llat# cou"t )"ant#$ t#

motion. >o-#v#", Atty. !a"ay oun$ out tat t# copi#s o t# $#cisions ot# ;TC an$ t# RTC -ic -#"# #nt"ust#$ to im -#"# lost.8 >#nc#, on

Jun# =, 2002, # s#nt is liaison oic#" to Rosal#s, !an)asinan to as/ t#

complainant an$ #" usan$ to s#cu"# copi#s o t# $#cisions "om t# ;TC

an$ t# RTC. ?no"tunat#ly, t# complainant an$ #" usan$ ail#$ to

s#cu"# t# n##$#$ $ocum#nts.

:#caus# # a$ to att#n$ is sons )"a$uation "om i) scool in t# ?nit#$

&tat#s, Atty. !a"ay il#$ on Jun# *+, 2002 anot#" motion o" #5t#nsion, tis

tim# as/in) o" an #5t#nsion o 47 $ays "om Jun# 20, *++2 -itin -ic toil# t# p#tition.+ T# motion -as $#ni#$ an$ t# cas# -as $ismiss#$.*0

In vi#- o t# o"#)oin) ci"cumstanc#s, Atty. !a"ay a")u#s tat # -as not

"#sponsil# o" t# $ismissal o t# cas#. Rat#", # asc"i#s ault to t#

complainant an$ #" usan$ o" t#i" ailu"# to s#cu"# copi#s o t#

$#cisions o t# ;TC an$ t# RTC.

On ;ay 7, *++3, t# Cou"t issu#$ a R#solution** "##""in) t# cas# to t#

Int#)"at#$ :a" o t# !ilippin#s 1I:! o" inv#sti)ation, "#po"t an$

"#comm#n$ation -itin nin#ty 1+0 $ays "om notic#.

T# cas# -as assi)n#$ to a commission#" -o s#t t# cas# o" #a"in) on

va"ious $at#s,*2 all o -ic Atty. !a"ay ail#$ to att#n$.*3 T# "#co"$s

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

3/7

"#v#al tat t# notic#s o #a"in) -#"# all "#tu"n#$ uns#"v#$ o" t# "#ason

tat Atty. !a"ay /#pt on movin) to n#- a$$"#ss#s -itout ino"min) t# I:!.

u"in) t# #a"in) on Jun# 20, 2000,*4 t# inv#sti)atin) commission#"

issu#$ an o"$#" "##nc#, t# Cou"t, in 'uian) v.

Antonio20 an$ Billalu v. A"m#nta,2* susp#n$#$ la-y#"s "om t# p"actic# o

la- o" ailin) to app#al t#i" "#sp#ctiv# cli#nts cas#s -itin t# p"#sc"i#$

p#"io$. T#s# cas#s a"# s

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

4/7

t#s# $ocum#nts, a"# unp#"suasiv#, t"ivial, an$ unsatisacto"y. Atty. !a"ay

soul$ # "#min$#$ o t# Cou"ts p"onounc#m#nt in 'uian) v. Antonio,

sup"a, tat a $ili)#nt la-y#" soul$ otain copi#s o t# n##$#$ $#cisions

ims#l. ;o"# so in tis cas# #caus# Atty. !a"ay a$mitt#$ tat t# copi#s o

t# $#cisions -#"# #nt"ust#$ to im, only tat # lost t#m.

Atty. !a"ays t"ans)"#ssion is compoun$#$ y is utt#" $is"#sp#ct o" t#

auto"ity o t# I:! as mani#st#$ y is "#p#at#$ ailu"# to app#a" #o"#

t# inv#sti)atin) commission#". In !"iscila L. Tol#$o v. %"lin$a Aalos,22 t#

Cou"t susp#n$#$ a la-y#" o" a p#"io$ o on# 1* mont sol#ly o" ailin) to

ac/no-l#$)# t# o"$#"s o t# Commission in $##"#nc# to its auto"ity ov#"

#" as a m#m#" o t# I:!. A comm#nsu"at# p#nalty must # impos#$ on

Atty. !a"ay.

On t# ot#" an$, t# Cou"t is not unmin$ul o t# act tat t#

complainant no- as/s t# Cou"t to #5on#"at# Atty. !a"ay "om t#

a$minist"ativ# ca")#s s# il#$ a)ainst im an$ p"ays tat # # "#

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

5/7

int#"#st an$ ao"$ no "#$"#ss o" p"ivat# )"i#vanc#s.24 >#nc#, t# p"ay#"

o" $ama)#s soul$ # $#ni#$.

T# inv#sti)atin) commission#" "#comm#n$#$ tat Atty. !a"ay # susp#n$#$

"om t# p"actic# o la- o" t"## 13 monts. >o-#v#", in 'uian) v. Antonio,

sup"a, an$ Billalu v. A"m#nta, sup"a, -# susp#n$#$ t# la-y#"s involv#$ o"

a p#"io$ o si5 1= monts o" ailin) to p#"#ct t#i" app#al -itin t#

p"#sc"i#$ p#"io$. @# s## no "#ason to $iv#"t "om t#s# "ulin)s. In act, -#

av# mo"# "#ason to sanction Atty. !a"ay o" is $is"#sp#ct o t# auto"ity

o t# I:!.

@>%R%9OR%, in vi#- o t# o"#)oin), Atty. O"lan$o O. !a"ay is &?&!%N%

"om t# p"actic# o la- o" si5 1= monts ##ctiv# imm#$iat#ly, -it a@ARNIN' tat t# "#p#tition o a simila" violation -ill # $#alt -it mo"#

s#v#"#ly. ># is u"t#" IR%CT% to "#po"t t# $at# o is "#c#ipt o tis

#cision to t# Cou"t -itin iv# 17 $ays "om suc "#c#ipt.

L#t a copy o tis #cision # #nt#"#$ in t# p#"sonal "#co"$s o "#spon$#nt

as a m#m#" o t# :a", an$ copi#s u"nis#$ t# :a" Coni$ant, t#

Int#)"at#$ :a" o t# !ilippin#s, an$ t# Cou"t A$minist"ato" o" ci"culation

to all cou"ts in t# count"y.

&O OR%R%.

!uno, J., Cai"man, Aust"ia6;a"tin#, Call#o, an$ Cico6Naa"io, JJ., concu".

9ootnot#s

* Rollo, p. *.

2 I$. at 2.

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

6/7

3 I$. at 23.

4 oc/#t#$ as Civil Cas# No. 7=.

7 T# app#al -as $oc/#t#$ as Civil Cas# No. =0*6R.

= &up"a, not# * at 3=63+.

I$. at 40642.

8 I$. at 2=, Comm#nt o Atty. !a"ay.

+ I$. at 44647.

*0 I$. at 4.

** I$. at =0.

*2 #c#m#" 3, *++, Janua"y *, 2000, 9#"ua"y 27, 2000 an$ Ap"il *8,

2000, Jun# 20, 2000, Octo#" 2+, 200*D #c#m#" 3, 200* an$ Janua"y *=,

2002D Rollo, pp. **3, **+, *20, *2=, *=*,*= an$ *=+.

*3 &up"a, not# * at *3*, *==, *=8, 2*, 2*=, 2*.

*4 !"io" to t# Jun# 20, 2000 sc#$ul#$ #a"in), t# inv#sti)atin)

commission#" l#a"n#$ tat Atty. !a"ays n#- a$$"#ss is 20* A an$ %

:uil$in), O"ti)as Av#nu#, '"##nills, &an Juan, ;#t"o ;anila an$ s#nt a

notic# t#"# o" t# sus#

7/25/2019 Roncal vs Paray

7/7

*7 &up"a, not# * at *32.

*= I$. at *3+6*40.

* I$. at *426*4.

*8 At#" "#