Mercantile v. Ysmael
Mercantile v. Ysmael
Mercantile v. Ysmael
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* THIRD DIVISION.
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Mercantile Ins. Co., Inc. vs. Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc.
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creditors; it was rather for the benefit of the surety and if the
latter thought it necessary in its own interest to impose this
stipulation, and the indemnitors voluntarily agreed to the same,
the court should respect the agreement of the parties and require
them to abide by their contract. (Security Bank v. Globe
Assurance, 107 Phil. 733 [1960]).
Same; Same; Same; Same; Principle of guaranty is not
involved in case at bar; No need for the surety to exhaust all the
properties of the principal debtor before it may proceed against
defendantsappellants.It must be stressed that in the case at
bar, the principal debtors, defendantsappellants herein, are
simultaneously the same persons who executed the Indemnity
Agreement. Thus, the position occupied by them is that of a
principal debtor and indemnitor at the same
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Mercantile Ins. Co., Inc. vs. Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc.
time, and their liability being joint and several with the
plaintiffappellees the Philippine National Bank may proceed
against either for fulfillment of the obligation as covered by the
Surety bonds. There is, therefore, no principle of guaranty
involved and, therefore, the provision of Article 2071 of the Civil
Code does not apply. Otherwise stated, there is no more need for
the plaintiffappellee to exhaust all the properties of the principal
debtor before it may proceed against defendantsappellants.
Same; Same; Same; Attorneys fees; An award of 15%
attorneys fees in case at bar is not unreasonable.As to the
attorneys fees, it has been squarely ruled by this Court that the
award of fifteen (15) per cent for cases of this nature is not
unreasonable (Cosmopolitan Insurance Co., Inc. v. Reyes, supra).
BIDIN, J.:
**
This is an appeal from the decision dated October 30, 1971
of the Court of First Instance of Manila (now Regional Trial
Court) in Civil Case No. 82168 entitled Mercantile
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Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc., represented by Felipe Ysmael filed
an application for an overdraft line of P1,000,000.00 and credit
line of P1,000,000.00 with the Philippine National Bank. The
latter was willing to grant credit accommodation of P2,000,000.00
applied for provided that the applicant shall have filed a bond in
the sum of P140,000.00 to guarantee the payment of the said
amount. Accordingly, on March 6, 1967, Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co.,
Inc., represented by Felipe Ysmael filed surety bond No. G(16)
007 of Mercantile Insurance Co., Inc. in the sum of P100,000.00
(Exh. A). On December 4, 1967, Felipe Ysmael Jr. & Co., Inc. as
principal and the Mercantile Insurance Co., Inc. executed another
surety bond MERICO Bond No. G (16) 0030 in the sum of
P40,000.00. It is the condition in both bonds that if the principal
Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc. shall perform and fulfill its
undertakings with the Philippine National Bank, then these
surety bonds shall be null and void (Exh. B).
As security and in consideration of the execution of the surety
bonds, exhibits A and B, Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc. and
Magdalena Estate, Inc. represented by Felipe Ysmael, Jr. as
president and in his personal capacity executed with the plaintiff
Mercantile Insurance Co., Inc. an indemnity agreement (Exh. D)
wherein the defendants Felipe Ysmael, Jr. & Co., Inc. and Felipe
Ysmael, Jr. bound themselves jointly and severally to indemnify
the plaintiff, hold save it harmless from and against any and all
payments, damages, costs, losses, penalties, charges and expenses
which said company as surety (relative to MERICO Bond No.
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II
III
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II
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III
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Decision affirmed.
o0o
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