[ Adm. Case No. 277. January 17, 1958 ] 102 Phil. 1182
[ Adm. Case No. 277. January 17, 1958 ]
IN THE MATTER OF EDUARDO A. ABESAMIS, RESPONDENT.
BAUTISTA ANGELO, J.:
The Solicitor General, in his complaint filed with this Court, prays that respondent be disbarred from his office as member of the bar and that he be ordered to surrender the certificate issued to him evidencing his admission to the bar. The charge consists in that respondent was convicted of the complex crime of estafa through falsification of a document by a public officer by the Court of First Instance of Isabela, which judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in CAG.R. No.
11774R in a decision rendered on May 4, 1956. One of the grounds for which a member of the bar may be removed from his office as such is his conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (Rule 127, Section 25, of the Rules of Court). “Moral turpitude’’ includes everything which is done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals (In re Basa, 41 Phil., 276). In the United States, it has been held that cases of convictions for swindling (estafa) involve moral turpitude (6 C.J., 585586; Delgado’s Legal Ethics, p. 69). Respondent’s plea for exoneration based on his suffering from acute paralysis of the left half of his body, while it merits the sympathy if this Court, cannot exempt him from disbarment.
Respondent is hereby disbarred and ordered to surrender the cer tificate issued to him as member of the bar by the clerk of this Court. The Court orders that his name be deleted from the roll of attorneys. Bautista Angelo, J., ponente.