3/30/2021 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly In addition, the Court hereby orders Atty. Doctor to return the amount of P800,000.00 and US$4,600.00 which he received in connection with his professional engagement. It is well to note that while the Court has previously held that disciplinary proceedings should only revolve around the determination of the respondent-lawyer's administrative liability and not his civil liability, it must be clarified that this rule remains applicable only to claimed liabilities which are purely civil in nature - for instance, when the claim involves moneys received by the lawyer from his client in a transaction separate and distinct and not intrinsically linked to his professional engagement. Here, since the aforesaid amounts were given by the complainant and received by Atty. Doctor in connection with the cases he handled for complainant and intrinsically linked to his professional engagement, the Court finds the return of the amounts thereof to be in order. The Code of Professional Responsibility demands the utmost degree of fidelity and good faith in dealing with the moneys entrusted to lawyers because of their fiduciary relationship. Any lawyer who does not live up to this duty must be prepared to take the consequences of his waywardness.[34] WHEREFORE, premises considered, respondent Atty. Domingo A. Doctor, Jr. is found GUILTY of violating Canon 16, Rule 16.01 and Rule 16.03, and Canon 18, Rule 18.03 and Rule 18.04, of the Code of Professional Responsibility. He is hereby SUSPENDED from the practice of law for a period of TWO (2) YEARS, effective upon receipt of this Resolution, with a STERN WARNING that a repetition of the same or similar acts will be dealt with more severely. Atty. Doctor is ORDERED to return to complainant Joann G. Minas the remaining balance of P800,000.00 and US$4,600.00 with legal interest, if it is still unpaid, within ninety (90) days from the finality of this Resolution. Failure to comply with this directive will merit the imposition of the more severe penalty. Let copies of this Resolution be furnished to the Office of the Bar Confidant to be appended to the personal record of Atty. Doctor as a member of the Bar, to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and to the Office of the Court Administrator for circulation to all court in the country for their information and guidance. SO ORDERED. Peralta, C.J., Perlas-Bernabe, Caguioa, Gesmundo, Reyes, J., Jr., Carandang, LazaroJavier, Inting, Zalmeda, Lopez, Delos Santos, and Gaerlan, JJ., concur. Leonen, J., see separate opinion. Hernando, and Reyes, J., Jr., JJ., on official leave. [1] Rollo, pp. 2-8. [2] Id. at 5-6. https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/66125 7/9