Ola Vs People

OLA VS PEOPLE
G.R. No. 195547

December 02, 2015
FACTS
The instant petition traces its origin to an Information filed with the RTC of Las Pinas charging petitioner and
other 2 persons with the crime of estafa under Art. 315 of the RPC. After the trial, the RTC found petitioner and
her co-accused guilty of other forms of swindling under Art. 316 of the RPC. Petitioner and the other accused
appealed the RTC decision to the CA. Subsequently, petitioner filed a Manifestation with Leave of Court
praying that she be granted a period of 20 days within which to file an appropriate pleading. She then filed a
Motion for Leave of Court to file Amended Appellants Brief. CA denied petitioners motion for having been
filed out of time. Petitioner filed a Motion for Reconsideration but CA denied it. Undeterred, petitioner filed a
Very Urgent Ex-Parte Motion for [Extension of Time] to File for Vacation for Resolution or Appropriate
Pleading. Hence, the instant petition for review on certiorari.
ISSUES
1. whether or not the governing law or rule is Rule 10 on amendments of pleading, and not Section 6,
both of Rule 6 and 11, in relation to Section 9 of Rule 44 and Section 4 of Rule 124 on matter of reply,
all of the Rules of Court; and
2. whether or not the liberality rule for amendment of pleadings instead of the general rule on liberality
must be applied in favor of the petitioner
HELD
1. It is settled that the remedy of a party against an adverse disposition of the CA would depend on whether the
same is a final order or merely an interlocutory order.14 If the Order or Resolution issued by the CA is in the
nature of a final order, the remedy of the aggrieved party would be to file a petition for review
on certiorari under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court.15Otherwise, the appropriate remedy would be to file a petition
for certiorari under Rule 65.
As distinguished from a final order which disposes of the subject matter in its entirety or terminates a particular
proceeding or action, leaving nothing else to be done but to enforce by execution what has been determined by
the court, an interlocutory order does not dispose of a case completely, but leaves something more to be
adjudicated upon. The term final judgment or order signifies a judgment or an order which disposes of the case
as to all the parties, reserving no further questions or directions for future determination.
On the other hand, a court order is merely interlocutory in character if it leaves substantial proceedings yet to be
had in connection with the controversy. It does not end the task of the court in adjudicating the parties'
contentions and determining their rights and liabilities as against each other. In this sense, it is
basically provisional in its application.
In the present case, the Court agrees with the contention of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) that the
assailed Resolutions of the CA are interlocutory orders, as they do not dispose of the case completely but leave
something to be decided upon.19 What has been denied by the CA was a mere motion to amend petitioner's
appeal brief and the appellate court has yet to finally dispose of petitioner's appeal by determining the main
issue of whether or not she is indeed guilty of estafa. As such, petitioner's resort to the present petition for
review on certiorari is erroneous.
Thus, on this ground alone, the instant petition is dismissible as the Court finds no cogent reason not to apply
the rule on dismissal of appeals under Section 5,20 Rule 56 of the Rules of Court.
2. The CA has correctly ruled that under Section 4, paragraph 2, Rule 2, of the Rules of Court, petitioner had
twenty (20) days from receipt of herein respondent's brief to file a reply brief to discuss matters raised in
respondent's brief which were not covered in her brief. However, as found by the CA, petitioner's manifestation
requesting an additional period to file an appropriate pleading as well as her motion for leave of court to file an
amended appellant's brief was filed seventy-nine (79) days late and, as such, was deemed "not acceptable or too
long to ignore."24
Even if the court were to apply the rule on amendment of pleadings, it is clear under Section 3, Rule 10 of the
Rules of Court that after a responsive pleading has been filed, as in the present case, substantial amendments
may be made only by leave of court. Moreover, such leave may be refused if it appears to the court that the
motion was made with intent to delay. In the instant case, the Court finds that the CA did not commit any error
in refusing to grant petitioner's motion to amend her -brief on the ground that the delay in filing such motion is
unjustified.
Finally, it bears to point out that the premise that underlies all appeals is that they are merely rights which arise
from statute; therefore, they must be exercised in the manner prescribed by law.25 It is to this end that rules
governing pleadings and practice before appellate courts were imposed.26These rules were designed to assist the
appellate court in the accomplishment of its tasks, and overall, to enhance the orderly administration of
justice.27 Failing in this respect, the instant petition should be denied.

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OLA VS PEOPLE

G.R. No. 195547

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