Acosta v. Plan

FIRST DIVISION
[G.R. No. L-44466. January 30, 1989.]
MAGDALENA V. ACOSTA, JULIANA V. ACOSTA and ROSITA V.

ACOSTA , petitioners, vs. HON. JUDGE ANDRES B. PLAN, Presiding
Judge of the Court of First Instance of Isabela, Branch II, HON.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, THE
DIRECTOR OF LANDS, AND BERNARDINO MAGDAY , respondents.
Florentino E. Estillore for petitioners.

The Solicitor General for respondents.
SYLLABUS
1.REMEDIAL LAW; CIVIL ACTION; APPEAL; PAUPER LITIGANT REQUIRED TO FILE RECORD
ON APPEAL. — Under the Rules of Court then in force, a record on appeal was indeed
required to be filed by a pauper appellant although it did not have to be printed.
2.ID.; ID.; ID.; RECORD ON APPEAL DISPENSED WITH; RULE HAS RETROACTIVE
APPLICATION. — However, under B.P. Blg. 129, which has overtaken this case before it
could be decided, a record on appeal is no longer required for the perfection of an appeal.
This new rule was given retroactive effect in Alday vs. Camilon, 120 SCRA 521.
DECISION
GRIÑO-AQUINO , J : p
The only issue in this petition for review on certiorari is whether the petitioners' appeal
from the decision of the Court of First Instance of Isabela in Civil Case No. 1201, may be
dismissed for tardiness in submitting their record on appeal.
On January 8, 1962, the petitioners filed an accion publiciana (Civil Case No. 1201) in the
Court of First Instance of Isabela against the private respondent Bernardino Magday. After
the defendant had filed his answer, the complaint was amended on August 25, 1971, to
implead the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Lands as
additional defendants. Magday filed an amended answer. The Secretary of Agriculture and
Natural Resources and the Director of Lands filed separate answers to the amended
complaint.
After the parties had submitted a stipulation of facts, the court, upon plaintiffs' motion for
judgment on the pleadings and/or summary judgment, which the defendant did not
oppose, rendered judgment on October 3, 1975, dismissing the complaint with costs
against the plaintiffs (Annex F, pp. 35-46, Rollo).
The plaintiffs filed a motion for reconsideration (Annex G, p. 47, Rollo) of the decision. It
was denied by the respondent Judge on December 12, 1975 (Annex H, p. 50, Rollo).
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On December 22, 1975, they filed a motion for leave to appeal as paupers (Annex J, p. 52,
Rollo) and on December 23, 1975, they filed a notice of appeal (Annex I, p. 51, Rollo). The
trial court granted on January 19, 1976 their motion to appeal as paupers (Annex K, p. 55,
Rollo).
Believing that as pauper litigants they did not have to submit a record on appeal, they
waited for the trial court to elevate the entire records of the case to the Court of Appeals
as provided in Section 16, Rule 41 of the Rules of Court. On June 16, 1976, respondent
Judge dismissed the appeal for failure to file a record on appeal (Annex L, p. 56, Rollo). A
motion for reconsideration (Annex M, p. 57, Rollo) of the dismissal order was filed by the
appellants on July 26, 1976. On August 10, 1976, they mailed their record on appeal to the
court. On August 23, 1976, the lower court denied their motion for reconsideration (Annex
O, p. 60, Rollo). Hence, this petition for certiorari by the appellants raising the lone legal
question of whether for the perfection of an appeal by a pauper litigant, the timely
submission of a record on appeal is required. LibLex
Under the Rules of Court then in force, a record on appeal was indeed required to be filed
by a pauper appellant although it did not have to be printed. As argued by the Solicitor
General in his brief:
"Petitioners contend, however, that having been allowed by the lower court to
appeal as paupers, they are not required to file a record on appeal since the entire
record of the case shall be transmitted to the appellate court and the case shall be
heard upon the original record so transmitted without printing the same.
"Sec. 16, Rule 41 of the Rules of Court, provides:

" 'Sec. 16.Appeal by pauper. — Where a party desiring to appeal shall
establish to the satisfaction of the trial court that he is a pauper and
unable to pay the expenses of prosecuting the appeal, and that the case is
of such importance, by reason of the amount involved, or the nature of the
questions raised, that it ought to be reviewed by the appellate court, the
trial judge may enter an order entitling the party to appeal as pauper. The
clerk shall transmit to the appellate court the entire record of the case,
including the evidence taken on trial and the record on appeal, and the
case shall be heard in the appellate court upon the original record so
transmitted without printing the same.' (Emphasis types supplied.)
"It is clear that even a pauper litigant is required to file a record on appeal. What is
not required of him is the filing of a printed record on appeal, and, of course, an
appeal bond, since the cited Rule is designed to help the pauper litigant who may
not be able to pay the expenses of prosecuting the appeal. In contrast, Sec. 17 of
the same Rule 41 which refers to appeals in certiorari, prohibition, mandamus,
quo warranto and employee's liability cases categorically provides that 'the
original record of the case shall be transmitted to the appellate court in lieu of the
record on appeal.' In other words, appeals in special civil actions do not require
record on appeal; they are perfected by the mere filing of the notice of appeal
(Embroidery and Apparel Control and Inspection Board vs. Cloribel, 20 SCRA 517
[19671].
"Indeed, records on appeal have been filed by pauper litigants as a matter of

course (Tiozon vs. Court of Appeals, 70 SCRA 284 [1976]." (pp. 7-9, Brief for the
Respondents; p. 109, Rollo.)
However, under B.P. Blg. 129, which has overtaken this case before it could be decided, a
record on appeal is no longer required for the perfection of an appeal. This new rule was
given retroactive effect in Alday vs. Camilon, 120 SCRA 521 where We Ruled:
"The reorganization having been declared to have been completed, Batas
Pambansa Blg. 129 is now in full force and effect. A record on appeal is no longer
necessary for taking an appeal. The same proviso appears in Section 18 of the
Interim Rules and Guidelines issued by this Court on January 11, 1983. Being
procedural in nature, those provisions may be applied retroactively for the benefit
of petitioners, as appellants. 'Statutes regulating the procedure of the courts will
be construed as applicable to actions pending undetermined at the time of their
passage. Procedural laws are retrospective in that sense and to that extent.'
(People vs. Sumilang, 77 Phil. 764)." (Cited in Palomo Building Tenants
Association, Inc. vs. Intermediate Appellate Court, 133 SCRA 168; De Guzman vs.
Court of Appeals, 137 SCRA 731; and Lagunzad vs. Court of Appeals, 154 SCRA
199.)
WHEREFORE, the decision dated October 3, 1975, of the trial court and its orders of June
16, 1976 and August 23, 1976 are hereby set abide. The trial court is hereby ordered to
forward the entire records of Civil Case No. 1201 to the Court of Appeals for the
determination and disposition of the petitioners' appeal on the merits.
SO ORDERED.
Narvasa, Cruz, Gancayco and Medialdea, JJ ., concur.

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FIRST DIVISION

[G.R. No. L-44466. January 30, 1989.]

MAGDALENA V. ACOSTA, JULIANA V. ACOSTA and ROSITA V.

Florentino E. Estillore for petitioners.

"Sec. 16, Rule 41 of the Rules of Court, provides:

"Indeed, records on appeal have been filed by pauper litigants as a matter of

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