SC disbars lawyer for bilking client of P.7 M

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has disbarred lawyer Zenaida Reyes after she bilked her client out of P700,000, representing the proceeds of the insurance policies of her client’s deceased husband and failing to render legal services her client had paid for.

In a decision dated Nov. 15, the SC found Reyes guilty of gross misconduct, and ordered all courts be notified of her disarment. Reyes was also ordered to turn over to complainant Marites Freeman the proceeds of her deceased husband’s insurance policies, remitted to the lawyer by two insurance companies in London.

“Respondent’s repeated reprehensible acts of employing chicanery and unbecoming conduct to conceal her web of lies, to the extent of milking complainant’s finances dry, and deceitfully arrogating upon herself the insurance proceeds that should rightfully belong to complainant, in the guise of rendering legitimate legal services, clearly transgressed the norms of honesty and integrity required in the practice of law,” the High Court said.

The SC agreed with the finding of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines board of governors that Reyes be disbarred.

Reyes said she acted within the scope of her authority, but the SC said a lawyer should hold a client’s money and property in trust, account for them, and deliver them upon demand.

The High Court said even if Reyes admitted receiving P120,000 from Freeman, she did not render an accounting of her expenses. Freeman gave P50,000 to Reyes so the lawyer could assist her in claiming the insurance proceeds in London, but the SC found that Reyes’ primary purpose in traveling to London was to attend the International Law Conference.

“It is appalling that respondent had the gall to take advantage of the benevolence of the complainant, then grieving for the loss of her husband, and mislead her into believing that she needed to go to London to assist in recovering the proceeds of the insurance policies,” the SC said.

The High Tribunal said Reyes “even inculcated in the mind of” Freeman that she had to give P43,000 in bribes to British embassy personnel to get a visa to go to London, violating a provision in the Code of Professional Responsibility stating that “a lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct.”