16 Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
16 Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
16 Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
Tria-Infante
SECOND DIVISION
SYLLABUS
1. CIVIL LAW; OBLIGATIONS AND CONTRACTS; SURETYSHIP;
SURETY; DEFINED. — A surety is considered in law as being the same party
as the debtor in relation to whatever is adjudged touching the obligation of the
latter, and their liabilities are interwoven as to be inseparable.
2. ID.; ID.; ID.; DEFINED. — Suretyship is a contractual relation
resulting from an agreement whereby one person, the surety, engages to be
answerable for the debt, default or miscarriage of another, known as the
principal. The surety's obligation is not an original and direct one for the
performance of his own act, but merely accessory or collateral to the
obligation contracted by the principal. Nevertheless, although the contract of a
surety is in essence secondary only to a valid principal obligation, his liability
to the creditor or promise of the principal is said to be direct, primary and
absolute; in other words, he is directly and equally bound with the principal.
The surety therefore becomes liable for the debt or duty of another although
he possesses no direct or personal interest over the obligations nor does he
receive any benefit therefrom.
3. REMEDIAL LAW; CIVIL PROCEDURE; PROVISIONAL
REMEDIES; PRELIMINARY ATTACHMENT; ATTACHMENT, HOW
DISCHARGED. — Under the Rules, there are two (2) ways to secure the
discharge of an attachment. First, the party whose property has been
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 1/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
DECISION
CHICO-NAZARIO, J : p
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 2/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 3/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
2000. SAHEIc
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 4/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 6/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 7/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
G.R. No. 106214, had already declared that the petitioner is solidarily bound
with Villaluz would be mere surplusage. Thus:
During the pendency of this petition, a counter-attachment
bond was filed by petitioner Villaluz before this Court to discharge the
attachment earlier issued by the trial court. Said bond amounting to
P2.5 million was furnished by Security Pacific Assurance, Corp.
which agreed to bind itself "jointly and severally" with petitioner for
"any judgment" that may be recovered by private respondent against
the former. 46
We are not unmindful of our ruling in the case of Belisle Investment and
Finance Co., Inc. v. State Investment House, Inc., 47 where we held:
. . . [T]he Court of Appeals correctly ruled that the mere
posting of a counterbond does not automatically discharge the writ of
attachment. It is only after hearing and after the judge has ordered
the discharge of the attachment if a cash deposit is made or a
counterbond is executed to the attaching creditor is filed, that the writ
of attachment is properly discharged under Section 12, Rule 57 of the
Rules of Court.
The ruling in Belisle, at first glance, would suggest an error in the
assailed ruling of the Court of Appeals because there was no specific
resolution discharging the attachment and approving the counter-bond. As
above-explained, however, consideration of our decision in G.R. No. 106214
in its entirety will readily show that this Court has virtually discharged the
attachment after all the parties therein have been heard on the matter. aCcEHS
Footnotes
1. Penned by then Associate now Presiding Justice Romeo A. Brawner
with Associate Justices Quirino D. Abad Santos, Jr. and Andres B. Reyes,
Jr. concurring; Rollo, pp. 12-16.
2. Rollo, pp. 17-18.
3. Records, pp. 26-30.
4. Records, pp. 137-138.
5. Records, pp. 139-140.
6. Records, pp. 331-340.
7. Records, p. 341; Rollo, p. 106.
8. Records, pp. 373-392; Rollo, p. 126.
9. Rollo, p. 132.
10. 07 February 1997.
11. Rollo, pp. 131 and 133.
12. Records, pp. 403-404.
13. Records, pp. 419-420.
14. Records, p. 463.
15. Records, pp. 424-426.
16. Records, pp. 437-438.
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 10/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 11/12
6/30/2019 G.R. No. 144740 | Security Pacific Assurance Corp. v. Tria-Infante
43. Ibid.
44. Rollo, p. 128.
45. Rollo, p. 134.
46. Rollo, p. 140.
47. G.R. No. L-71917, 30 June 1987, 151 SCRA 630.
48 Rollo, p. 16.
49. 49 C.J.S., pp. 863-864; as cited in Republic v. De Los Angeles, G.R.
No. L-26112, 04 October 1971.
50. Cathay Insurance Co., Inc. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 85624, 05
June 1989, 174 SCRA 11.
https://cdasiaonline.com/jurisprudences/359/print 12/12