Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 180 views

    Nazareno v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 111610, February 27, 2002

    Uploaded by

    Kcompacion
    The Supreme Court ruled that a trial judge committed error in promulgating a decision penned by another judge who had already retired from office at the time of promulgation. The Court held that a decision can only be validly promulgated during the incumbency of the judge who signed it, and if promulgated after the judge's retirement, it is null and void. In this case, the decision penned by the retired Judge Diosomito was improperly promulgated by the acting Judge Icasiano after Judge Diosomito's retirement. As such, the decision was void and the petitioner was not bound by the failure to timely appeal, as there was no valid judgment

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Nazareno v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 111610, February 27, 2002

    Uploaded by

    Kcompacion
    180 views2 pages
    The Supreme Court ruled that a trial judge committed error in promulgating a decision penned by another judge who had already retired from office at the time of promulgation. The Court held that a decision can only be validly promulgated during the incumbency of the judge who signed it, and if promulgated after the judge's retirement, it is null and void. In this case, the decision penned by the retired Judge Diosomito was improperly promulgated by the acting Judge Icasiano after Judge Diosomito's retirement. As such, the decision was void and the petitioner was not bound by the failure to timely appeal, as there was no valid judgment

    Original Description:

    nazareno

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The Supreme Court ruled that a trial judge committed error in promulgating a decision penned by another judge who had already retired from office at the time of promulgation. The Court held that a decision can only be validly promulgated during the incumbency of the judge who signed it, and if promulgated after the judge's retirement, it is null and void. In this case, the decision penned by the retired Judge Diosomito was improperly promulgated by the acting Judge Icasiano after Judge Diosomito's retirement. As such, the decision was void and the petitioner was not bound by the failure to timely appeal, as there was no valid judgment

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    180 views2 pages

    Nazareno v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 111610, February 27, 2002

    Uploaded by

    Kcompacion
    The Supreme Court ruled that a trial judge committed error in promulgating a decision penned by another judge who had already retired from office at the time of promulgation. The Court held that a decision can only be validly promulgated during the incumbency of the judge who signed it, and if promulgated after the judge's retirement, it is null and void. In this case, the decision penned by the retired Judge Diosomito was improperly promulgated by the acting Judge Icasiano after Judge Diosomito's retirement. As such, the decision was void and the petitioner was not bound by the failure to timely appeal, as there was no valid judgment

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Nazareno v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.

    111610, February 27, 2002


    Facts:
    Petitioner Romeo Nazareno and his wife, Elisa Nazareno, were charged with Serious Physical Injuries in the Municipal
    Trial Court of Naic, Cavite and that upon arraignment, both pleaded not guilty to the offense charged.
    After trial on the merits, the said court set the promulgation of judgment for April 24, 1986, but the same was postponed
    due to petitioners filing of a motion to re-open the case on the ground of non-presentation of a vital witness who could
    not be produced during the trial proper. Said motion was opposed by the prosecution. On November 27, 1987, after
    Presiding Judge Manuel C. Diosomito was suspended, Acting Municipal Trial Court Judge Aurelio Icasiano, Jr. issued a
    resolution denying the motion to re-open.
    Petitioner brought the matter up to the Court of Appeals on certiorari with a prayer for a temporary restraining
    order/preliminary injunction, docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 14329. In the meantime, Acting Municipal Trial Court Judge
    Icasiano, Jr. set the promulgation of judgment on April 15, 1988. On April 15, 1988, Acting Municipal Trial Court Judge
    Icasiano, Jr. promulgated the Decision dated November 8, 1985 of Judge Manuel C. Diosomito acquitting Elisa Nazareno
    but convicting the petitioner as charged. However, on the same date, the Court of Appeals in said CA-G.R. SP No. 14329
    issued a temporary restraining order enjoining Judge Icasiano, Jr. from proceeding with the promulgation of said judgment
    since a copy of the same resolution containing the temporary restraining order was received by the Metropolitan Trial
    Court only after said date.
    Petitioner thereafter filed in the Court of Appeals a supplemental petition in said CA-G.R. SP No. 14329 to declare the
    nullity of judgment, on the ground that the decision, having been signed by Judge Diosomito, should have also been
    promulgated by him, and not by Acting Judge Icasiano, Jr. Petitioner also alleged that the decision is void since at the time
    of the promulgation of the decision by Judge Icasiano, Jr., Judge Diosomito who signed the subject decision has already
    retired from office. Said supplemental petition, however, was denied by the Court of Appeals in its decision
    dated February 11, 1991.[ Reconsideration of the said decision of the appellate court was denied in a Resolution
    promulgated on March 13, 1991.
    Petitioner interposed a petition for review on certiorari with the Supreme Court questioning the February 11,
    1991 decision of the Court of Appeals but the same failed for having been filed out of time, more specifically twelve (12)
    days late. Petitioners motion for reconsideration was denied by the Supreme Court in a Resolution dated September 18,
    1991. OnOctober 3, 1991, petitioner received a copy of the resolution denying his motion for reconsideration, and on the
    same date he filed his notice of appeal with the said Municipal Trial Court of Naic, appealing its decision to the Regional
    Trial Court.
    Issue:
    Whether or not the trial judge committed error in promulgating a decision penned by another judge who has ceased to be a
    member of the judiciary at the time of the promulgation of the decision.
    Held:
    A judgment promulgated after the judge who signed the decision has ceased to hold office is not valid and binding. Such a
    doctrine goes back to a 1917 decision, Lino Luna v. Rodriguez and De los Angeles. We reiterated this doctrine in the case
    of People v. Labaowherein we held that for a judgment to be valid, it must be duly signed and promulgated during the
    incumbency of the judge who signed it. Thus, a decision penned by a judge after his retirement cannot be validly
    promulgated; it cannot acquire a binding effect as it is null and void. Qoud ab initio non valet, in tractu temporis non
    convalescit.
    In like manner, a decision penned by a judge during his incumbency cannot be validly promulgated after his retirement.
    When a judge retired all his authority to decide any case, i.e., to write, sign and promulgate the decision thereon also

    retired with him. In other words, he had lost entirely his power and authority to act on all cases assigned to him prior to
    his retirement. In the instant case, therefore, Judge Icasiano, Jr. could not validly promulgate the decision of another
    judge, Judge Diosomito, who has long retired from the service. The decision dated November 8, 1985 of Judge
    Diosomito, as promulgated by Judge Icasiano, Jr., in Criminal Case No. 2335 of the Municipal Trial Court of
    Naic, Cavite is a void judgment.
    A void judgment never acquires finality. Hence, while admittedly, the petitioner in the case at bar failed to appeal timely
    the aforementioned decision of the Municipal Trial Court of Naic, Cavite, it cannot be deemed to have become final and
    executory. In contemplation of law, that void decision is deemed nonexistent. Thus, there was no effective or operative
    judgment to appeal from. In Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System vs. Sison, this Court held that:
    xxx [A] void judgment is not entitled to the respect accorded to a valid judgment, but may be entirely disregarded or
    declared inoperative by any tribunal in which effect is sought to be given to it. It is attended by none of the consequences
    of a valid adjudication. It has no legal or binding effect or efficacy for any purpose or at any place. It cannot affect, impair
    or create rights. It is not entitled to enforcement and is, ordinarily, no protection to those who seek to enforce. All
    proceedings founded on the void judgment are themselves regarded as invalid. In other words, a void judgment is
    regarded as a nullity, and the situation is the same as it would be if there were no judgment. It, accordingly, leaves the
    parties litigants in the same position they were in before the trial.
    Thus, a void judgment is no judgment at all. It cannot be the source of any right nor of any obligation. All acts performed
    pursuant to it and all claims emanating from it have no legal effect. Hence, it can never become final and any writ of
    execution based on it is void: x x x it may be said to be a lawless thing which can be treated as an outlaw and slain at
    sight, or ignored wherever and whenever it exhibits its head.
    Admittedly, petitioner made possible the failure of the prior petition for review (G.R No. 97812) before this Court to
    proceed by reason of its late filing as well as his choices of remedial measures. However, oft-repeated is the dictum that
    courts should not place undue importance on technicalities, when by so doing, substantial justice is sacrificed. Rules of
    procedure are intended to promote, not defeat, substantial justice. It is within the power of this Court to temper rigid rules
    of procedure in favor of substantial justice. While it is desirable that the Rules of Court be faithfully observed, courts
    should not be so strict about procedural lapses that do not really impair the proper administration of justice. If the rules are
    intended to ensure the proper and orderly conduct of litigation, it is because of the higher objective they seek which is the
    attainment of justice and the protection of substantive rights of the parties. Thus, the relaxation of procedural rules, or
    saving a particular case from the operation of technicalities when substantial justice requires it, as in the case at bar,
    should no longer be subject to cavil.

    You might also like