CASE DIGEST:

Pajares vs. Abad Santos

FACTS:

In 1961, Pajares ordered from Udharam Bazar quantities of ready-made goods which were delivered to her in
good condition and some were already sold, but she did not make the full payment. She was sued before the
Municipal Court of Manila for recovery of a certain sum of money because of her indebtedness in the amount of
Php 354.85. Instead of answering the complaint against her, Pajares, however, moved for a bill of particulars
praying the inferior court to require Udharam Bazar to itemize the kinds of goods which she supposedly
purchased from the said company, the respective dates they were taken and by whom they were received as
well as their purchase prices, alleging that without this bill she would not be able to meet the issues raised in the
complaint. The motion, and the motion for reconsideration was denied, she then brought the incident on
certiorari to the Court of First Instance of Manila, alleging in support of her petition that in denying her motion
for a bill of particulars, the respondent judge acted in grave abuse of discretion. It was again denied so Pajares
undertook the present appeal to the SC, contending under her lone assignment of error to maintain her appeal,
that the lower court erred in dismissing her petition for certiorari with preliminary injunction. The simple
collection case dragged on for seven years.

ISSUE:
Whether or not the appellant’s lawyer properly performed his duty to the society.

HELD:
No, It is plain and clear that no error of law, much less any grave abuse of discretion, was committed by
respondent judge in denying appellant's motion for a bill of particulars in the collection case instituted in the
Municipal Court of Manila by private respondent- appellee for the recovery of her indebtedness of P 354.85
representing the overdue balance of her account for ready-made goods ordered by and delivered to her in 1961.
Appellee’s complaint precisely and concisely informed appellant of the ultimate or essential facts constituting
the cause of action against her, in accordance with the requirement of the Rules of Court. It was therefore
improper for appellant, through her counsel, to insist on her motion that appellee as plaintiff “submit a bill of
particulars, specifying therein in detail the goods represented by the alleged amount of P 354.85, giving the
dates and invoice numbers on which they were delivered to the defendant, the amount due on each such invoice
and by whom they were received.” These particulars sought all concerned evidentiary matters and do not come
within the scope of Rule 12, Section 1 of the Rules of Court which permits a party “to move for a definite
statement or for a bill of particulars of any matter which is not averred with sufficient definiteness or
particularity to enable him to prepare his responsive pleading or to prepare for trial.”