G.R. No.

L-27760 May 29, 1974

CRISPIN ABELLANA and FRANCISCO ABELLANA, Petitioners, vs. HONORABLE GERONIMO

FACTS:This petition for certiorari is characterized by a rather vigorous insistence on the part of
petitioners Crispin Abellana and Francisco Abellana that an order of respondent Judge was
issued with grave abuse of discretion. It is their contention that he ought to have dismissed an
independent civil action filed in his court, considering that the plaintiffs, as offended parties,
private respondents here, 1 failed to reserve their right to institute it separately in the City Court of
Ozamis City, when the criminal case for physical injuries through reckless imprudence was
commenced. Such a stand of petitioners was sought to be bolstered by a literal reading of
Sections 1 and 2 of Rule 111. 2 It does not take into account, however, the rule as to a trial de
novo found in Section 7 of Rule 123. 3 What is worse, petitioners appear to be oblivious of the
principle that if such an interpretation were to be accorded the applicable Rules of Court
provisions, it would give rise to a grave constitutional question in view of the constitutional grant
of power to this Court to promulgate rules concerning pleading, practice, and procedure being
limited in the sense that they "shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantive rights." 4 It thus
appears clear that the petition for certiorari is without merit.The dispute had its origins in a
prosecution of petitioner Francisco Abellana of the crime of physical injuries through reckless
imprudence in driving his cargo truck, hitting a motorized pedicab resulting in injuries to its
passengers, namely, private respondents Marcelo Lamason, Maria Gurrea, Pacienciosa Flores,
and Estelita Nemeño. The criminal case was filed with the city court of Ozamis City, which found
the accused Francisco Abellana guilty as charged, damages in favor of the offended parties
likewise being awarded. The accused, now petitioner, Francisco Abellana appealed such decision
to the Court of First Instance. 5 At this stage, the private respondents as the offended parties filed
with another branch of the Court of First Instance of Misamis Occidental, presided by respondent
Judge, a separate and independent civil action for damages allegedly suffered by them from the
reckless driving of the aforesaid Francisco Abellana. 6 In such complaint, the other petitioner,
Crispin Abellana, as the alleged employer, was included as defendant. Both of them then sought
the dismissal of such action principally on the ground that there was no reservation for the filing
thereof in the City Court of Ozamis. It was argued by them that it was not allowable at the stage
where the criminal case was already on appeal.

RULING:

1. In the language of the petition, this is the legal proposition submitted for the consideration
of this Court : "That a separate civil action can be legally filed and allowed by the court
only at the institution, or the right to file such separate civil action reserved or waived, at
such institution of the criminal action, and never on appeal to the next higher court." 11 It
admits of no doubt that an independent civil action was filed by private respondents only
at the stage of appeal. Nor was there any reservation to that effect when the criminal
case was instituted in the city court of Ozamis. Petitioners would then take comfort from
the language of the aforesaid Section 1 of Rule 111 for the unwarranted conclusion that
absent such a reservation, an independent civil action is barred. In the first place, such
an inference does not per se arise from the wording of the cited rule. It could be looked
upon plausibly as a non-sequitur. Moreover, it is vitiated by the grievous fault of ignoring
what is so explicitly provided in Section 7 of Rule 123: "An appealed case shall be tried in
all respects anew in the Court of First Instance as if it had been originally instituted in that
court." 12 Unlike petitioners, respondent Judge was duly mindful of such a norm. This
Court has made clear that its observance in appealed criminal cases is mandatory. 13 In
a 1962 decision, People v. Carreon, 14 Justice Barrera, as ponente, could trace such a
rule to a 1905 decision, Andres v. Wolfe. 15 Another case cited by him is Crisostomo v.
Director of Prisons, 16 where Justice Malcolm emphasized how deeply rooted in Anglo-
 American legal history is such a rule. In the latest case in point, People v. Jamisola, 17
this Court, through Justice Dizon, reiterated such a doctrine in these words: "The rule in
this jurisdiction is that upon appeal by the defendant from a judgment of conviction by the
municipal court, the appealed decision is vacated and the appealed case 'shall be tried in
all respects anew in the court of first instance as if it had been originally instituted in that
court.'" 18 So it is in civil cases under Section 9 of Rule 40. 19 Again, there is a host of
decisions attesting to its observance. 20 It cannot be said then that there was an error
committed by respondent Judge, much less a grave abuse of discretion, which is
indispensable if this petition were to prosper.
2. Nor is the above the only ground for rejecting the contention of petitioners. The restrictive
interpretation they would place on the applicable rule does not only result in its
emasculation but also gives rise to a serious constitutional question. Article 33 of the Civil
Code is quite clear: "In cases of ... physical injuries, a civil action for damages, entirely
separate and distinct from the criminal action, may be brought by the injured party. Such
civil action shall proceed independently of the criminal prosecution, and shall require only
a preponderance of evidence." 21 That is a substantive right, not to be frittered away by a
construction that could render it nugatory, if through oversight, the offended parties failed
at the initial stage to seek recovery for damages in a civil suit. As referred to earlier, the
grant of power to this Court, both in the present Constitution and under the 1935 Charter,
does not extend to any diminution, increase or modification of substantive right. 22 It is a
well-settled doctrine that a court is to avoid construing a statute or legal norm in such a
manner as would give rise to a constitutional doubt. Unfortunately, petitioners, unlike
respondent Judge, appeared to lack awareness of the undesirable consequence of their
submission. Thus is discernible another insuperable obstacle to the success of this suit.
3. Nor is this all that needs to be said. It is understandable for any counsel to invoke legal
propositions impressed with a certain degree of plausibility if thereby the interest of his
client would be served. That is though, merely one aspect of the matter. There is this
other consideration. He is not to ignore the basic purpose of a litigation, which is to
assure parties justice according to law. He is not to fall prey, as admonished by Justice
Frankfurter, to the vice of literalness. The law as an instrument of social control will fail in
its function if through an ingenious construction sought to be fastened on a legal norm,
particularly a procedural rule, there is placed an impediment to a litigant being given an
opportunity of vindicating an alleged right. 23 The commitment of this Court to such a
primordial objective has been manifested time and time again.

WHEREFORE, this petition for certiorari is dismissed.

Costs against petitioners.