Radiowealth v. Del Rosario

RADIOWEALTH v.
DEL ROSARIO Facts: On March 2, 1991, Spouses Vicente and Maria Sumilang del Rosario (defendants), jointly and severally executed, signed and delivered in favor of Radiowealth Finance Company (plaintiff), a Promissory Note (PN) for P138,948. The parties agreed that if default be made in the payment of any of the installments or late payment charges thereon as and when the same becomes due and payable, the total principal sum then remaining unpaid, together with the agreed late payment charges, shall at once become due and payable without need of notice or demand. Defendants defaulted on the monthly installments. Despite repeated demands, they failed to pay their obligations under their PN. On June 7, 1993, plaintiff filed a Complaint for the collection of a sum of money before the RTC Manila. During the trial, Jasmer Famatico, the credit and collection officer of plaintiff, presented in evidence the defendants' check payments, the demand letter, the customers ledger card, another demand letter and Metropolitan Bank dishonor slips. Famatico admitted that he did not have personal knowledge of the transaction or the execution of any of these pieces of documentary evidence, which had merely been endorsed to him. plaintiff formally offered its evidence and exhibits and rested its case. defendants filed on a Demurrer to Evidence for alleged lack of cause of action. The trial court dismissed the complaint for failure of petitioner to substantiate its claims, the evidence it had presented being merely hearsay. On appeal, the CA reversed the trial court and remanded the case for further proceedings. According to the appellate court, the judicial admissions of respondents established their indebtedness to the petitioner, on the grounds that they admitted the due execution of the PN, and that their only defense was the absence of an agreement on when the installment payments were to begin. Indeed, during the pretrial, they admitted the genuineness not only of the PN, but also of the demand letter. Even if plaintiff's witness had no personal knowledge of these documents, they would still be admissible if the purpose for which they are produced is merely to establish the fact that the statement or document was in fact made or to show its tenor, and such fact or tenor is of independent relevance. Besides, Articles 19 and 22 of the Civil Code require that every person must -- in the exercise of rights and in the performance of duties -- act with justice, give all else their due, and observe honesty and good faith. Further, the rules on evidence are to be liberally construed in order to promote their objective and to assist the parties in obtaining just, speedy and inexpensive determination of an action. Issue: W/N the CA patently erred in ordering the remand of this case to the trial court instead of rendering judgment on the basis of petitioners evidence? Held: Yes. While the CA correctly reversed the trial court, it erred in remanding the case "for further proceedings." Consequences of a Reversal, on Appeal, of a Demurrer to Evidence The old Rule 35 of the Rules of Court was reworded under Rule 33 of the 1997 Rules, but the consequence on appeal of a demurrer to evidence was not changed. Defendants who present a demurrer to the plaintiffs evidence retain the right to present their own evidence, if the trial court disagrees with them; if the trial court agrees with them, but on appeal, the appellate court disagrees with both of them and reverses the dismissal order, the defendants lose the right to present their own evidence. The appellate court shall, in addition, resolve the case and render judgment on the merits, inasmuch as a demurrer aims to discourage prolonged litigations. In the case at bar, the trial court, acting on defendants' demurrer to evidence, dismissed the Complaint on the ground that plaintiff had adduced mere hearsay evidence. However, on appeal, the appellate court reversed the trial court because the genuineness and the due execution of the disputed pieces of evidence had in fact been admitted by defendants. Due and Demandable Obligation The act of leaving blank the due date of the first installment did not necessarily mean that the debtors were allowed to pay as and when they could. If this was the intention of the parties, they should have so indicated in the PN. However, it did not reflect any such intention. The Note expressly stipulated that the debt should be amortized monthly in installments of P11,579 for twelve consecutive months. While the specific date on which each installment would be due was left blank, the Note clearly provided that each installment should be payable each
month. Furthermore, it also provided for an acceleration clause and a late payment penalty, both of which showed the intention of the parties that the installments should be paid at a definite date. Had they intended that the debtors could pay as and when they could, there would have been no need for these two clauses. Verily, the contemporaneous and subsequent acts of the parties manifest their intention and knowledge that the monthly installments would be due and demandable each month. In this case, the conclusion that the installments had already became due and demandable is bolstered by the fact that respondents started paying installments on the PN, even if the checks were dishonored by their drawee bank. Neither by their avowals that the obligation had not yet matured nor by their claim that a period for payment should be fixed by a court. Petitioner has established not only a cause of action against the respondents, but also a due and demandable obligation. The obligation of the respondents had matured and they clearly defaulted when their checks bounced. Per the acceleration clause, the whole debt became due one month after the date of the PN because the check representing their first installment bounced. The Note already stipulated a late payment penalty of 2.5 percent monthly to be added to each unpaid installment until fully paid. Payment of interest was not expressly stipulated in the Note. Thus, it should be deemed included in such penalty. In addition, the Note also provided that the debtors would be liable for attorneys fees equivalent to 25 percent of the amount due in case a legal action was instituted and 10 percent of the same amount as liquidated damages. Liquidated damages, however, should no longer be imposed for being unconscionable. Such damages should also be deemed included in the 2.5 percent monthly penalty. Petitioner is entitled to attorneys fees, but only in a sum equal to 10 percent of the amount due which we deem reasonable under the proven facts. The Court deems it improper to discuss respondents' claim for moral and other damages. Not having appealed the CA Decision, they are not entitled to affirmative relief, as already explained earlier.

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