Stronghold v CA G.R. No. 88050 January 30, 1992 J. Cruz Fat!" At#ng At#n g on $%hal $%hal&& o& #t! &or%#g &or%#gn n 'r#n 'r#n#'a #'al, l, (atar (atar Nat#on Nat#onal al F#!h#n F#!h#ng g Co., Co., )an A! A!#an #an *og#!t#! and +rad#ng, a do%!t# r%ru#t#ng and 'la%%nt ag%ny, h#r%d Adr#ano -rt%!u%la a! a'ta#n o& th% v%!!%l / ry &or th% !t#'ulat%d '%r#od o& t%lv% onth!. +h% r%4u#r%d !ur%ty $ond, #n th% aount o& )50,000.00, a! !u$#tt%d $y )an A! A!#an #an and Strong Stronghol hold d n!ura n!uran% n% Co. to an!% an!%rr &or th% l#a$#l l#a$#l#t# #t#%! %! o& th% %'loy%r. -rt%!u%la a!!u%d h#! dut#%!, $ut thr%% onth! lat%r h#! !%rv#%! %r% t%r#nat%d and h% a! r%'atr#at%d to an#la. 6% &#l%d a o'la#nt aga#n!t )an A!#an and h#! &or%r %'loy%r #th th% )h#l#''#n% v%r!%a! 7'loy%nt Ad#n#!trat#on &or $r%ah o& ontrat and daag%!. n du% t#%, th% )7A r%nd%r%d a d%#!#on #n h#! &avor &or th% aount o& ),3:.9:, r%'r%!%nt#ng h#! !alar#%! &or th% un%'#r%d 'ort#on o& h#! ontrat. +h% ;udg%nt %v%ntually $%a% &#nal and %%utory, not hav#ng $%%n a''%al%d on t#%. A r#t o& %%ut#on a! #!!u%d aga#n!t )an A!#an $ut ould $% %n&or%d only aga#n!t #t! a!h $ond o& )10,000.00, th% o'any hav#ng %a!%d to o'%rat%. -rt%!u%la th%n &#l%d a o'la#nt #th th% n!uran% Co#!!#on aga#n!t Stronghold on th% $a!#! o& th% !ur%ty $ond. +h% l#a$#l#ty o& th% !ur%ty und%r und%r th#! $ond $ond d#dnN >N th% th% )7A )7A d%# d%#!# !#on on a! a! not not $#nd $#nd#n #ng g $%a $%au! u!% % Stro Strong ngho hold ld a!n a!n
+o an!%r &or all l#a$#l#t#%! h#h th% )h#l#''#n% v%r!%a! 7'loy%nt Ad#n#!trat#on ay ad;udg%/#'o!% aga#n!t th% )r#n#'al #n onn%t#on #th th% r%ru#t%nt o& F#l#'#no !%a%n. +h% '%t#t#on%r agr%%d to an!%r &or hat%v%r d%#!#on #ght $% r%nd%r%d aga#n!t th% 'r#n#'al, h%th%r or not th% !ur%ty a! #'l%ad%d #n th% o'la#nt and had th% o''ortun#ty to d%&%nd #t!%l&. +h%r% #! noth#ng #n th% !t#'ulat#on all#ng &or a d#r%t ;udg%nt aga#n!t th% !ur%ty a! a o?d%&%ndant #n an at#on aga#n!t th% 'r#n#'al. +h% '%t#t#on%r ould !t#ll hav% to %'la#n #t! oth%r agr%%%nt that @not#% to th% )r#n#'al #! not#% to th% !ur%ty.@ +h#! a! #n &at anoth%r !'%#al !t#'ulat#on on th% 'r#nt%d &or o& th% !ur%ty $ond 'r%'ar%d $y th% '%t#t#on%r. -nd%r th#! o#t%nt, th% '%t#t#on%r #! d%%%d, $y th% #'l#%d not#%, to hav% $%%n g#v%n an o''ortun#ty to 'art##'at% #n th% l#t#gat#on and to 'r%!%nt #t! !#d%, #& #t !o ho!%, to avo#d l#a$#l#ty. +h% '%t#t#on%r ont%nd!, ho%v%r, that th% !a#d !t#'ulat#on #! unon!t#tut#onal and ontrary to 'u$l# 'ol#y, $%au!% #t #! a v#rtual a#v%r o& th% r#ght to $% h%ard to th% 'r%;ud#% o& th% !ur%ty. 6%n%, d#!r%gard#ng th% !t#'ulat#on, th% '%t#t#on%r !hould $% d%%%d a! hav#ng r%%#v%d no not#% at all o& th% o'la#nt. +h% Court annot agr%%. +h% #ru!tan% that th% han% to $% h%ard #! not ava#l%d o& do%! not d#!'arag% that o''ortun#ty and d%'r#v% th% '%r!on o& th% r#ght to du% 'ro%!!. u% 'ro%!! #! not v#olat%d h%r% a '%r!on #! not h%ard $%au!% h% ha! ho!%n, &or hat%v%r r%a!on, not to $% h%ard. t !hould $% o$v#ou! that #& h% o't! to $% !#l%nt h%r% h% ha! a r#ght to !'%a=, h% annot lat%r $% h%ard to o'la#n that h% a! unduly !#l%n%d. & th% '%t#t#on%r $%l#%v%d th%n that #t a! on%rou! and #ll%gal, hat #t !hould hav% don% a! o$;%t h%n #t! #nlu!#on a! a ond#t#on #n th% !ur%ty $ond a! r%4u#r%d $y th% )7A. 7v%n #& th% )7A had #n!#!t%d on th% ond#t#on, a! no la#%d, th%r% a! !t#ll noth#ng to 'r%v%nt th% '%t#t#on%r &ro r%&u!#ng altog%th%r to #!!u% th% !ur%ty $ond. +h% &at #! that, h%th%r or not th% '%t#t#on%r o$;%t%d, #t #n th% %nd &#l%d th% !ur%ty $ond #th th% !ugg%!t%d ond#t#on. +h% on!%4u%n% o& #t! !u$#!!#on #! that #t annot no argu% that #t #! not $ound $y that ond#t#on $%au!% #t a! o%r%d #nto a%'t#ng #t.
