Jose v. Javellana, G.R. No. 158239, January 25, 2012
Jose v. Javellana, G.R. No. 158239, January 25, 2012
Jose v. Javellana, G.R. No. 158239, January 25, 2012
obligation; that the action had not yet prescribed due to its being actually one for quieting of title that was imprescriptible
brought by Javellana who had actual possession of the properties; and that based on the
complaint, Javellana had been in actual possession since 1979, and the cloud on his title had come about only when
Priscilla had started dumping filling materials on the premises.
On May 9, 2003, the CA denied the motion for reconsideration, stating that it decided to give due course to the appeal
even if filed out of time because Javellana had no intention to delay the proceedings, as in fact he did not even seek an
extension of time to file his appellants brief; that current jurisprudence afforded litigants the amplest opportunity to
present their cases free from the constraints of technicalities, such that even if an appeal was filed out of time, the
appellate court was given the discretion to nonetheless allow the appeal for justifiable reasons.
Issue:
Whether or not the RTCs decision denying of the motion for reconsideration of the order of dismissal a final order and
appealable.
Held:
Priscilla submits that the order of June 21, 2000 was not the proper subject of an appeal considering that Section 1 of Rule
41 of the Rules of Court provides that no appeal may be taken from an order denying a motion for reconsideration.
Priscillas submission is erroneous and cannot be sustained.
First of all, the denial of Javellanas motion for reconsideration left nothing more to be done by the RTC because it
confirmed the dismissal of Civil Case No. 79-M-97. It was clearly a final order, not an interlocutory one. The Court has
distinguished between final and interlocutory orders in Pahila-Garrido v. Tortogo,[22] thuswise:
The distinction between a final order and an interlocutory order is well known. The first disposes of
the subject matter in its entirety or terminates a particular proceeding or action, leaving nothing more to
be done except to enforce by execution what the court has determined, but the latter does not completely
dispose of the case but leaves something else to be decided upon. An interlocutory order deals with
preliminary matters and the trial on the merits is yet to be held and the judgment
rendered. The test to ascertain whether or not an order or a judgment is
interlocutory or final is: does the order or judgment leave something to be done in the trial court with
respect to the merits of the case? If it does, the order or judgment is interlocutory; otherwise, it is final.
And, secondly, whether an order is final or interlocutory determines whether appeal is the correct remedy or not.
A final order is appealable, to accord with the final judgment rule enunciated in Section 1, Rule 41 of the Rules of Court to
the effect that appeal may be taken from a judgment or final order that completely disposes of the case, or of a particular
matter therein when declared by these Rules to be appealable; but the remedy from an interlocutory one is not an appeal
but a special civil action for certiorari. The explanation for the differentiation of remedies given in Pahila-Garrido v.
Tortogo is apt:
xxx The reason for disallowing an appeal from an interlocutory order is to avoid multiplicity of
appeals in a single action, which necessarily suspends the hearing and decision on the merits of the action
during the pendency of the appeals. Permitting multiple appeals will necessarily delay the trial on the
merits of the case for a considerable length of time, and will compel the adverse party to incur
unnecessary expenses, for one of the parties may interpose as many appeals as there are incidental
questions raised by him and as there are interlocutory orders rendered or issued by the lower court. An
interlocutory order may be the subject of an appeal, but only after a judgment has been rendered, with the
ground for appealing the order being included in the appeal of the judgment itself.
The remedy against an interlocutory order not subject of an appeal is an appropriate special civil
action under Rule 65, provided that the interlocutory order is rendered without or in excess of jurisdiction
or with grave abuse of discretion. Then is certiorari under Rule 65 allowed to be resorted to.
Indeed, the Court has held that an appeal from an order denying a motion for reconsideration of a final order or judgment
is effectively an appeal from the final order or judgment itself; and has expressly clarified that the prohibition against
appealing an order denying a motion for reconsideration referred only to a denial of a motion for reconsideration of
an interlocutory order.