Title: Yuk Ling Ong vs. Benjamin T. Co (aka Yuk Ling Ong v CA in the Syllabus) G.R. No.: 206653 Date: February 25, 2015 Yuk Ling Ong Petitioners: Yuk Respondents: Benjamin T. Co Ponente: . !en"o#a Facts:
$ %e&i&ion %e&i&ioner er Yuk Yuk Ling Ong , a Bri&is'()ong Bri&is'()ong *ong *ong na&iona+, na&iona+, an" reson" reson"en& en& Benjamin Co, a Fi+iino -i&i#en, ere marrie" on O-&ober 3, 3 , 1/2 a& ++inoo"(!a+a&e C'ur-'. $ On ri+ ri+ 26, 2001, 2001, reson" reson"en& en& +e" +e" a e&i&ion e&i&ion 4or 4or "e-+ara&ion "e-+ara&ion o4 o4 nu++i&y nu++i&y on the ground of psychological incapacity be4ore &'e TC, "o-ke&e" as Civil Case No. CV-!-!"" . eson"en& s&a&e" &'a& e&i&ioners a""ress as 600 +-ano 7&., Binon"o, !ani+a. On u+y 1/, 2002, 'e +e" ano&'er e&i&ion 4or "e-+ara&ion o4 nu++i&y on &'e groun" o4 sy-'o+ogi-a+ in-aa-i&y be4ore &'e TC. )e in"i-a&e" &'a& e&i&ioners a""ress as 23 7&a. osa 7&ree&, 8ni& B(2 !anresa 9ar"en )omes, :ue#on Ci&y. Ci&y. $ On u+y u+y 2/, 2/, 2002 2002,, &'e &'e T TC issue issue" " #u$$ons. ;n 'is #erver%s Return , &'e ro-ess server o"o+4o Torres, r. s&a&e" &'a&, on ugus& 1, 2002, a #u&stituted service of su$$ons i&' &'e -oy o4 &'e e&i&ion as e &o serve &'e same ersona++y on e&i&ioner. e&i&ioner. T'e sai" "o-umen&s ere re-eive" by !r. o+y sinosa, a se-uri&y o?-er. $ On @e-ember @e-ember 11, 11, 2002, &'e &'e TC TC ren"e ren"ere" re" a "e-isi "e-ision on in Civil Case No. '() n"ing reson"en&s marriage i&' e&i&ioner as voi" ab ini&io on &'e groun" o4 sy-'o+ogi-a+ in-aa-i&y un"er r&i-+e 36 o4 &'e Fami+y Fami+y Co"e. ;& s&a&e" &'a& su$$ons as serve" on e&i&ioner on ugus& 1, 2002, bu& s'e 4ai+e" &o +e 'er resonsive +ea"ing i&'in &'e reg+emen&ary erio". T'us, &'e TC -on-+u"e" &'a& e&i&ioner as sy-'o+ogi-a++y in-aa-i&a&e" &o er4orm 'er essen&ia+ mari&a+ ob+iga&ions. $ 7ome&ime 7ome&ime in Aov. Aov. 200, e&i&io e&i&ioner ner re-eiv re-eive" e" a suboena suboena 4rom 4rom &'e Bureau Bureau o4 ;mmigra&ion an" @eor&a&ion B;@ "ire-&ing 'er &o aear be4ore &'e sai" agen-y be-ause 'er ermanen& resi"en-e visa as being subje-&e" &o -an-e++a&ion ro-ee"ings. eor&e"+y, eor&e"+y, 'er marriage i&' reson"en& as nu++ie" by &'e -our&. $ D'en e&i&io e&i&ioner ner aeare aeare" " be4ore be4ore &'e B;@, B;@, s'e as as given given -oies -oies o4 &'e 4o++oing "o-umen&sE 1 e&i&ion 4or "e-+ara&ion o4 nu++i&y o4 marriage Civi+ Case Ao. C(01(01GGH C (01(01GGH 2 e&i&ion 4or "e-+ara&ion o4 nu++i&y o4 marriage Civi+ Case Ao. 02( 0306H 3 @e-ision, "a&e" 12I11I02, in CC 02(0306 o4 &'e TC TC %araJaKue Ci&y, "e-+aring &'e marriage be&een e&i&ioner an" reson"en& as voi" ab ini&ioH an" &'eir marriage -on&ra-& i&' &'e subje-& "e-ision anno&a&e" &'ereon. %e&i&ioner as er+eMe" er+eMe" &'a& 'er marriage i&' reson"en& 'a" been "e-+are" voi" ab ini&io. $ ConseK ConseKuen uen&+y &+y,, e&i& e&i&ion ioner er +e" +e" a petition for annul$ent of *udg$ent un"er u+e G o4 &'e u+es o4 Cour& be4ore &'e C on Aovember 2, 200, -+aiming &'a& s'e as never no&ie" o4 &'e -ases +e" agains& 'er. 7'e raye" &'a& &'e TC "e-ision, in CC 02(0306, be nu++ie" on the grounds of e+trinsic fraud and lac, of *urisdiction. $ %e&i&ion %e&i&ioner er a++ege" a++ege" &'a&E 1 reson" reson"en& en& -ommi&&e" -ommi&&e" eM&rinsi eM&rinsi- 4rau" be-ause be-ause 'e "e+ibera&e+y in"i-a&e" a rong a""ress &o reven& 'er 4rom ar&i-ia&ing in &'e &ria+H 2 juris"i-&ion over 'er erson as no& a-Kuire" in CC 02(0306 be-ause o4 an inva+i" su&stituted servi-e o4 summons as no su?-ien& eM+ana&ion as s&a&e" be4ore resor&ing &o subs&i&u&e" servi-e o4 summonsH 3 &'e a++ege" subs&i&u&e" servi-e as ma"e on a se-uri&y guar" o4 &'eir &on'ouse an" no& on a member o4 'er 'ouse'o+"H an" s'e as no& sy-'o+ogi-a++y in-aa-i&a&e" &o er4orm 'er mari&a+ ob+iga&ions. C Ru Ruling: On une 2G, 2012, &'e C ren"ere" &'e assai+e" "e-ision "e-ision n"ing &'e e&i&ion 4or annu+men& o4 ju"gmen& &o be devoid of $erit. ;& 'e+" &'a& &'ere as
no su?-ien& roo4 &o es&ab+is' &'a& reson"en& em+oye" 4rau" &o insure e&i&ioners non(ar&i-ia&ion in &'e &ria+ o4 CC 01(01GG. N C 4ur&'er ru+e" &'a& &'e #u&stituted service of su$$ons in CC 02(0306 as va+i". ;& 4oun" &'a& &'ere as a -us&omary ra-&i-e in e&i&ioners &on'ouse &'a& &'e se-uri&y guar" ou+" rs& en&er&ain any visi&ors an" re-eive any -ommuni-a&ion in be'a+4 o4 'omeoners. T'us, i& as imossib+e 4or &'e ro-ess server &o ersona++y serve &'e summons uon e&i&ioner. ;& a+so "e-+are" &'a& &'e ro-ess servers Return -arries i&' i& &'e resum&ion o4 regu+ari&y in &'e "is-'arge o4 a ub+i- o?-ers "u&ies an" 4un-&ions. N %e&i&ioner move" 4or re-onsi"era&ion, bu& 'er mo&ion as "enie" by &'e C in i&s eso+u&ion, "a&e" !ar-' 26, 2013. )en-e, &'is e&i&ion. /ssues:
1. D'e&'er or no& &'e Tria+ Cour& in CC 02(0306 validly ac0uired *urisdiction over &'e erson o4 &'e e&i&ioner. !;A ;778 2. D'e&'er or no& &'e 4a-&s roven by &'e e&i&ioner constitute e+trinsic fraud i&'in &'e urvie o4 u+e G o4 &'e u+es o4 Cour&. 1eld:
1. N2. 8n+ike &'e C, &'e 7C n"s meri& in &'e e&i&ion. u+e G o4 &'e 1//G u+es o4 Civi+ %ro-e"ure governs a-&ions 4or annu+men& o4 ju"gmen&s or na+ or"ers an" reso+u&ions, an" 7e-. 2 eM+i-i&+y rovi"es on+y &o groun"s 4or annu+men& o4 ju"gmen&E eM&rinsi- 4rau" an" +a-k o4 juris"i-&ion. N %e&i&ioner rs& -on&en"s &'e +a&&er groun" be-ause &'ere as an invalid su&stituted service of su$$ons. uris"i-&ion over &'e "e4en"an& is a-Kuire" ei&'er uon a va+i" service of su$$ons or &'e "e4en"an&s vo+un&ary aearan-e in -our&. ;4 &'e "e4en"an& "oes no& vo+un&ari+y aear in -our&, juris"i-&ion -an be a-Kuire" by ersona+ or su&stituted service of su$$ons as +ai" ou& un"er 7e-&ions 6 an" G o4 u+e 1 o4 &'e u+es o4 Cour& 1. N T'e summons in CC 02(0306 as issue" on 3uly '45 ''. ;n 'is servers re&urn, &'e ro-ess server imme"ia&e+y resor&e" &o subs&i&u&e" servi-e o4 summons a4&er only t6o days 7ugust !5 ''8 4rom &'e issuan-e o4 &'e summons. N T'e a&&em&s ma"e by &'e ro-ess server ere s&a&e" in a broa" an" ambiguous s&a&emen&. T'e servers re&urn u&&er+y +a-ks su?-ien& "e&ai+ o4 &'e a&&em&s un"er&aken by 'im &o ersona++y serve &'e summons on e&i&ioner. )e sim+y ma"e a genera+ s&a&emen& &'a& summons as e &o serve &'e same ersona++y. T'e servers re&urn "i" no& "es-ribe in "e&ai+ &'e erson 'o re-eive" &'e summons, on be'a+4 o4 e&i&ioner. N si"e 4rom &'e servers re&urn, reson"en& 4ai+e" &o in"i-a&e any or&ion o4 &'e re-or"s 'i-' ou+" "es-ribe &'e se-i- a&&em&s &o ersona++y serve &'e summons. eson"en& "i" no& even -+aim &'a& e&i&ioner ma"e any vo+un&ary aearan-e an" a-&ive+y ar&i-ia&e" in CC 02(0306.
1 7e-. 6. 7ervi-e in erson on "e4en"an&. ( D'enever ra-&i-ab+e, &'e summons s'a++ be serve" by 'an"ing a -oy &'ereo4 &o &'e "e4en"an& in erson, or, i4 'e re4uses &o re-eive an" sign 4or i&, by &en"ering i& &o 'im. 7e-. G. 7ubs&i&u&e" 7ervi-e. ( ;4, 4or jus&iab+e -auses, &'e "e4en"an& -anno& be serve" i&'in a reasonab+e &ime as rovi"e" in &'e re-e"ing se-&ion, servi-e may be e
N T'e C erre" in ru+ing &'a& &'e resum&ion o4 regu+ari&y in &'e er4orman-e o4 o?-ia+ "u&y -ou+" be a+ie" in &'is -ase. T'is resum&ion as never in&en"e" &o be a+ie" even in -ases 'ere &'ere is no s'oing o4 subs&an&ia+ -om+ian-e i&' &'e reKuiremen&s o4 &'e ru+es o4 ro-e"ure. 7u-' resum&ion "oes no& a+y 'ere i& is -+ear &'a& &'e servers re&urn is "e4e-&ive. s ear+ier eM+aine", &'e servers re&urn "i" no& -om+y i&' &'e s&ringen& reKuiremen&s o4 subs&i&u&e" servi-e o4 summons. N 9iven &'a& &'e me&i-u+ous reKuiremen&s in Manotoc v CA* ere no& me&, &'e Cour& is no& in-+ine" &o u'o+" &'e Cs "enia+ o4 &'e e&i&ion 4or annu+men& o4 ju"gmen& 4or +a-k o4 juris"i-&ion over &'e erson o4 e&i&ioner be-ause &'ere as an inva+i" subs&i&u&e" servi-e o4 summons. --or"ing+y, &'e "e-ision in Civi+ Case Ao. 02(0306 mus& be "e-+are" null and void . eson"en&, i4 'e is'es &o ursue, mus& s&ar& 4rom s-ra&-' an" ins&i&u&e 'is a-&ion 4or "e-+ara&ion o4 nu++i&y againH &'is &ime i&' e&i&ioner 4u++y aare an" rea"y 4or +i&iga&ion. 2. 7C s&a&e" &'a& %e&i&ioners -on&en&ion on &'e eMis&en-e o4 eM&rinsi- 4rau" is &oo unsubs&an&ia+ &o arran& -onsi"era&ion. T'e "is-ussion, &'us, s'a++ 4o-us on &'e groun" o4 +a-k o4 juris"i-&ion. Conclusion:
$ %e&i&ion 9AT@. T'e une 2G, 2012 @e-ision an" &'e !ar-' 26, 2013 eso+u&ion o4 &'e Cour& o4 ea+s in C 9.. 7% Ao. 1062G1 are 'ereby 7@ an" 7T 7;@. T'e @e-ember 11, 2002 @e-ision o4 &'e egiona+ Tria+ Cour&, Bran-' 260, %araJaKue Ci&y is 'ereby "e-+are" O;@. 9N2T:
T'e +an"mark -ase o4 Manotoc servi-e o4 summons, &o i&E
v. CA
&'oroug'+y "is-usse" &'e rigorous reKuiremen&s o4 a subs&i&u&e"
1 ;mossibi+i&y o4 %rom& %ersona+ 7ervi-e For subs&i&u&e" servi-e o4 summons &o be avai+ab+e, &'ere mus& be severa+ a&&em&s by &'e s'eri< &o ersona++y serve &'e summons i&'in a reasonab+e erio" o4 one mon&' 'i-' even&ua++y resu+&e" in 4ai+ure &o rove imossibi+i&y o4 rom& servi-e. P7evera+ a&&em&sP means a& +eas& &'ree 3 &ries, re4erab+y on a& +eas& &o "i
