When a case or complaint gets dismissed, one can easily dismiss that as being par for the course. Cases are won and lost all the time depending on their merits and possibly other factors. Lawyers, even the really exceptional ones, cannot be expected to win all the time.
But, when a specific type of case or complaint filed on a seemingly regular basis by one particular lawyer gets routinely dismissed, suspicions are bound to be raised. It can’t be helped that such legal filings may be seen as sham complaints.
The Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines or IBP should seriously look into this practice of deliberately filing weak complaints or cases. It is a disgrace to the legal profession being such an obvious tactic meant only to block truly legitimate legal moves.
I wonder if filing intentionally weak or sham complaints can be considered as ground for disbarment. I think it should be especially if the concerned lawyer regularly commits the act. Of course, the lawyer can easily deny any malintent on his or her part. In that case, maybe it would be best to look at it as an issue of incompetence. That should be pretty obvious.
Now, I’m wondering what could motivate any lawyer to risk being seen as incompetent to practice his or her profession.
If disbarment or the imposition of any meaningful sanction against the concerned lawyer is out of the question then perhaps the authorities should at least look into the act itself and impose a rule against it much like the rule against forum shopping.
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