Extraterritorial service

G.R. No. 159699, March 16, 2005

Angela Paglicawan and Vernier Quijano were married and bore 4 legitimate
children (Quijano siblings) herein respondents. However, their relationship turn
sour.
Angela met his second husband Jesus Acance. After Vernier passed away in
1989, Jesus and Angela got married in 1990 and bore 3 children (Acance
siblings) herein petitioners. The latter are now residing in United States.
The dispute started when the Acance siblings executed Extra-Judicial Settlement
of the Estate and Waiver of Rights of the lots situated in Muntinlupa City.
The Quijano siblings now filed an amended complaint before the RTC of
Muntinlupa for the annulment of the extra-judicial settlement on the ground that
subject real properties are conjugal properties of Angela and Vernier, that they
have a valid right to succeed over the said properties as the lawful and
compulsory heirs and that the signature of Angela thereon was a forgery.
Upon motion of the respondents, the court a quo issued an order declaring the
petitioners in default for their failure to file an answer to the amended complaint.
Atty. Rosalino Acance representing petitioners filed with the court a quo a
Motion to Lift/Set Aside Order of Default. He alleged that he had not received a
copy of the complaint. The motion was however denied by the court.
It explained that the petitioners are all residing abroad but the real
properties subject of the complaint are situated in Muntinlupa City.
Accordingly, upon motion, they were deemed served with the summons
and the amended complaint through publication thereof in a newspaper
of general circulation in Muntinlupa City, where the properties are
located, and nationwide on October 20, 2001. The petitioners had sixty
(60) days from the last publication or until December 2, 2001 within
which to file their answer. However, they failed to do so.
Petitioners filed with the Court of Appeals a petition for certiorari but was
denied for failure of petitioners to first file a Motion for Reconsideration.
Hence, this petition.

ISSUE:
Whether petitioners are served with a
summons.
RULING:
NO.

valid extraterritorial service of

The court a quo acted with grave abuse of discretion in declaring the petitioners
in default without showing that there was full compliance with the requirements for
extraterritorial service of summons under Section 15, Rule 14 of the Rules of Court.
The said provision reads:
Sec. 15. Extraterritorial service. When the defendant does not reside and is not
found in the Philippines, and the action affects the personal status of the plaintiff or
relates to, or the subject of which is, property within the Philippines, in which the
defendant has or claims a lien or interest, actual or contingent, or in which the relief
demanded consists, wholly or in part, in excluding the defendant from any interest
therein, or the property of the defendant has been attached within the Philippines,
service may, by leave of court, be effected out of the Philippines by
personal service as under Section 6; or by publication in a newspaper of
general circulation in such places and for such time as the court may
order, in which case a copy of the summons and order of the court shall be
sent by registered mail to the last known address of the defendant, or in
any other manner the court may deem sufficient. Any order granting such
leave shall specify a reasonable time, which shall not be less than sixty (60) days
after notice, within which the defendant must answer.
The petitioners are citizens of the United States and residents thereof. Further,
the suit against them involves real property wherein the petitioners, as defendants
therein, have an interest. These facts clearly warranted extraterritorial service of
summons in accordance with Section 15, Rule 14 of the Rules of Court. The
rationale for service of summons on a nonresident defendant is explained, thus:
We repeat, service of summons on a nonresident defendant who is not
found in the country is required, not for purposes of physically acquiring
jurisdiction over his person but simply in pursuance of the requirements of
fair play, so that he may be informed of the pendency of the action against him
and the possibility that the property in the Philippines belonging to him or in which
he has an interest may be subjected to a judgment in favor of a resident, and that
he may thereby be accorded an opportunity to defend in the action, if he be so
minded. The only relief that may be granted in such an action against such a
nonresident defendant, who does not choose to submit himself to the jurisdiction of
the Philippine court, is limited to the res.[6]
In its Order dated April 26, 2002, the court a quo declared the petitioners in
default in this wise:
Since the last publication of this case more than 60 days ago, no answer has been
filed by any of the Defendants, the MOTION TO DECLARE THE DEFENDANTS IN
DEFAULT is, therefore, granted; hence Defendants, SPS. JESULITO P. ACANCE &

VILMA ACANCE, SPS. MANUEL P. ACANCE & GUIA ACANCE, and SPS. NESTOR P.
ACANCE & LYNNE ACANCE are defaulted.
But the service of summons in this case is defective. There was no showing
that copies of the summons and the amended complaint were duly served
at the petitioners last known correct address by registered mail, as a
complement to the publication pursuant to Section 15, Rule 14 of the Rules of
Court[8] and in compliance with the court a quos Order dated July 1, 2001 granting
the respondents motion for leave to serve summons by publication.
The respondents averred that a copy of the summons and order of the court
together with a copy of the amended complaint had been sent to each of the three
(3) defendants in their respective addresses by registered mail, as evidenced by
Registry Receipt No. 26832 for Nestor P. Acance dated November 13, 2001; Registry
receipt No. 26833 for Jesulito P. Acance dated November 13, 2001 and Registry
Receipt No. 26834 for Manuel P. Acance dated November 13, 2001, all sent from the
Makati City Branch Post Office. [9] However, except for this bare allegation, the
corresponding registry receipts or copies thereof were not presented to
show compliance with the rules.
Further, there was likewise non-compliance with Section 19, Rule 15 of the Rules
of Court relating to the proof of service by publication. The said provision reads:
Sec. 19. Proof of service by publication. If the service has been made by
publication, service may be proved by the affidavit of the printer, his
foreman, or principal clerk, or of the editor, business or advertising
manager, to which affidavit a copy of the publication shall be attached, and by an
affidavit showing the deposit of a copy of the summons and order for publication in
the post office, postage prepaid, directed to the defendant by registered mail to his
last known address.
While the respondents claimed that they had complied with the service of
summons by publication in a newspaper of general circulation,[10] it does not
appear that they had presented to the court a quo the affidavit of the
printer, his foreman, or principal clerk, or of the editor, business or
advertising manager of the Remate, where the publication was
allegedly made, to prove such service by publication. Neither did they
present an affidavit showing the deposit of a copy of the summons and
order of publication in the post office, postage prepaid, directed to the
petitioners by registered mail to their last known addresses.
The failure to strictly comply correctly with the requirements of the
rules regarding the mailing of copies of the summons and the order for its
publication is a fatal defect in the service of summons. [

It is the duty of the court to require the fullest compliance with all the requirements
of the statute permitting service by publication. Where service is obtained by
publication, the entire proceeding should be closely scrutinized by the courts and a
strict compliance with every condition of law should be exacted. Otherwise great
abuses may occur, and the rights of persons and property may be made to depend
upon the elastic conscience of interested parties rather than the enlightened
judgment of the court or judge.[
Petition is granted.