salonga v ca 89 scra 665

21
[G.R. No. 111478. March 13, 1997] GEORGE F. SALONGA and SOLID INTERTAIN CORPORATION, petitioner, vs. COURT OF APPEALS, HON. JULIO R. LOGARTA, and PAUL GENEVE ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, respondents. D E C I S I O N PANGANIBAN, J.: Are the professional lapses, inefficiency, carelessness and negligence of a lawyer enough to annul a default judgment? Do they constitute "extrinsic fraud"? Alternatively, do they amount to deprivation of due process? Is a motion (as distinguished from an independent and separate petition) sufficient to vest contempt jurisdiction on a trial court? These questions are answered by the Court as it resolves this petition assailing the Decision of respondent Court of Appeals[1] in CA-G.R. SP No. 29138 promulgated on August 26, 1993, affirming with slight modification the judgment by default rendered by the trial court. The Antecedent Facts The court of origin (Regional Trial Court of Makati, Branch 63, presided by Judge Julio R. Logarta) narrated the facts it culled from the evidence, as follows: "Astra Realty Development Corporation owned a property located at No. 32 Jupiter St., Bel-Air Village, Makati. This property is being leased to Alelie A. Montojima under a 'bilateral' contract of lease. Alelie Montojima constructed a building in the leased premises and opened a restaurant (sic) under the name and style Aquatic Chef Seafoods Restaurant which however, did not prosper. Alelie Montojima then came to transact with (herein private respondent) Paul Geneve Entertainment Corporation and with the consent of the lessor Astra Realty they agreed on a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with the following terms: that upon the signing and due execution of the JVA, Alelie Montojima will be selling all her existing rights and interests over the leased

Upload: ryoma

Post on 16-Aug-2015

258 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

DESCRIPTION

k

TRANSCRIPT

[G.R. No. 111478.March 13, 1997]GEORGE F. SALONGA and SOLID INTERTAIN OR!ORATION, "#$%$%on#r, &'. O(RT OF A!!EALS, )ON. *(LIO R. LOGARTA, and !A(L GENE+E ENTERTAINMENT OR!ORATION, r#'"ond#n$'.D EI S I O N!ANGANI,AN, *.-Ar# $h# "ro.#''%ona/ /a"'#', %n#..%c%#nc0, car#/#''n#'' and n#1/%1#nc# o. a /a20#r #no31h $o ann3/ a d#.a3/$ 43d15#n$6Do $h#0 con'$%$3$# 7#8$r%n'%c .ra3d76A/$#rna$%/0, do $h#0 a5o3n$ $o d#"r%&a$%on o. d3# "roc#''6I' a 5o$%on 9a' d%'$%n13%'h#d .ro5 an %nd#"#nd#n$and '#"ara$# "#$%$%on: '3..%c%#n$ $o '$ con$#5"$ 43r%'d%c$%on on a $r%a/ co3r$6Th#'# ;3#'$%on' ar# an'2#r#d ?, 1993, a..%r5%n1 2%$h '/%1h$ 5od%.%ca$%on $h# 43d15#n$ 9!#$%$%on, ". 1B: an an'2#r "3r"or$#d/0 da$#d *an3ar0 14,199>.On *an3ar0 1D, 199>, "#$%$%on#rA' co3n'#/ 5o 9'%c: $o d%''o/ $h# %n43nc$%on 9Ro//o, ". >3>: and '#$ $h# h#ar%n1 $h#r#o. on *an3ar0 17, 9!#$%$%on, "ara1ra"h >D:.On A"r%/ 14, 199>, $h# %5"31n#d d#c%'%on 2a' hand#d do2n . Ord#r%n1 d#.#ndan$' $o '%1n, "#r.or5 and #8#c3$# $h# .or5a/%$%#' o. $h# M#5orand35 o. A1r##5#n$ 9E8h. AGA:, "3r'3an$ $o $h# *o%n$ +#n$3r# A1r##5#n$ 9E8h. AA:F3. Ord#r%n1 d#.#ndan$' $o 3nd#r$a@# $h# cr#a$%on and .or5a$%on, or1an%Ca$%on and r#1%'$ra$%on o. a n#2 cor"ora$%on "3r'3an$ $o and %n accordanc# 2%$h !h%/%""%n# La2' 4:.On S#"$#5D, 199>, h#r#%n "#$%$%on#r G#or1# F. Sa/on1a 2a' ad43d1#d 13%/$0 o. c%&%/ con$#5"$, $h3'-AIN +IEE T)EREOF, "/a%n$%..A' 5o$%on ar# h#r# and $h# Ord#r da$#d S#"$#5 9Ro//o, ". 4D: and on No, a 2r%$ o. "r#/%5%nar0 %n43nc$%on 2a' %''3#d and $h# Ord#r da$#d >D S#"$#5 %''3#d %n %&%/ a'# No. 91=3>?1 53'$ ] D#c%'%on, "". ?=7F ro//o, "". DD=D?.[>3] S#c$%on 1, Ar$%c/# III, on'$%$3$%on.[>4] M3$3c &'. o3r$ o. A""#a/', 19B SRA 43, 49, S#"$#5?, 199BF c%$%n1 Ta4on#ra &'. La5aroCa, 11B SRA 438, D#c#5D, March >8, 1988.[>D] o55#n$ o. !r%&a$# R#'"ond#n$, "". >B=>>F ro//o, "". >37=>39.[>?] D#c%'%on, ". ?=7F ro//o, ". DD=D?.[>7] M#5orand35 .or !#$%$%on#r', ". 17F ro//o, ". 489.[>8] Rodr%13#C &'. !ro4#c$ ? Mar@#$ S#r&%c# oo"#ra$%, Inc., >47 SRA D>8, D34, c%$%n1 M#nd%o/a &'. %&%/ S#r&%c# o55%''%on, >>1 SRA >9D, A"r%/ 7, 1993, +%//ar#a/ &'. o3r$ o. A""#a/', >19 SRA >9>, March 1, 1993, and I5"#r%a/ T#8$%/# M%//', Inc. &'. Na$%ona/ La, ". 9, A313'$ 7, 199?.[31] D8 !h%/. >71, 91933:.[3>] M#5orand35 o. !#$%$%on#r', "". 38=4B, ro//o, "". D1B=D1>.[33] S/ad# !#r@%n' &'. D%r#c$or o. !r%'on', '3"ra, ". >79.[34] D#c%'%on, ". 7F ro//o, ". D?.[3D] 193 SRA ?49 ?D9=??B, F#