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Rita de Ere vs Atty Manolo Rubi

RITA DE ERE, complainant, vs. ATTY. MANOLO RUBI, respondent.

AC No. 5176 | 1999-12-14

D E C I S I O N

PANGANIBAN, J.:

Disciplinary actions against lawyers cannot be abated by the complainant's withdrawal of charges or refusal to prosecute. Likewise, the failure to answer a complaint is not equivalent to an admission of the allegations therein. In both instances - withdrawal of charges and failure to answer -- the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is duty-bound to continue with the investigation, hear the evidence and submit a recommendation/judgment as may be warranted by the established facts and the law.

The Case and the Facts

In a Complaint dated July 24, 1997 filed before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,...