A.C. No. 5105.

August 12, 1999]

FERNANDO SALONGA, complainant, vs. ATTY. ISIDRO T. HILDAWA, respondent.
VITG, J.!
In an affidavit-complaint, dated 29 March 1996, Fernando Salonga, President of Sikap at Tiaga
!la"ang #endors !ssociation, Inc$ %&ST!#!'(, of M)ntinl)pa *it, charged !tt$ Isidro T$ +ilda,a ,ith
gross miscond)ct and-or deceit$ *omplainant averred that respondent la,er ,as a retained co)nsel of
ST!#! for a n)m"er of ears and, in .ecem"er 199/, represented the association in *ivil *ases 0o$
2126, 0o$ 211/ and 0o$ 2116, for e3ectment against, respectivel , 4inda .el 5osario, !ngelita Man)el
and Francisco #ega, all stallholders at the !la"ang market, "efore the M)nicipal Trial *o)rt of
M)ntinl)pa$ The defendants deposited the accr)ed rentals ,ith the co)rt$ 6n 11 0ovem"er 1991,
respondent la,er filed a motion to ,ithdra, the deposit7 th)s8
&96I0T M6TI60 T6 :IT+.5!: .;P6SIT
&*o)nsel for complainant, )nto this +onora"le *o)rt, most respectf)ll manifest8
&1$ That, defendants-appellants 4inda del 5osario, !ngelita Man)el and Francisco #ega made
their deposit of accr)ed rentals on their stalls )p to 6cto"er 1<, 1991, as follo,s8
a$ 4inda del 5osario -- P21,112$62
"$ !ngelita Man)el -- 16,1/6$62
c$ Francisco #ega -- //,666$62
Total -- P121,<1/$=2
&2$ That, plaintiff is entitled to s)ch deposits made " the appellants in order to pa its
o"ligation ,ith the cooperative ,hich granted the concession to the transient area for the
plaintiff to operate7
&/$ That, co)nsel for the appellants register no o"3ection to s)ch ,ithdra,al as sho,n " his
conformit to the herein motion$
&:herefore, it is praed of this +onora"le *o)rt that plaintiff "e a)thori>ed to ,ithdra, the corresponding
amo)nts deposited " the defendants in the a"ove-entitled cases$
&5;SP;*TF?44@ S?AMITT;.$
&0ovem"er 11, 1991$
&M!B!TI for M)ntinl)pa$
&+I4.!:! C D6M;E
F/1=1 Den$ 4)c"an St$, cor$ So)th
S)perhigh,a, Makati, Metro Manila
A8
&%Sgd$( ISI.56 T$ +I4.!:!
PT5 06$ 912==6= - 1-21-91 - M)ntinl)pa
IAP 06$ /1GG2G - <-26-91 - Makati
:ith M *onformit8
%Sgd$( !tt$ P!T5I*I6 4$ A60*!@!6, 95$
2nd Flr$ *attlea *ommercial
0ational 5oad, !la"ang'
H1I
5espondent la,er iss)ed a receipt, dated 29 .ecem"er 1991, that ackno,ledged his having received
the ,ithdra,n deposit of P121,<1/$=2$ *omplainant alleged that ST!#! ,as not informed of the filing of
the motion nor did it a)thori>e !tt$ +ilda,a to ,ithdra, the amo)nt$ .espite repeated demands,
respondent la,er ref)sed to t)rn over the ,ithdra,n s)m to ST!#!$ To make matters even ,orse,
added the complainant, !tt$ +ilda,a appeared as co)nsel for Bil)sang Aaan ng mga Magtitinda sa
Pamilihang Aaan ng M)ntinl)pa %&BAMAPM'(, an opponent of ST!#! in *ivil *ase 0o$ 9<-192, for
In3)nction ,ith ?rgent Praer for 5estraining 6rder, "efore Aranch 2G6 of the 5egional Trial *o)rt of
M)ntinl)pa$ ;vent)all, the 5T*, acting on a motion to disJ)alif respondent in said case, directed, in its
order of 26 .ecem"er 199<, the latter &to ,ithdra, from the case and avoid committing an )nethical
cond)ct$'
H2I
In his ans,er to the complaint, !tt$ +ilda,a co)ntered that complainant ,as f)ll a,are of the
,ithdra,al of the rental in arrears deposited " the defendants in the e3ectment cases and that
complainant, on several occasions, even accompanied him in follo,ing )p the release of the mone$ +e
said he did not t)rn over the amo)nt ,ithdra,n to complainant since Salonga ,as then on leave7 instead
he handed over, on 12 .ecem"er 1991, the s)m to .olores 9avinar, the treas)rer of the association, ,ho
iss)ed the corresponding receipt therefor$
In his repl, Salonga disclaimed the s)pposed t)rn-over of the mone to 9avinar and the allegation
that he ,as on leave of a"sence$
This *o)rt referred the case to the Integrated Aar of the Philippines %&IAP'( for investigation, report
and recommendation$
In a resol)tion, dated 1/ March 199=, the *ommission on Aar .iscipline, thro)gh *ommissioner
5enato D$ *)nanan, fo)nd respondent g)ilt of violation of *anons 16 and 21 of the code of Professional
5esponsi"ilit and recommended that he "e s)spended for one ear from the practice of la,$ 6n 2< !pril
199=, the IAP Aoard of Dovernors, in its 5esol)tion 06$ KIII-9=-G2, resolved to adopt and approve the
recommendation of the Investigating *ommissioner$
Soon after receiving a cop of the a"ove-n)m"ered resol)tion, respondent reverted to IAP seeking a
reconsideration of its resol)tion onl to "e there)pon informed that the case had alread "een for,arded
to this *o)rt$ 5espondent s)"mitted to the *o)rt a memorand)m, dated 2< !)g)st 199=, asseverating
that the findings of the Investigating *ommissioner ,ere contrar to the evidence on record$ +e cited the
resol)tion of the ST!#! Aoard of Tr)stees, dated /2 6cto"er 1991, that read8
&B!TITIB!0 0D P?460D
0D
A6!5. 6F T5?ST;;S
0D
SIB!P !T TI@!D! !4!A!0D #;0.65S
!SS6*I!TI60, I0*$
Dinanap noong ika-/2 ng 6kt)"re, 1991 sa
Tanggapan nito sa !la"ang
Mga .)malo8
President - Fernando Salonga
;Lec)tive #ice-Pres$ - Tirso Sapar
#P Internal - .omingo Silava
#P Sec)rit - 4eonardo D)mapos
!)ditor - ?ndo *ipriano
+indi .)malo8
#P ;Lternal - !ser !revalo
Treas)rer - .olores 9avinar
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
&?nang tinalaka sa pagp)p)long and kaa)san ng samahan at mga dapat t)pdin ng mga kasapi "ilang
kanilang t)ngk)lin sa samahan at sa l)gar na kanilang pinagtitindahan$ !ng kalinisan a pinagt)t))nan
ng pansin$
&AagamaMt Non-leaveM ang pang)lo natin, sa kahalagahan ng pinag))sapan sia a narito sa pagp)p)long$
&Tinalaka ang hindi pag"a"aad ng Market Fee at gamit electrical ng 11 dating miem"ro ng ST!#! na
t),irang nag"a"aad ngaon sa kooperati"a$ .ahil dito a na,a,alan ng P1<2$22 hanggang P<22$22
ang samahan sang-aon sa taa ng pang)lo$
&.ahil dito, "inigan ng karapatan ang a"ogado ng samahan na isaaos ang dapat na hak"anging legal
)pang malikom ang salapi para sa ST!#! )pang makat)gon ito sa "aarin sa BAMAMP at sa i"a pang
pagkakagast)san sa hinaharap na okason$
&Maroong pag-))sap )pang ,akasan ang )sapin na idin)log ng ST!#! la"an sa Booperati"a sapagkat
sa di,a ng magandang pagkaka)na,aan at ma")ting samahan, nais ng ipagkaloo" ng Booperati"a ang
hinihingi ng ST!#! na lagan ng hangganan ang l)gar na ang mga miem"ro ng ST!#! ang sia lamang
magtitinda sa halagang itatakda ng "a,aMt panig$
&.ito t)mindig si ;ster .alde at ipina"atid sa kap)l)ngan na sia a kina)sap ng Den$ Manager ng
Booperati"a at tinatanong k)ng maari da, a h),ag ng paalisin ang la"ing-isang %11( t)mi,alag sa
ST!#!$
&Tinalaka ng pam)n)an ang "aga na ito at ang lahat a nagkakaisa sa kanilang paninindigan na dapat
lamang palaasin ang lahat ng taksil at ana ng samahan )pang mai,asan ang hindi pagkaka)na,aan
at t)lo maging aral na din sa i"a pa$
&Isin)nod na tinalaka ang mga N"alim"ingM o nagdadala,ang m)kha at inatasan na ")m)o ng kommitte
t)ngkol dito )pang ma"atid k)ng sino-sino ang mga ito at malapatan ng ka)k)lang l)nas$
&Sa ano mang *ompromise !greement na gaga,in, hindi dapat p)maag na manatili pa ang mga taksil
sa ST!#! at ang kooperati"a ang siang mag"i"iga sa kanila ng l)gar sa alin mang parte ng palengke
ng)nit hindi sa Transient !rea$
&!ng pagp)p)long a itinindig sa ganap na ika-2822 ng hapon$
%Sgd$( %Sgd$(
Fernando Salonga Tirso Sapar
President ;Lec)tive #ice-President
%Sgd$( %Sgd$(
.omingo Silava 4eonardo D)mapos
#P Internal #P Sec)rit
%Sgd$(
?ndo *ipriano
!)ditor'
H/I
5espondent like,ise so)ght to make the clarification that his services as co)nsel of ST!#! ,ere alread
terminated in Fe"r)ar 199<, long "efore he appeared as co)nsel for BAMAPM in .ecem"er 199<$
!fter a close revie, of the records, the *o)rt is inclined to partiall grant the motion for
reconsideration s)"mitted " respondent$
The "asis of the Investigating *ommissioner for finding respondent la,er to have violated *anon
16
H1I
,as the s)pposed admission of !tt$ +ilda,a that he ,ithdre, the amo)nt of P121,<1/$=2 for
ST!#!$ This fact, ho,ever, ,as never denied " !tt$ +ilda,a$ It ,o)ld appear that the real foc)s sho)ld
have "een then on the iss)e of ,hether or not the ,ithdra,al of the deposit " respondent had the
clientMs a)thorit$ !pparentl, he did have that a)thorit )nder the resol)tion, dated /2 6cto"er 1991, of
the Aoard of Tr)stees of ST!#!$ The resol)tion, in part ,as to the follo,ing effect8
"D#$%& '%to, (%)%g*#) )g +#,#-#t#) #)g #(og#'o )g s#.#$#) )# %s##*os #)g '#-#t )# $#+(#)g%)g
&/g#& u-#)g .#&%+o. #)g s#&#-% -#,# s# STAVA u-#)g .#+#tugo) %to s# (#*#,%) s# 012132 #t s#
%(# -#)g -#g+#+#g#stus#) s# $%)#$#,#- )# o+#s*o).4
H<I
6ne of the signatories of the resol)tion ,as complainant Fernando Salonga himself$ !tt$ +ilda,a
did not keep the mone ")t t)rned it over on 12 .ecem"er 1991, or 3)st one da after receiving it %on 29
.ecem"er 1991(, to .olores 9avinar, the STAVA t,/#su,/,, ,ho iss)ed a corresponding receipt
therefor$ :hat the treas)rer or ST!#! might have done thereafter ,ith the f)nds ,as no concern of
respondent co)nsel$
The *o)rt agrees ,ith the Investigating *ommissioner, ho,ever, that respondent la,er has
transgressed *anon 21 ,hich reJ)ires a la,er to preserve the confidences and secrets of his client
even after the attorne-client relation ceases, a mandate that he has placed in possi"le 3eopard "
agreeing to appear as co)nsel for a part his client has previo)sl contended ,ith in a case similarl
involving said parties$
WHEREFORE, the *o)rt !AS64#;S !tt$ Isidro T$ +ilda,a from the charge of having violated his
o"ligation to hold in tr)st the f)nds of his client ")t 5;P5IM!0.S him for having placed at risk his
o"ligation of preserving the confidentialit relationship ,ith a previo)s client, ,ith a ,arning that a
repetition of the same or similar cond)ct in the f)t)re ,ill "e dealt ,ith most severel$
SO ORDERED.