Manila, May 7 -- The Supreme Court (SC) has disbarred a lawyer for using a false Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCEL) compliance number in court pleadings he filed.

In a per curiam decision released on Thursday, the SC en banc disbarred Jose R. Hidalgo for dishonest conduct in violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA).

The lawyer represented the defendant in a malicious prosecution case pending before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153 in Binan City. In the answer he filed for his client, the lawyer included his MCLE compliance number, which is required for lawyers.

The opposing party's lawyer then claimed that Hidalgo did not actually comply with the MCLE requirements and attached a C...