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196118

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Republic of the Philippines

SUPREME COURT
Manila

THIRD DIVISION

G.R. No. 196118 July 30, 2014

LEONARDO C. CASTILLO, represented by LENNARD V. CASTILLO, Petitioner,

vs.
SECURITY BANK CORPORATION, JRC POULTRY FARMS or SPOUSES LEON C. CASTILLO, JR., and
TERESITA FLORESCASTILLO, Respondents.

DECISION

PERALTA, J.:

This is a Petition for Review questioning the Decision1 of the Court of Appeals (CA) dated November 26, 2010, as
well as its Resolution2 dated March 17, 2011 in CA-G.R. CV No. 88914. The CA reversed and set aside the
Decision3 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of San Pablo City, Laguna, Branch 32, dated October 16, 2006 in Civil
Case No. SP-5882 (02), and consequently, upheld the validity of the real estate mortgage entered into by
respondents spouses Leon C. Castillo, Jr. and Teresita Flores-Castillo, and Security Bank Corporation (SBC).

The facts, as culled from the records, are as follows:

Petitioner Leonardo C. Castillo and respondent Leon C. Castillo, Jr. are siblings. Leon and Teresita Flores-Castillo
(the Spouses Castillo) were doing business under the name of JRC Poultry Farms. Sometime in 1994, the Spouses
Castillo obtained a loan from respondent SBC in the amount of ₱45,000,000.00. To secure said loan, they executed
a real estate mortgage on August 5, 1994 over eleven (11) parcels of land belonging to different members of the
Castillo family and which are all located in San Pablo City.4 They also procured a second loan5 amounting to
₱2,500,000.00, which was covered by a mortgage on a land in Pasay City. Subsequently, the Spouses Castillo
failed to settle the loan, prompting SBC to proceed with the foreclosure of the properties. SBC was then adjudged as
the winning bidder in the foreclosure sale held on July 29, 1999. Thereafter, they were able to redeem the
foreclosed properties, withthe exception of the lots covered by Torrens Certificate of Title(TCT) Nos. 28302 and
28297.

On January 30, 2002, Leonardo filed a complaint for the partial annulment of the real estate mortgage. He alleged
that he owns the property covered by TCT No. 28297 and that the Spouses Castillo used it as one of the collaterals
for a loan without his consent. He contested his supposed Special Power of Attorney (SPA) in Leon’s favor, claiming
that it is falsified. According to him, the date of issuance of his Community Tax Certificate (CTC) as indicated on the
notarization of said SPA is January 11, 1993, when he only secured the same on May 17, 1993. He also assailed
the foreclosure of the lots under TCT Nos.20030 and 10073 which were still registered in the name of their
deceased father. Lastly, Leonardo attacked SBC’s imposition of penalty and interest on the loans as being arbitrary
and unconscionable.

On the other hand, the Spouses Castillo insisted on the validity of Leonardo’s SPA. They alleged that they incurred
the loan not only for themselves, but also for the other members of the Castillo family who needed money at that
time. Upon receipt of the proceeds of the loan, they distributed the same to their family members, as agreed upon.
However, when the loan became due, their relatives failed to pay their respective shares such that Leon was forced
to use his own money until SBC had to finally foreclose the mortgage over the lots.6

In a Decision dated October 16, 2006, the RTC of San Pablo City ruled in Leonardo’s favor, the dispositive portion of
which reads:

WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiff Leonardo C. Castillo and against the defendants
SECURITY BANK CORPORATION, and JRC POULTRY FARMS or SPS. LEON C. CASTILLO, JR. and TERESITA
FLORES-CASTILLO declaring as null and void the Real Estate Mortgage dated August 5, 1994, the Memorandum
of Agreement dated October 28, 1997 and the Certificate of Sale dated August 27, 1999 insofar as plaintiff’s
property with Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-28297 is concerned. The Security Bank Corporation is likewise
ordered to return the ownership of the Transfer Certificate of Title No. T-28297 to plaintiff Leonardo Castillo.
Likewise, defendants spouses Leon C. Castillo, Jr. and Teresita Flores-Castillo are hereby ordered to pay plaintiff
moral damages in the total amount of ₱500,000.00 and exemplary damages of ₱20,000.00. All other claims for
damages and attorney’s fees are DENIED for insufficiency of evidence.

SO ORDERED.7

Both parties elevated the case to the CA. On November 26, 2010, the CA denied Leonardo’s appeal and granted
that of the Spouses Castillo and SBC. It reversed and set aside the RTC Decision, essentially ruling that the August
5, 1994 real estate mortgage isvalid. Leonardo filed a Motion for Reconsideration, but the same was denied for lack
of merit.

Hence, Leonardo brought the case to the Court and filed the instant Petition for Review. The main issue soughtto
1âwphi1

be resolved here is whether or not the real estate mortgage constituted over the property under TCT No. T-28297 is
valid and binding.

The Court finds the petition to be without merit.

As a rule, the jurisdiction of the Court over appealed cases from the CA is limited to the review and revision of errors
of law it allegedly committed, as its findings of fact are deemed conclusive. Thus, the Court is not duty-bound to
evaluate and weigh the evidence all over again which were already considered in the proceedings below, except
when, as in this case, the findings of fact of the CAare contrary to the findings and conclusions of the trial court.8

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The following are the legal requisites for a mortgage to be valid:

(1) It must be constituted to secure the fulfillment of a principal obligation;

(2) The mortgagor must be the absolute owner of the thing mortgaged;

(3) The persons constituting the mortgage must have the free disposal of their property, and in the absence
thereof, they should be legally authorized for the purpose.9

Leonardo asserts that his signature inthe SPA authorizing his brother, Leon, to mortgage his property covered by
TCT No. T-28297 was falsified. He claims that he was in America at the time of its execution. As proof of the forgery,
he focuses on his alleged CTC used for the notarization10 of the SPA on May 5, 1993 and points out that it appears
to have been issued on January 11, 1993 when, in fact, he only obtained it on May 17, 1993. But it is a settled rule
that allegations of forgery, like all other allegations, must be proved by clear, positive, and convincing evidence by
the party alleging it. It should not be presumed, but must beestablished by comparing the alleged forged signature
with the genuine signatures.11 Here, Leonardo simply relied on his self-serving declarations and refused to present
further corroborative evidence, saying that the falsified document itself is the best evidence.12 He did not even
bother comparing the alleged forged signature on the SPA with samples of his real and actual signature. What he
consistently utilized as lone support for his allegation was the supposed discrepancy on the date of issuance of his
CTC as reflectedon the subject SPA’s notarial acknowledgment. On the contrary, in view of the great ease with
which CTCs are obtained these days,13 there is reasonable ground to believe that, as the CA correctly observed, the
CTC could have been issued with the space for the date left blank and Leonardo merelyfilled it up to accommodate
his assertions. Also, upon careful examination, the handwriting appearing on the space for the date of issuance is
different from that on the computation of fees, which in turn was consistent with the rest of the writings on the
document.14 He did not likewise attempt to show any evidence that would back up his claim that at the time of the
execution of the SPA on May 5, 1993, he was actually in America and therefore could not have possibly appeared
and signed the document before the notary.

And even if the Court were to assume, simply for the sake of argument, that Leonardo indeed secured his CTC only
on May 17, 1993, this does not automatically render the SPA invalid. The appellate court aptly held that defective
notarization will simply strip the document of its public character and reduce it to a private instrument, but
nonetheless, binding, provided its validity is established by preponderance of evidence.15 Article 1358 of the Civil
Code requires that the form of a contract that transmits or extinguishes real rights over immovable property should
be in a public document, yet the failure to observethe proper form does not render the transaction invalid.16 The
necessity of a public document for said contracts is only for convenience; it is not essential for validity or
enforceability.17 Even a sale of real property, though notcontained in a public instrument or formal writing, is
nevertheless valid and binding, for even a verbal contract of sale or real estate produceslegal effects between the
parties.18 Consequently, when there is a defect in the notarization of a document, the clear and convincing
evidentiary standard originally attached to a dulynotarized document is dispensed with, and the measure to test the
validity of such document is preponderance of evidence.19

Here, the preponderance ofevidence indubitably tilts in favor of the respondents, still making the SPA binding
between the parties even with the aforementioned assumed irregularity. There are several telling circumstances
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that would clearly demonstrate that Leonardo was aware of the mortgage and he indeed executed the SPA to
entrust Leon with the mortgage of his property. Leon had inhis possession all the titles covering the eleven (11)
properties mortgaged, including that of Leonardo.20 Leonardo and the rest of their relatives could not have just
blindly ceded their respective TCTs to Leon.21 It is likewise ridiculous how Leonardo seemed to have been totally
oblivious to the status of his property for eight (8) long years, and would only find outabout the mortgage and
foreclosure from a nephew who himself had consented to the mortgage of his own lot.22 Considering the lapse of
time from the alleged forgery on May 5, 1993 and the mortgage on August 5, 1994, to the foreclosure on July 29,
1999, and to the supposed discovery in 2001, it appears that the suit is a mere afterthought or a last-ditch effort on
Leonardo’s part to extend his hold over his property and to prevent SBC from consolidating ownership over the
same. More importantly, Leonardo himself admitted on cross-examination that he granted Leon authority to
mortgage, only that, according to him, he thought it was going to be with China Bank, and not SBC.23 But as the CA
noted, there is no mention of a certainbank in the subject SPA with which Leon must specifically deal. Leon,
therefore, was simply acting within the bounds of the SPA’s authority when hemortgaged the lot to SBC.

True, banks and other financing institutions, in entering into mortgage contracts, are expected to exercise due
diligence.24 The ascertainment of the status or condition of a property offered to it as security for a loan must be a
standard and indispensable part of its operations.25 In this case, however, no evidence was presented to show that
SBC was remiss in the exercise of the standard care and prudence required of it or that it was negligent in accepting
the mortgage.26 SBC could not likewise befaulted for relying on the presumption of regularity of the notarized SPA
when it entered into the subject mortgage agreement.

Finally, the Court finds that the interest and penalty charges imposed by SBC are just, and not excessive or
unconscionable.

Section 47 of The General Banking Law of 200027 thus provides:

Section 47. Foreclosure of Real Estate Mortgage.- In the event of foreclosure, whether judicially or extra-judicially, of
any mortgage on real estate which is security for any loan or other credit accommodation granted, the mortgagor or
debtor whose real property has been sold for the full or partial payment of his obligation shall have the right within
one year after the sale of the real estate, to redeem the property by paying the amount due under the mortgage
deed, with interest thereon at the rate specified in the mortgage, and all the costs and expenses incurred by the
bank or institutionfrom the sale and custody of said property less the income derived therefrom. However,the
purchaser at the auction sale concerned whether in a judicial or extra-judicial foreclosure shall have the right to
enter upon and take possession of such property immediately after the date of the confirmation of the auction sale
and administer the same in accordance with law. Any petition in court to enjoin or restrain the conduct of foreclosure
proceedings instituted pursuant to this provision shall be given due course only upon the filing by the petitioner of a
bond in an amount fixed by the court conditioned that he will pay all the damages which the bank may suffer by the
enjoining or the restraint of the foreclosure proceeding.

Notwithstanding Act 3135, juridical persons whose property is being sold pursuant to an extrajudicial foreclosure,
shall have the right to redeem the property in accordance with this provision until, but not after, the registration of the
certificate of foreclosure sale with the applicable Register of Deeds which in no case shall be more than three (3)
months after foreclosure, whichever is earlier. Owners of property that has been sold in a foreclosure sale prior to
the effectivity of this Act shall retain their redemption rights until their expiration.28 Verily, the redemption price
comprises not only the total amount due under the mortgage deed, but also with interest at the rate specified in the
mortgage, and all the foreclosure expenses incurred by the mortgagee bank.

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To sustain Leonardo's claim that their payment of ₱45,000,000.00 had already extinguished their entire obligation
with SBC would mean that no interest ever accrued from 1994, when the loan was availed, up to the time the
payment of ₱45,000,000.00 was made in 2000-2001.

SBC's 16% rate of interest is not computed per month, but rather per annum or only 1.33% per month. In Spouses
Bacolor v. Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank, Dagupan City Branch,29 the Court held that the interest rate
of 24% per annum on a loan of ₱244,000.00 is not considered as unconscionable and excessive. As such, the Court
ruled that the debtors cannot renege on their obligation to comply with what is incumbent upon them under the
contract of loan as they are bound by its stipulations. Also, the 24o/o per annum rate or 2% per month for the
penalty charges imposed on account of default, cannot be considered as skyrocketing. The enforcement of penalty
can be demanded by the creditor in case of non-performance due to the debtor's fault or fraud. The nonperformance
gives rise to the presumption of fault and in order to avoid the penalty, the debtor has the burden of proving that the
failure of the performance was due to either force majeure or the creditor's own acts.30 In the instant case, petitioner
failed to discharge said burden and thus cannot avoid the payment of the penalty charge agreed upon.

WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition is DENIED. The Decision of the Court of Appeals, dated
November 26, 2010, as well as its Resolution dated March 17, 2011 in CA-G.R. CV No. 88914, are hereby
AFFIRMED.

SO ORDERED.

DIOSDADO M. PERALTA
Associate Justice

WE CONCUR:

PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.

Associate Justice
Chairperson

MARTIN S. VILLARAMA, JR.* JOSE CATRAL MENDOZA

Associate Justice Associate Justice

MARVIC MARIO VICTOR F. LEONEN

Associate Justice

ATTESTATION

I attest that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned
to the writer of the opinion of the Court's Division.

PRESBITERO J. VELASCO, JR.

Associate Justice
Chairilerson, Third Division

CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Section 13, Article VIII of the Constitution and the Division Chairperson's Attestation, I certify that the
conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation before the case was assigned to the writer of
the opinion of the Court's Division.

MARIA LOURDES P. A. SERENO

Chief Justice

Footnotes
*
Designated Acting Member, per Special Order No. 1691 dated May 22, 2014, in view of the vacancy in the
Third Division.
1
Penned by Associate Justice Franchito N. Diamante, with Associate Justices Josefina Guevara-Salonga
and Mariflor P. Punzalan Castillo, concurring; rollo, pp. 42-63.
2
Id. at 65-67.
3
CA rollo, pp. 118-145.
4
Rollo, p. 15.
5
Id. at 16.
6
Id. at 48.
7
Id. at 43.
8
Meneses v. Venturozo, G.R. No. 172196, October 19, 2011, 659 SCRA 577, 585.
9
CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Art. 2085.
10
CA rollop. 151.
11
Francisco Lim v. Equitable PCI Bank (now known as Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.), G.R. No. 183918,
January 15, 2014.
12
Rollo, p. 23.
13
Baylon v. Atty. Almo, 578 Phil. 238, 242 (2008).
14
CA rollo, p. 176.

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15
The Heirs of Victorino Sarili v. Pedro F. Lagrosa, represented in this act by his attorney-in-fact, Lourdes
Labios Mojica, G.R. No. 193517, January 15, 2014.
16
Tigno v. Spouses Aquino, 486 Phil. 254, 268 (2004).
17
Meneses v. Venturozo, supra note 8, at 585-586.
18
Tigno v. Spouses Aquino, supranote 16, at 268.
19
Meneses v. Venturozo, supranote 8, at 586.
20
CA rollo, p. 189.
21
Id. at 190.
22
Id. at 193.
23
Id. at 200.
24
Francisco Lim v. Equitable PCI Bank, (now known as Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.), supranote 11.
25
PNB v. Jumamoy, G.R. No. 169901, August 3, 2011, 655 SCRA 55, 63.
26
Francisco Lim v. Equitable PCI Bank (now known as Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.), supra note 11.
27
Republic Act No. 8791, AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE REGULATION OF THE ORGANIZATION AND
OPERATIONS OF BANKS, QUASI-BANKS, TRUST ENTITIES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
28
Emphasis ours.
29
544 Phil. 18, 27 (2007).
30
Development Bank of the Philippines v. Family Foods Manufacturing Co. Ltd., 611 Phil. 843, 855 (2009).

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

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