ANG v. ANG GR No. 186993 – August 22, 2012 Reyes SUBJECT: FACTS: Spouses Alan & Em Ang (espon!ents" o#ta$ne! a loan (%300" 'om )eo!oe & Nan*y Ang (pet$t$ones", also, a pom$ssoy note +as ee*ute! $n 'a-o o' t)e pet$t$ones +)ee$n t)ey pom$se! to pay t)e latte t)e sa$! amount, +$t) $nteest at t)e ate o' 10 pe yea, upon !eman!. /o+e-e, !esp$te epeate! !eman!s, t)e espon!ents 'a$le! to pay t)e pet$t$ones. S$n*e t)e loan alea!y amounte! to almost %20, $n*lus$-e o' $nteest, pet$t$one, +)o +ee t)en es$!ent $n A, ee*ute! t)e$ SA $n 'a-o o' Atty. A*eon 'o t)e pupose o' l$ng an a*t$on $n *out aga$nst t)e espon!ents. A *ompla$nt 'o *olle*t$on o' sum o' money +as t)en le! +$t) t)e R45 R45 4. Respon!ent mo-e! 'o t)e !$sm$ssal o' t)e *ompla$nt $n t)e goun!s o' $mpope -enue an! pes*$pt$on asset$ng t)at t)e *ompla$nt aga$nst t)em may only #e le! $n t)e *out o' t)e pla*e +)ee e$t)e t)ey o t)e pet$t$ones es$!e. Respon!ent es$!e $n 7a*olo! +)$le pet$t$one es$!e $n A. •
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R4 !en$e! espon!ents mot$on to !$sm$ss. S$n*e Atty. A*eon $s t)e !uly appo$nte! attoney5$n5'a*t o' pet$t$ones, -enue o' t)e a*t$on may l$e +)ee e es$!es as po-$!e! $n Se*. 2, Rule :, o' t)e 199 Ro4. Respon!ents *la$m t)at Atty. A*eon, #e$ng meely a epesentat$-e o' t)e pet$t$ones, $s not a eal paty $n $nteest $n t)e *ase; )en*e, )$s es$!en*e s)oul! not #e *ons$!ee! $n !etem$n$ng t)e pope -enue o' t)e sa$! *ompla$nt. 4A 4ompla$nt s)oul! )a-e #een le! $n 7a*olo! 4$ty. •
ISSUE: <=N t)e *ompla$nt must #e !$sm$sse! on t)e goun! t)at -enue +as not pope. HELD: >es. >es. ?t $s a legal tu$sm t)at t)e ules on t)e -enue o' pesonal a*t$ons ae e! 'o t)e *on-en *on-en$en $en*e *e o' t)e pla$nt pla$nt$@s $@s an! t)e$ t)e$ +$tnes +$tnesses ses.. Euall Eually y settle settle!, !, )o+e-e, $s t)e p$n*$ple t)at *)oos$ng t)e -enue o' an a*t$on $s not le't to a pla$ pla$nt nt$@ $@s s *ap *ap$* $*e; e; t)e t)e matt matte e $s egul egulat ate! e! #y t)e t)e Rules ules o' 4ou 4out. t. )e )e pet$ pet$t$ t$on one es *om *ompla$ pla$nt nt 'o 'o *olle olle*t *t$o $on n o' su sum m o' mone oney aga$ aga$ns nstt t)e t)e espon!ents $s a pesonal a*t$on as $t p$ma$ly sees t)e en'o*ement o' a *onta*t. )e Rules g$-e t)e pla$nt$@ t)e opt$on o' *)oos$ng +)ee to le )$s *ompla$nt. /e *an le $t $n t)e pla*e (1" +)ee )e )$msel' o any o' t)em es$!es, o (2" +)ee t)e !e'en!ant o any o' t)e !e'en!ants es$!es o may #e 'oun!. )e pla$nt$@ o t)e !e'en!ant must #e es$!ents o' t)e pla*e +)ee t)e a*t$on )as #een $nst$tute! at t)e t$me t)e a*t$on $s *ommen*e!.
?' t)e pla$nt$@ !oes not es$!e $n t)e )$l$pp$nes, t)e *ompla$nt $n su*) *ase may only #e le! $n t)e *out o' t)e pla*e +)ee t)e !e'en!ant es$!es. ?n Cohen and Cohen v. Benguet Commercial Co., Ltd., Ltd. , 3: )$l. B26 (1916", t)$s 4out )el! t)at t)ee *an #e no ele*t$on as to t)e -enue o' t)e l$ng o' a *ompla$nt +)en t)e pla$nt$@ )as no es$!en*e $n t)e )$l$pp$nes. ?n su*) *ase,
t)e *ompla$nt may only #e le! $n t)e *out o' t)e pla*e +)ee t)e !e'en!ant es$!es. nteest +$t)$n t)e mean$ng o' t)e Rules o' 4out means mate$al $nteest o an $nteest $n $ssue to #e a@e*te! #y t)e !e*ee o Cu!gment o' t)e *ase, as !$st$ngu$s)e! 'om mee *u$os$ty a#out t)e uest$on $n-ol-e!. A eal paty $n $nteest $s t)e paty +)o, #y t)e su#stant$-e la+, )as t)e $g)t soug)t to #e en'o*e!. At t)$s Cun*tue, $t #eas stess$ng t)at t)e ules on -enue, l$e t)e ot)e po*e!ual ules, ae !es$gne! to $nsue a Cust an! o!ely a!m$n$stat$on o' Cust$*e o t)e $mpat$al an! e-en)an!e! !etem$nat$on o' e-ey a*t$on an! po*ee!$ng. =#-$ously, t)$s o#Ce*t$-e +$ll not #e atta$ne! $' t)e pla$nt$@ $s g$-en unest$*te! 'ee!om to *)oose t)e *out +)ee )e may le )$s *ompla$nt o pet$t$on. )e *)o$*e o' -enue s)oul! not #e le't to t)e pla$nt$@Ds +)$m o *ap$*e. /e may #e $mpelle! #y some ulte$o mot$-at$on $n *)oos$ng to le a *ase $n a pat$*ula *out e-en $' not allo+e! #y t)e ules on -enue.
