Case Summary (G.R. No. L-15467)
Timeline of Events
On March 21, 1951, the respondents initiated a complaint for forcible entry (Civil Case No. 7) against the petitioners. Following a series of postponements instigated by the defendants, the Justice of the Peace Court rendered a judgment on July 17, 1951, declaring the petitioners in default and ordering them to vacate the subject property and pay damages amounting to P200.00. A Motion for Reconsideration was filed by the petitioners on August 21, 1951, as well as a Notice of Appeal that was abandoned due to a lack of the requisite bond.
Court Orders and Further Proceedings
Subsequently, on October 24, 1951, the Justice of the Peace Court granted the petitioners' motion for reconsideration, staying the implementation of the original decision. However, on November 27, 1951, the court revived this judgment, citing that the matter had been pending for almost a year with multiple postponements having been granted.
Motion for Alias Writ of Execution
On November 26, 1956, the respondents requested an Alias Writ of Execution due to repeated failures of the provincial sheriff to enforce the prior judgment. The petitioners opposed this motion on the grounds that the five-year period for the execution of the judgment had elapsed and that issuing the writ would cause them irreparable harm. Nonetheless, the Justice of the Peace Court issued the alias writ on March 27, 1957.
Petition for Certiorari
The petitioners subsequently filed a petition for certiorari with the Court of First Instance (CFI) of Cotabato on April 22, 1957, alleging that the Justice of the Peace Court acted with grave abuse of discretion. The petitioners contended that the original judgment became final on July 17, 1951, and thus the motion for execution filed nearly five years later was beyond the statutory limit.
Court's Ruling
On July 12, 1957, the trial court ruled primarily on whether the alias writ was issued within the five-year prescriptive period for executions. The court found that because the motion for reconsideration by the petitioners delayed the finality of the original judgment until November 27, 1951, the alias writ issued on November 26, 1956, was indeed timely. The court held that since no undue delay was caused by the respondents, the grounds for the petitioners' arguments were unfounded.
Final Decision and Costs
The court
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Case Background
- On March 21, 1951, Gonzalo Magbanua and Alfredo Magbanua filed a complaint for Forcible Entry against Jesus Lancita and others in the Justice of the Peace Court of Buluan, Cotabato (Civil Case No. 7).
- The trial commenced after several postponements attributed to the defendants.
- On July 17, 1951, the court declared the defendants in default for failing to present a valid basis for further postponements, leading to a judgment favoring the plaintiffs, which ordered the defendants to vacate the premises and pay damages of P200.00.
Motion for Reconsideration and Appeal
- On August 21, 1951, the Lancitas filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the judgment and simultaneously filed a Notice of Appeal, which was later abandoned due to failure to post the requisite bond.
- On October 24, 1951, the JP Court granted the motion for reconsideration and ordered a stay of the original decision, scheduling a new trial for November 15, 1951.
- However, on November 27, 1951, the JP Court revived the original judgment, citing delays in the case and the numerous postponements granted to the defendants.
Motion for Alias Writ of Execution
- On November