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Erlinda Abragan vs Atty Maximo Rodriguez

ERLINDA ABRAGAN, MILA GINA JAVIER, REYNALDO MERCADO, PATERNO TORRES, BENIGNA ANTIBO, ELEISER SALVADOR, EDNA SAPON, JULIANA CUENCA, ESPERANZA BUENAFE, VICENTE BARNAGA, MARTHA SAPON, JOSEFINA OPE?A, PUREZA WABE, RONULFO LOPEZ, DOMINADOR HERNANDEZ, FELIPA EMBATE, ROQUE CATIIL, JERRY SAPON, CONCEPCION MATANOG, and PABLO SALOMON, complainants, vs. Atty. MAXIMO G. RODRIGUEZ, respondent.

A.C. No. 4346 | 2002-04-03

D E C I S I O N

PANGANIBAN, J.:

Lawyers violate their oath of office when they represent conflicting interests. They taint not only their own professional practice, but the entire legal profession itself.

The Case and the Facts

Before us is a verified Petition[1] praying for the disbarment of Atty. Maximo G. Rodriguez because of alleged illegal and unethical acts. The Petition relevantly reads as follows:

"2. That sometime in 1986, the petitioners hired the services of the respondent and the latter, represented the former in the case entitled PABLO SALOMON et al vs. RICARDO DACALUZ et al., before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities,...