CIV PRO CASE #15 IMPROPER VENUE jlhd MANGILA VS CA Anita Mangila v. Court of A !al" and #or!
ta $uina Augu"t 1%& %''% Carpio, J.: FACTS: In 1())& P!tition!r Anita Mangila *ho i" an !+ ort!r of "!a food" und!r th! na,! and "t-l! of S!afood" Produ.t"& hir!d th! fr!ight "!rvi.! of rivat! r!" ond!nt #or!ta $uina /Pr!"id!nt and $!n. Manag!r of Air S*ift Int!rnational& a "ingl! ro ri!tor"hi !ngag!d in th! fr!ight for*arding 0u"in!"" *ith offi.! in Pa"a- Cit-1 for th! i, ortation of "!afood" to th! USA. 2!" it! "!v!ral d!,and"& P!tition!r fail!d to a- th! "hi ing .harg!" a,ounting to P1'(&345.(5. 6hu"& r!" ond!nt $uina fil!d a case for collection of money before the RTC of Pasay City 0ut "u,,on" *!r! un"u..!""full"!rv!d a" it *a" found that !tition!r tran"f!rr!d r!"id!n.! to Pa, anga and th!n l!ft for $ua,. 6hu"& on ,otion of th! r!" ond!nt& a 7rit of Pr!li,inar- Atta.h,!nt *a" i""u!d. 6o thi"& P!tition!r fil!d an urg!nt ,otion to di".harg! atta.h,!nt *ithout "u0,itting h!r"!lf to th! juri"di.tion of th! .ourt all!ging that "h! had not 0!!n "!rv!d a .o - of th! .o, laint and th! "u,,on". 6h! trial .ourt grant!d th! ,otion to di".harg! atta.h,!nt u on !tition!r8" .ount!r90ond 0ut did not rul! on th! :u!"tion of juri"di.tion and on th! validit- of *rit of r!li,inar- atta.h,!nt. U on "u,,on" finall- "!rv!d to !tition!r u on r!" ond!nt8" a li.ation for an alia" "u,,on"& !tition!r fil!d a Motion to 2i",i"" th! .o, laint on th! ground of i, ro !r v!nu!. P!tition!r .ont!nd" that Privat! r!" ond!nt8" invoi.!; <if .ourt litigation 0!.o,!" n!.!""ar- to !nfor.! .oll!.tion +++ th! agr!!d v!nu! for "u.h a.tion i" Ma=ati& M!tro Manila.> 6hi" *a" o o"!d& rivat! r!" ond!nt a""!rting that although <Ma=ati> a !ar" a" th! "ti ulat!d v!nu!& th! "a,! *a" ,!r!l- an inadv!rt!n.! 0- th! rinting r!"" and that !tition!r =n!* that th! for,!r *a" holding offi.! in Pa"a- Cit- and not Ma=ati. 6h! trial .ourt d!ni!d th! Motion to 2i",i""? MR& li=!*i"! d!ni!d. 2!.i"ion of th! trial .ourt favor!d rivat! r!" ond!nt. On A !al& 6h! CA u h!ld th! validit- of th! i""uan.! of th! *rit atta.h,!nt and "u"tain!d th! filing of th! .a"! in th! R6C of Pa"a- Cit- a" th! ro !r v!nu!. ISSU S: 1. 7@E6@ER RESPON2EN6 COUR6 ERRE2 IN NO6 @O#2IN$ 6@A6 6@E 7RI6 OA A66AC@MEN6 7AS IMPROPER#B ISSUE2 AN2 SERVE2? %.7@E6@ER 6@ERE 7AS IMPROPER VENUE. ! L": 1. # S& *rit of atta.h,!nt i" i, ro !rl- i""u!d and "!rv!d. 6h! Court ha" long "!ttl!d that <A art- to a "uit ,a-& at an- ti,! aft!r filing th! .o, laint& avail of th! rovi"ional r!,!di!" und!r th! Rul!" of Court. S !.ifi.all-& Rul! 54 on r!li,inar- atta.h,!nt " !a=" of th! grant of th! r!,!d- <at th! .o,,!n.!,!nt of th! a.tion or at anti,! th!r!aft!r.> Aurth!r "aid th! .ourt& th! grant of th! rovi"ional r!,!d- of atta.h,!nt involv!" thr!! "tag!"; fir"t& th! .ourt i""u!" th! ord!r granting th! a li.ation? "!.ond& th! *rit of atta.h,!nt i""u!" ur"uant to th! ord!r granting th! *rit? and third& th! *rit i" i, l!,!nt!d. For the initial two stages, it is not necessary that jurisdiction over the person of the defendant be first obtained. !o$e%er& once the implementation of the writ commences, th! .ourt ,u"t hav! a.:uir!d juri"di.tion ov!r th! d!f!ndant for *ithout "u.h juri"di.tion& th! .ourt ha" no o*!r and authoritto a.t in an- ,ann!r again"t th! d!f!ndant. An- ord!r i""uing fro, th! Court *ill not 0ind th! d!f!ndant. @o*!v!r& in th! in"tant .a"!& th! "u,,on" *a" a.tuall- "!rv!d on !tition!r /Canuar- %5& 1()(1 "!v!ral ,onth" aft!r th! *rit had 0!!n i, l!,!nt!d on O.to0!r %)& 1()). On th! .lai, 0- *a- of !+.! tion to "!rvi.! of "u,,on" .ont!, lat!d in S!.tion 5& Rul! 54& <*h!r! th! "u,,on" .ould not 0! "!rv!d !r"onall- or 0- "u0"titut!d "!rvi.! d!" it! dilig!nt !ffort" or *h!r! th! d!f!ndant i" a r!"id!nt t!, oraril- a0"!nt th!r!fro, +++.> th! .ourt h!ld that riv. r!" ond!nt n!v!r "ho*!d that "h! !ff!.t!d "u0"titut!d "!rvi.! on !tition!r and !v!n if it *!r! tru! that "h! .ould not a".!rtain !tition!r8" *h!r!a0out" d!" it! dilig!nt in:uir-& "till "h! had oth!r r!.our"! und!r th! Rul!" of Civil Pro.!dur!. Su.h a" that in S!.. 1D& Rul! 1D of th! Rul!" of .ourt *h!r! < +++ "!rvi.! ,a-& 0- l!av! of .ourt& 0! !ff!.t!d u on hi, 0- u0li.ation in a n!*" a !r of g!n!ral .ir.ulation +++.> 6hu"& th! alia" "u,,on" 0!lat!dl- "!rv!d on !tition!r .annot 0! d!!,!d to hav! .ur!d th! fatal d!f!.t in th! !nfor.!,!nt of th! *rit. 6h! trial .ourt .annot !nfor.! "u.h a .o!r.iv! ro.!"" on !tition!r *ithout fir"t o0taining juri"di.tion ov!r h!r !r"on. 6h! r!li,inar- *rit of atta.h,!nt ,u"t 0! "!rv!d aft!r or "i,ultan!ou" *ith th! "!rvi.! of "u,,on" on th! d!f!ndant *h!th!r 0- !r"onal "!rvi.!& "u0"titut!d "!rvi.! or 0- u0li.ation a" *arrant!d 0- th! .ir.u,"tan.! of th! .a"!. %. # S& v!nu! *a" i, ro !rl- laid. A ,!r! "ti ulation on th! v!nu! of an a.tion i" not !nough to r!.lud! th! arti!" fro, 0ringing a .a"! in oth!r v!nu!". 6h! arti!r" ,u"t 0! a0l! to "ho* that th! "ti ulation i" !+.lu"iv!. V!nu! "ti ulation" in a .ontra.t& *hil! .on"id!r!d valid and !nfor.!a0l!& do not a" a rul! "u !r"!d! th! g!n!ral rul! "!t forth in Rul! D of th! R!vi"!d Rul!" of Court. 'In th! r!"!nt .a"!& th!r! ar! no :ualif-ing or r!"tri.tiv! *ord" in th! invoi.! that *ould !vin.! th! int!ntion of th! arti!" that Ma=ati i" th! <onl- or !+.lu"iv! v!nu!> *h!r! th! a.tion *ould 0! in"titut!d. N!v!rth!l!""& *! hold that Pa"a- i" not th! ro !r v!nu!.
In thi" .a"! it *a" !"ta0li"h!d that !tition!r r!"id!" in Pa, anga *hil! r!" ond!nt r!"id!" in ParaEa:u!. 6h! .a"! *a" fil!d in Pa"a- *h!r! th! 0u"in!"" i" lo.at!d. 6hi" .ould hav! 0!!n !r,i""i0l! had th! 0u"in!"" of rivat! r!" ond!nt 0!!n a .or oration and not a "ol! ro ri!tor"hi a" in thi" .a"!. The la$ (oes not %est a se)arate le*al )ersonality on the sole )ro)rietorshi) to em)o$er it to file or (efen( an action in co+rt, Th+s& not bein* %este( $ith le*al )ersonality to file this case& the sole )ro)rietorshi) is not the )laintiff b+t G+ina herself, Said th! .ourt& rivat! r!" ond!nt "hould hav! fil!d thi" .a"! !ith!r in San A!rnando& Pa, anga / !tition!r8" r!"id!n.!1 or ParaEa:u! / rivat! r!" ond!nt8" r!"id!n.!1.
