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RemedialLawCivilProcedureCauseofActionWordsandPhrases
Causeofactionisdefinedastheactoromissionbywhichapartyviolatesa
rightofanother.Itiswellsettledthattheexistenceofacauseofactionis
determinedbytheallegationsinthecomplaint.Cause of action is defined
astheactoromissionbywhichapartyviolatesarightofanother.Itiswell
settledthattheexistenceofacauseofactionisdeterminedbytheallegations
in the complaint. In this relation, a complaint is said to assert a sufficient
causeofactionif,admittingwhatappearssolelyonitsfacetobecorrect,the
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*SECONDDIVISION.
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RESOLUTION
PERLASBERNABE,J.:
This is a direct recourse to the Court from the Regional Trial
Court of Toledo City, Branch 59 (RTC), through a petition for
reviewoncertiorari1underRule45oftheRulesofCourt,raisinga
purequestionoflaw.Inparticular,petition
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1Rollo,pp.325.
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ers assail the July 27, 20112 and August 31, 20113 Orders of the
RTC,dismissingCivilCaseNo.T2246forlackofcauseofaction.
TheFacts
On July 29, 2010, petitioners, together with some of their
cousins,4 filed a complaint for Cancellation of Title and
ReconveyancewithDamages(subjectcomplaint)againstrespondent
GaudiosoPonterasRicafortea.k.a.GaudiosoE.Ypon(Gaudioso),
docketedasCivilCaseNo.T2246.5Intheircomplaint,theyalleged
that Magdaleno Ypon (Magdaleno) died intestate and childless on
June 28, 1968, leaving behind Lot Nos. 2AA, 2C, 2F, and 2J
which were then covered by Transfer Certificates of Title (TCT)
Nos.T44andT77A.6
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2Id.,atpp.2830.PennedbyJudgeHermesB.Montero.
3Id.,atp.31.
4Id.,atp.32.TheplaintiffsinCivilCaseNo.T2246areasfollows:FranciscaY.
Trilla, Elena Yntig, Cerelo Ypon, Esterlita Y. Sereo, AlvaroYpon, Rogelio Ypon,
SimplicoYpon,Jr.,MonalizaB.Judilla,LiliaB.Quinada,TeodoraA.Baron,Teofilo
Ypon,MauricioYpon,VicenteYpon,PablingYponandDiegaYpon,EruditaBaron,
Cristobal Ypon, Elizabeth Ypon, Francisco Ypon, Lolita Y. Gamao, Egnacia Y.
Cavada,SerafinYpon,VictorYpon,PrudencioYpon,Jr.,AllanYpon,RaulYpon,Rey
RufoYpon,GalicursiYpon,MindaY.Libre,MoisesYpon,Jr.,BethovenYpon,Divina
A.Sanchez,CiceroYpon,MinervaYpon,LucinitaYpon,CrisolinaY.Tingal,Jessica
Ypon,NonoyYpon,WilsonYpon,ArthurYpon,YolandaYpon,LiliaY.Cordero,Ester
Y.Hinlo,LydiaYpon,PercivalYpon,EsmeraldaY.Baron,EmelitaY.Chiong,Victor
Ypon, Primitivo Ypon, Jr., Pura Ypon, Ma. Nila Ypon, Roy Ipon, Eric Ypon, Henry
Ypon, Felipa Ypon, Vivian Ypon, Hilarion Pealosa, Angeles D. Libre, Clarita P.
Lopez,VicenteY.Pealosa,Jr.,ColumbusY.Pealosa,JoseY.Pealosa,AlbertoY.
Pealosa,TeodoroY.Pealosa,LouellaP.Madraga,PomeloY.Pealosa,andAgnesP.
Villora. (In boldface are the names of the plaintiffs who are also petitioners in this
case.)
5Id.,atpp.3239.
6Id.,atp.33.
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7Id.,atp.34.
8Id.
9Id.,atpp.5354.
10Id.,atp.54.
11Id.,atpp.2830.
12 Id., at p. 69. Docketed as Sp. Pro. No. 608T. Entitled In Re: Petition for
IssuanceofLetterofAdministration,MindaYponLibre,CristobalE.Ypon,andAgnes
P. Veloria, petitioners v. City Registrar of Deeds and City Assessor of the City of
Toledo,respondents.
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whichconsistedof:(a)amarriagecontractbetweenMagdalenoand
Epegenia Evangelista (b) a Certificate of Live Birth (c) a Letter
datedFebruary19,1960and(d)apassport.13
The plaintiffs therein filed a motion for reconsideration which
was, however, denied on August 31, 2011 due to the counsels
failure to state the date on which his Mandatory Continuing Legal
EducationCertificateofCompliancewasissued.14
Aggrieved, petitioners, who were among the plaintiffs in Civil
CaseNo.T2246,15soughtdirectrecoursetotheCourtthroughthe
instantpetition.
TheIssueBeforetheCourt
Thecoreofthepresentcontroversyrevolvesaroundtheissueof
whether or not the RTCs dismissal of the case on the ground that
thesubjectcomplaintfailedtostateacauseofactionwasproper.
TheCourtsRuling
Thepetitionhasnomerit.
Causeofactionisdefinedastheactoromissionbywhichaparty
violatesarightofanother.16Itiswellsettledthattheexistenceofa
causeofactionisdeterminedbytheallegationsinthecomplaint.17
In this relation, a complaint is said to assert a sufficient cause of
actionif,admittingwhatappearssolelyonitsfacetobecorrect,the
plaintiffwouldbeentitled
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13Id.,atp.30.
14Id.,atp.31.
15Basedontherecords,itappearsthatonlypetitionerHinidinoY.Pealosawas
notacomplainantinCivilCaseNo.T2246.
16SeeSection2,Rule2oftheRulesofCourt.
17 Peltan Development, Inc. v. Court of Appeals (CA), 336 Phil. 824, 833 270
SCRA82,91(1997).
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18 Davao Light & Power Co., Inc. v. Judge, Regional Trial Court Davao City,
Branch8,G.R.No.147058,March10,2006,484SCRA272,281.
19TheConsolidatedBankandTrustCorp.v.CA, 274 Phil. 947, 955 197 SCRA
663,669(1991).
20Section1,Rule90oftheRulesofCourtpartlyprovides:
SEC.1.Whenorderfordistributionofresidemade.
xxxx
If there is a controversy before the court as to who are the lawful heirs of the
deceasedpersonorasthedistributivesharestowhicheachpersonisentitledunderthe
law,thecontroversyshallbeheardanddecidedasinordinarycases.
21G.R.No.150206,March13,2009,581SCRA70.
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22Id.,atpp.7880.
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23 Id., at pp. 8081. [When] there appears to be only one parcel of land being
claimed by the contending parties as their inheritance x x x [i]t would be more
practicaltodispensewithaseparatespecialproceedingforthedeterminationofthe
statusofrespondentasthesoleheirxxxspecially[whenthepartiestothecivilcase
had]voluntarilysubmittedtheissuetotheRTCandalreadypresentedtheirevidence
regarding the issue of heirship in these proceedings [and] the RTC [had] assumed
jurisdictionoverthesameandconsequentlyrenderedjudgmentthereon.
24Wherespecialproceedingshadbeeninstitutedbuthadbeenfinallyclosedand
terminated,however,orifaputativeheirhaslosttherighttohavehimselfdeclaredin
thespecialproceedingsascoheirandhecannolongeraskforitsreopening,thenan
ordinarycivilactioncanbefiledforhisdeclarationasheirinordertobringaboutthe
annulmentof the partition or distribution or adjudication of a property or properties
belonging to the estate of the deceased. (Republic v. Mangotara,G.R.No.170375,
July 07, 2010, 624 SCRA 360, 443, citing Portugal v. PortugalBeltran, G.R. No.
155555,August16,2005,467SCRA184189).
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Carpio(Chairperson),DelCastillo,PerezandMendoza,**JJ.,
concur.
Petitiondenied,dismissalofCivilCaseNo.T2246affirmed.
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25PeltanDevelopment,Inc.v.CA,supranote17,atp.834p.92.
**DesignatedActingMemberperSpecialOrderNo.1484datedJuly9,2013.
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