THE SUPREME Court (SC) ordered the suspension of a lawyer from practicing law for three years for failing to act on her client's suit despite having received fees.
In an en banc decision dated June 30 and made available on Monday, the SC, through Associate Justice Henry Jean Inting, imposed the sanction on lawyer Estrella O. Laysa.
She was also ordered to return PHP30,000 she received from her the complainant and her former client Patricia Ollada with interest and was also fined PHP5,000 for her failure to pay her bar membership dues and for her non-compliance with the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) requirements.
The SC ruling had modified the recommendation of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) for her indefinite suspension after the termination of the disbarment proceedings against her without her side when she failed to report changes in her office and residence address to the IBP.
The complainant, a resident of Tagaytay City had sought Laysa's services against a lessor.
Laysa then received payment for the initiation of a suit which she never filed, prompting the client to seek the services of another lawyer.
Laysa also failed to return the money even after receiving a demand letter from her former client. (By Benjamin Pulta)
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