Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Rule 16 - Figueroa vs. People PDF
Rule 16 - Figueroa vs. People PDF
_______________
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 1/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
* THIRD DIVISION.
64
until the condition of the party pleading laches has in good faith
become so changed that he cannot be restored to his former state, if
the rights be then enforced, due to loss of evidence, change of title,
intervention of equities, and other causes.—Applying the said
doctrine to the instant case, the petitioner is in no way estopped
by laches in assailing the jurisdiction of the RTC, considering that
he raised the lack thereof in his appeal before the appellate court.
At that time, no considerable period had yet elapsed for laches to
attach. True, delay alone, though unreasonable, will not sustain
the
65
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 3/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
NACHURA, J.:
When is a litigant estopped by laches from assailing the
jurisdiction of a tribunal? This is the paramount issue
raised in
66
_______________
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 4/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
causing physical injuries to the latter which caused his death. (Id., at pp.
2324.)
4 Id., at p. 26.
5 Id., at p. 55.
6 The dispositive portion of the trial court’s decision reads:
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the Court finds the accused
Vinancio Figueroa y Cervantes GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the
crime of reckless imprudence resulting to (sic) homicide, as defined and
penalized under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, sentencing him to
suffer imprison
67
_______________
ment of two (2) years, ten (10) months and twentyone (21) days to four (4)
years and two (2) months and to indemnify the heirs of the deceased in the
amount of:
1. P50,000.00 indemnity;
2. P3,034,560.00 for loss of earning capacity;
3. P24,000 for cemetery lot;
4. P45,000 for funeral expenses;
5. P54,221.00 for wake expenses.
SO ORDERED.
(Id., at pp. 2425 and 56.)
7 Id., at p. 25.
8 The dispositive portion of the CA decision reads:
WHEREFORE, the appealed judgment is AFFIRMED with
MODIFICATION. As modified, the judgment reads: Appellant Vinancio
Figueroa is found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of Homicide Through
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 5/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
68
_______________
69
_______________
10 Alarilla v. Sandiganbayan, 393 Phil. 143, 155; 338 SCRA 485
(2000); Escobal v. Justice Garchitorena, 466 Phil. 625, 635; 422 SCRA 45,
53 (2004).
11 Entitled “The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980,” approved on
August 14, 1981.
12 Entitled “An Act Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Metropolitan
Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts,
Amending for the Purpose Batas Pambansa Blg. 129, Otherwise Known as
the ‘Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980,’ ” approved on March 25, 1994,
and took effect on April 15, 1994, fifteen days after publication in the
Malaya and in the Times Journal on March 30, 1994, pursuant to Section
8 thereof.
70
“It has been frequently held that a lack of jurisdiction over the
subjectmatter is fatal, and subject to objection at any stage of the
proceedings, either in the court below or on appeal (Ency. of Pl. &
Pr., vol. 12, p. 189, and large array of cases there cited), and
indeed, where the subjectmatter is not within the
jurisdiction, the court may dismiss the proceeding ex mero
motu. (4 Ill., 133; 190 Ind., 79; Chipman vs. Waterbury, 59 Conn.,
496.)
_______________
71
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 9/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
_______________
72
“It is surprising why it is only now, after the decision has been
rendered, that the plaintiffappellee presents the question of this
Court’s jurisdiction over the case. Republic Act No. 2613 was
enacted on August 1, 1959. This case was argued on January 29,
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 10/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
_______________
73
_______________
74
_______________
75
_______________
76
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 14/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
_______________
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 15/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
77
issue of lack of
_______________
78
_______________
28 Id., at p. 337.
29 G.R. No. 154684, September 8, 2005, 469 SCRA 424.
79
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 18/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
_______________
80
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 19/23
7/8/2015 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 558
_______________
32 Id., at p. 162.
33 G.R. No. 167988, February 6, 2007, 514 SCRA 616.
81
_______________
82
_______________
36 Wisdom’s Adm’r v. Sims, 144 S.W. 2d 232, 235, 236, 284 Ky. 258.
37 Tijam v. Sibonghanoy, supra, at p. 37.
38 C & S Fishfarm Corp. v. Court of Appeals, 442 Phil. 279, 290291;
394 SCRA 82, 91 (2002).
39 Smith v. Smith, 265 N.C. 18, 27; 143 S.E. 2d 300, 306 (1965).
40 Veneracion v. Mancilla, G.R. No. 158238, July 20, 2006; 495 SCRA
712.
41 Arcelona v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 102900, October 2, 1997, 280
SCRA 20, 53.
83
_______________
© Copyright 2015 Central Book Supply, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000014e6c4ed34cd9099cf7000a0094004f00ee/p/ALA170/?username=Guest 23/23