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SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 669 A.C. No. 5098. April 11, 2012.* JOSEFINA M. ANIÑON, complainant, vs. ATTY. CLEMENCIO SABITSANA, JR., respondent. Attorney-Client Relationships; Conflict of Interests; The relationship between a lawyer and his/her client should ideally be imbued with the highest level of trust and confidence; Part of the lawyer’s duty in this regard is to avoid representing conflicting interests, a matter covered by Rule 15.03, Canon 15 of the Code of Professional Responsibility.—The relationship between a lawyer and his/her client should ideally be imbued with the highest level of trust and confidence. This is the standard of confidentiality that must prevail to promote a full disclosure of the client’s most confidential information to his/her lawyer for an unhampered exchange of information between them. Needless to state, a client can only entrust confidential information to his/her lawyer based on an expectation from the lawyer of utmost secrecy and discretion; the lawyer, for his part, is duty-bound to observe candor, fairness and loyalty in all dealings and transactions with the client. Part of the lawyer’s duty in this regard is to avoid representing conflicting interests, a matter covered by Rule 15.03, Canon 15 of the Code of Professional Responsibility quoted below: Rule 15.03.—A lawyer shall not represent conflicting interests except by written consent of all concerned given after a full disclosure of the facts. 77 VOL. 669, APRIL 11, 2012 77 Aniñon vs. Sabitsana, Jr. Same; Same; Tests to Determine whether or not Conflict of Interests is Present.—“The proscription against representation of conflicting interests applies to a situation where the opposing parties are present clients in the same action or in an unrelated action.” The prohibition also applies even if the “lawyer would not be called upon to contend for one client that which the lawyer has to oppose for the other client, or that there would be no Page 1 of 11

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