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07-05-2007, 01:11 PM
By Sandy Araneta
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The lawyers for the wife and children of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia urged the Sandiganbayan yesterday to withdraw their services as defense counsels for the family in the plunder case.
Lawyers Rainier Madrid and Alvin Carullo said they could not effectively represent their clients since Clarita Depakakibo-Garcia and her children Ian Carl, Juan Paulo and Timothy Mark Garcia disappeared shortly after they were included in the plunder case on April 6, 2005.
Garcia is accused of amassing P303.27 million in ill-gotten wealth during his years in the military.
His wife and children were implicated for allegedly acting as conduits and helping him conceal the ill-gotten wealth.
The whole family has been named defendants in two ill-gotten wealth lawsuits pending before the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division.
In a resolution released last June 2, the court’s Second Division denied the lawyers’ motion to withdraw from the case but did not give the reason, merely citing “circumstances obtaining.”
The lawyers, however, sought a reconsideration, saying their basis for withdrawing as defense counsels is covered by the Code of Professional Responsibility allowing a lawyer to decline further legal service on the client’s refusal to have any contact with counsel.
Madrid and Carullo, of the Madrid and Associates law firm, claimed their services are virtually useless and ineffective since they have lost contact with their clients.
“Indeed, without contact with their clients, undersigned counsel would be ineffective to advance cause and interest of their clients,” the lawyers said.
The law firm likewise submitted a copy of the April 16 resolution of the anti-graft court’s Second Division which earlier granted their motion to withdraw as counsels for Garcia in the forfeiture case for the same reason.
full story:
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20070704127
Thursday, July 5, 2007
The lawyers for the wife and children of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia urged the Sandiganbayan yesterday to withdraw their services as defense counsels for the family in the plunder case.
Lawyers Rainier Madrid and Alvin Carullo said they could not effectively represent their clients since Clarita Depakakibo-Garcia and her children Ian Carl, Juan Paulo and Timothy Mark Garcia disappeared shortly after they were included in the plunder case on April 6, 2005.
Garcia is accused of amassing P303.27 million in ill-gotten wealth during his years in the military.
His wife and children were implicated for allegedly acting as conduits and helping him conceal the ill-gotten wealth.
The whole family has been named defendants in two ill-gotten wealth lawsuits pending before the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division.
In a resolution released last June 2, the court’s Second Division denied the lawyers’ motion to withdraw from the case but did not give the reason, merely citing “circumstances obtaining.”
The lawyers, however, sought a reconsideration, saying their basis for withdrawing as defense counsels is covered by the Code of Professional Responsibility allowing a lawyer to decline further legal service on the client’s refusal to have any contact with counsel.
Madrid and Carullo, of the Madrid and Associates law firm, claimed their services are virtually useless and ineffective since they have lost contact with their clients.
“Indeed, without contact with their clients, undersigned counsel would be ineffective to advance cause and interest of their clients,” the lawyers said.
The law firm likewise submitted a copy of the April 16 resolution of the anti-graft court’s Second Division which earlier granted their motion to withdraw as counsels for Garcia in the forfeiture case for the same reason.
full story:
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20070704127