Professional Documents
Culture Documents
_______________
* SECOND DIVISION.
321
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016696ca5b9f7c2265d9003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 1/8
10/21/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 611
CARPIO, J.:
The Case
The Facts
_______________
322
lodgers for the months of April, May, and June 1996 totaling
P45,000. Respondent, who worked in Hongkong, also incurred
expenses for plane fares and other travel expenses in coming to the
Philippines and returning to Hongkong.
On the other hand, petitioner argued that respondent violated the
lease contract when she subleased the rented premises. Besides, the
lease contract was not renewed after its expiration on 7 July 1996;
thus, respondent had no more right to stay in the rented premises.
Petitioner also moved to dismiss the complaint in the trial court for
failure to comply with prior barangay conciliation.
During the pre-trial, petitioner moved for the case to be
submitted for judgment on the pleadings considering that the only
disagreement between the parties was the correct interpretation of
the lease contract. Respondent did not object to petitioner’s motion.
The trial court then directed the parties to submit their respective
memoranda, after which the case would be considered submitted for
decision.4
In its decision dated 28 March 2000, the trial court held that the
case is not covered by the barangay conciliation process since
respondent is a resident of Hongkong. The trial court noted that
petitioner did not controvert respondent’s
_______________
4 Id., at p. 81.
323
_______________
5 Id., at p. 94.
324
The Issues
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016696ca5b9f7c2265d9003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 4/8
10/21/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 611
party’s pleading, the court may, on motion of that party, direct judgment on
such pleading. However, in actions for
_______________
325
The trial court has the discretion to grant a motion for judgment
on the pleadings filed by a party if there is no controverted matter in
the case after the answer is filed.7 A judgment on the pleadings is a
judgment on the facts as pleaded,8 and is based exclusively upon the
allegations appearing in the pleadings of the parties and the
accompanying annexes.
This case is unusual because it was petitioner, and not the
claimant respondent, who moved for a judgment on the pleadings
during the pre-trial. This is clear from the trial court’s Order9 dated 7
October 1997 which reads:
ORDER
“When this case was called for pre-trial, parties appeared together with
counsel. Defendant [Doris U. Sunbanun] moved that considering that
there is no dispute as far as the contract is concerned and the only
disagreement between the parties is on the interpretation of the
contract so that the issue boils down on to which of the parties are
correct on their interpretation. With the conformity of the plaintiff
[Aurora B. Go], this case is therefore considered closed and submitted for
judgment on the pleadings. x x x” (Emphasis supplied)
_______________
7 Sps. Hontiveros v. RTC, Br. 25, Iloilo City, 368 Phil. 653; 309 SCRA 340, 351
(1999).
8 Narra Integrated Corporation v. Court of Appeals, 398 Phil. 733; 344 SCRA
781, 786 (2000).
9 Rollo, p. 81.
326
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016696ca5b9f7c2265d9003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 5/8
10/21/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 611
_______________
327
_______________
13 Frias v. San Diego-Sison, G.R. No. 155223, 3 April 2007, 520 SCRA 244;
Bankard, Inc. v. Feliciano, G.R. No. 141761, 28 July 2006, 497 SCRA 52.
328
_______________
14 Article 2232 of the Civil Code provides that “in contracts and quasi-contracts,
the court may award exemplary damages if the defendant acted in a wanton,
fraudulent, reckless, oppressive, or malevolent manner.”
15 Amado v. Salvador, G.R. No. 171401, 13 December 2007, 540 SCRA 161;
Tanay Recreation Center and Development Corp. v. Fausto, 495 Phil. 400; 455 SCRA
436 (2005).
16 Article 2208 of the Civil Code reads:
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016696ca5b9f7c2265d9003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 7/8
10/21/2018 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 611
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/0000016696ca5b9f7c2265d9003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 8/8