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Conclusiveness of courts findings as to its jurisdiction

CAMPOS v. WISLIZENUS and ALDANESE


FACTS: Teodoro Aldanese was elected as municipal president of the municipality of
Sibonga. Petitioner filed an election protest against the election. Copies were duly
made for service on the various persons receiving votes for the office of the
municipal president. However, the notice for the respondent was delivered to Isidoro
Aldanese, respondents brother. The respondent moved for the dismissal of the
proceedings alleging that no service of the protest as to him had been made in the
manner required by law. The court dismissed the protest. Petitioner alleged that
after the order had been dictated, his counsel offered to present evidence that the
notice was served in accordance with law but the court refused to hear the
evidence. It is also alleged that a motion was made for a rehearing which the court
denied.
ISSUE: Whether or not the dismissal was proper
HELD: We have frequently held that the court acquires no jurisdiction of an election
protest unless the protestant shows to the court that a notice of protest has been
served in the manner required by law upon all the candidates receiving votes for
the office concerning which the protest was filled and who were candidates for that
office.
The absence of such proof is fatal to the petitioner when the motion is dismissed on
that ground. There is no doubt that the court would receive an affidavit of service or
other evidence showing that the service referred to was made in accordance with
law if such evidence were offered at any time before the motion was made and,
probably, even after the motion was made but before the order of dismissal was
entered. In this case, however, no evidence was offered establishing the fact of
proper service until after the order dismissing the proceedings was entered, except
the evidence referred to in the order of dismissal and the order denying the motion
for a rehearing. The evidence referred to in such orders was insufficient to establish
the service. In the absence of provisions in the Election Law stating how such
service should be made the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure relative to that
matter control.
We said in the case of Navarro vs. Jimenez (23 Phil. Rep., 557):
We have to say, in amplification of our former opinion on this question, that the
general rule is that, where the jurisdiction of the court depends upon the existence
of facts, and the court judicially considers and adjudicates the question of its
jurisdiction, and decides that the fact exist which are necessary to give it
jurisdiction of the case, the finding is conclusive and cannot be controverted in a
collateral proceeding.

The rule enunciated in the case just cited would apply to a case where the proper
service of notice on the candidates voted for was challenged and the court
determined upon the facts presented, after hearing the allegations of the parties
and their arguments based thereon, that service had not been made as required by
law. Such a determination involves a mixed question of law and fact; and it is a rule,
as stated in the case cited, that, where the jurisdiction of the court depends upon
the determination of a question of fact and that question has been determined by
the court after a hearing, that determination is conclusive and can not be attacked
collaterally. In the case before us evidence as to the fact of service was introduced
by the petitioner and the sufficiency of that evidence was challenged by the
respondent. The petitioner did not take advantage of the opportunity given him by
the challenge to present other and further evidence in relation to the service but
stood squarely upon the facts already presented and accepted a decision of the
court thereon. Under such circumstances there was nothing left for the court to do
except to decide the question upon the facts as they were. The court did so; and
although to say so is unnecessary to a decision of this case, we are of the opinion
that its finding on the facts as they existed of record at the time was well founded.
Certain it is that the evidence before the court did not establish the facts required
by paragraph 6 of section 396 of the code of Civil Procedure to show a legal service.
Thereafter the court denied the motion for a rehearing and that denial cannot be
held to have been made in excess of the jurisdiction of the court or outside of its
powers and authority. Even though it be conceded that the court should have given
the petitioner an opportunity to present further evidence on the question of service
the fact that the court held that the petitioner had had his day in court with regard
to that matter and that he was not entitled to another opportunity at the expense of
the respondent and the delay which would necessarily follow does not go to the
jurisdiction of the court and does not subject him to a revision of his orders
on certiorari.
It may be added that the determination of a question of fact on which its jurisdiction
depends does not of itself affect the court's jurisdiction. It has power to resolve the
question of fact; and its decision is within its powers whichever was it may go. Such
a finding cannot be attacked by certiorari (Navarro vs. Jimenez, above; Gala vs. Cui
and Rodriguez, 25 Phil. Rep., 522).

Without jurisdiction; lack of jurisdiction; excess of jurisdiction; grave


abuse of discretion defined
ABAD SANTOS v. PROVINCE OF TARLAC
Facts: In an action instituted by the Province of Tarlac for the condemnation of
certain parcels of land for the construction of the Capas-Murcia Diversion road, a

compromise was entered for the payment of the agreed value of the lands. The
respondent judge approved the compromise. The provincial fiscal, in behalf of the
Province of Tarlac, moved for the reconsideration of the decision on the ground that
in giving his assent to the compromise, he acted under the mistaken belief that the
prices fixed therein had been approved by the appraisal committee of the provincial
government, composed of the provincial treasurer, district engineer and provincial
auditor, and that the Province of Tarlac, at the time of the compromise, had no
longer any authority to expropriate the lands, because of Executive Order No. 71,
the Capas-Murcia Diversion road was declared a national highway under the
authority of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The respondent judge acceded to
this motion and, setting aside its decision, ordered the reopening of the case and
authorized the substitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines for the Province
of Tarlac as party plaintiff. Petitioners contend that the respondent judge was
without power to set aside his partial decision which was founded upon a
compromise duly approved by him.
ISSUE: Whether or not the judge can set aside the his decision which was based on
the compromise agreement
HELD: 1. CERTIORARI; CONTROL OF COURT OVER JUDGMENT THAT HAS NOT
BECOME FINAL; JUDGMENT UPON A COMPROMISE. It is not claimed that the
judgment in question has become final. In fact, it cannot be so claimed because the
fiscals motion for reconsideration thereof was presented five days after its
rendition. Not having become final, the lower court has plenary control over it and
can modify or set it aside as law and justice require. (Arnedo v. Llorente and
Liongson, 18 Phil., 267; De Fiesta v. Llorente and Manila Railroad Co., 25 Phil., 554,
561.) And the fact that the decision was rendered upon a compromise, gives it no
greater validity than if it had been rendered after a trial. It stands on the same
footing as that of an ordinary judgment which may be opened or vacated on
adequate grounds, such as fraud, mistake or absence of real consent. (15 R. C. L.,
646, 646; sec. 113, Act No. 190; Yboleon v. Sison 59 Phil., 281.)
2. ID.; ID.; ID.; JURISDICTIONAL, QUESTION; MEANING OF ABUSE OF DISCRETION.
Whether or not the grounds alleged by the provincial fiscal in his motion for
reconsideration seeking relief from the effects of the compromise and from the
judgment rendered thereon are or are not sufficient, is not a question of jurisdiction
but one of judgment which we do not decide here. No abuse of discretion is shown
by the petitioners, and by abuse of discretion we mean such capricious and
whimsical exercise of judgment as is equivalent to lack of jurisdiction.

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