Victronics Computers vs Rtc, Panorama Ent. Et. Al.

VICTRONICS COMPUTERS vs RTC, BR63, PANORAMA ENTERPRISES , Et. Al. Subject: Obligations & Contracts

By: DEXTER GARY P !"ORES

I

Statement of the Leal P!o"lem T#e $etitioner% ictronics Co'$uters% (nc% )as only $ai* +,- $ercent o. t#e $urc#ase $rice o. t#e co'$uters an* $eri$#erals t#e co'$any #a/e *eli/ere* to t#e si0 *i..erent branc#es o. ictoria Court un*er t#e ictoria Court% G1T Consoli*ate* Co'$any an* ictoria Grou$ o. Co'$anies T#e $etitioner t#en .ile* a co'$laint against t#e sai* cor$oration on 2uly 34% 5665 )it# t#e RTC o. 1a7ati .or a su' o. 'oney an* *a'ages .or not $aying t#e outstan*ing balance )it#in an* a.ter t#e $erio* sti$ulate* in t#e Purc#ase Or*er *es$ite *e'an*s .or its $ay'ent 'a*e on el#agen an* 8ing )#ic# )as t#en t#e Genral 1anager an* C#ie. E0ecuti/e O..icer o. t#e cor$oration T#e case )as *oc7ete* as Ci/il Case 9o 653,46 an* )as ra..le* o.. to Branc# 4; o. t#e 1a7ati RTC On August 6% 5665% t#e si0 res$on*ent cor$orations .ile* )it# t#e RTC o. 1a7ati a co'$laint% *ate* < August 5665% .or t#e nulli.ication o. t#e abo/e'entione* Purc#ase Or*er an* .or t#e *a'ages *one against t#e #erein $etitioner an* one Teo*orico B 8abigting% )#o is t#e 'anager o. t#e 1anage'ent (n.or'ation Syste's Di/ision o. t#e sai* co'$any T#e case )as *oc7ete* as Ci/il Case 9o 653563 an* )as ra..le* to Branc# 5+, o. t#e sai* court

II

Leal Con#e$ts !elevant to the Case LITIS PEN%ENTIA = t#e .ollo)ing are t#e groun*s .or "itis Pen*entia to be in/o7e* as a groun* .or t#e abate'ent or *is'issal o. an action: 5

i*entity o. $arties% or at least suc# as re$resenting t#e sa'e interest in bot# actions

3

i*entity o. t#e rig#ts asserte* an* relie. $raye* .or% t#e relie. being .oun* on t#e sa'e .acts

; i*entity in t#e t)o cases s#oul* be suc# t#at t#e ju*ge'ent t#at 'ay be ren*ere* in t#e $en*ing case )oul*% regar*less o. )#ic# $arty is success.ul% a'ount to res ju*icata in t#e ot#er "(T(S PE9DE9T(A = as a $rinci$le is a sanction o. $ublic $olicy against 'ulti$licity o.  suits -

t#e $lea o. anot#er action $en*ing is sustaine* is t#at t#e latter  action is *ee'e* unnecessary an* /e0atious

Se#t&on '(e) R*le '6 of the R*les Of the Co*!t  = states t#at t#e Rule *o not re>uire as a groun* .or *is'issal o. a co'$laint t#at t#ere is a $rior $en*ing action T#ey $ro/i*e t#at t#ere is a $en*ing action% not a $en*ing $rior action T#e .act t#at t#e unla).ul *etainer suit )as o. a latter *ate is no bar to t#e *is'issal o. t#e $resent action A!t&#le '+- of the C&v&l #oe = T#e /en*ee is boun* to acce$t *eli/ery an* to $ay t#e $rice o. t#e t#ing sol* at t#e ti'e an* $lace sti$ulate* in t#e contract (. t#e ti'e an* $lace s#oul* not #a/e been sti$ulate*% t#e $ay'ent 'ust be 'a*e at t#e ti'e an* $lace o. t#e *eli/ery o. t#e t#ing sol* A!t&#le '++ of the C&v&l Coe  = T#e buyer is *ee'e* to #a/e acce$te* t#e goo*s )#en #e inti'ates to t#e seller t#at #e #as acce$te* t#e'% or )#en t#e goo*s #a/e been *eli/ere* to #i'% an* #e *oes any act in relation to t#e' )#ic# is inconsistent )it# t#e o)ners#i$ o. t#e seller% or )#en% a.ter t#e la$se o. a reasonable ti'e% #e retains t#e goo*s )it#out inti'ating to t#e seller t#at #e #as rejecte* t#e' /ORUM S0OPPIN1 = A $arty s#oul* not be allo)e* to $ursue si'ultaneous re'e*ies in t)o *i..erent .oru's .or it *oes #a/oc to t#e rule on or*erly $roce*ure

2

III

0&hl&hts of the Case Petitioner ictronics Co'$uters% (nc% a *o'estic cor$oration engage* in t#e sale o.  co'$uter syste's an* $eri$#erals% sub'itte* a >uotation .or o..ice syste's to ser/ice t#e net)or7ing re>uire'ents o. /arious ictoria Court branc#es Satis.ie* )it# t#e sai* >uotations% $ri/ate res$on*ents el#agen an* 8ing $lace* an or*er )it# t#e $etitioner in a Purc#ase Or*er 5 .or' on )#ic# is )ritten ?G1T CO9SO"(DATED@ abo/e t#e $rinte* )or* CO1PA9Y% an* t#e a**ress 3536 Pasong Ta'o St% 1a7ati% 1etro 1anila belo) it T#e $ri/ate res$on*ents or*ere* si04 sets o.  , DATA ;4 co'$uter syste' )it# $eri$#erals .or t#e net consi*eration% a.ter  *e*ucting a Puire'ents .or t#e abate'ent or *is'issal o. an action T#e res$on*ents *i* not $ro/e* to t#e court t#at t#e secon* action )as not broug#t to #arass or /e0 t#e *e.en*ant an* is not in .act /e0atious T#e court also note* t#at t#e court *oes not re>uire t#at t#e latter case s#oul* yiel* to t#e earlier case% )#at is re>uire* is a $en*ing action an* not a $en*ing $rior action (t is also note* t#at t#e secon* action% Ci/il Case 9o 653563 )as not .ile* u$on an ins$iration o. una*ulterate* goo* .ait# but to /e0 or #arass in ot#er  .oru' t#e $etitioner in t#e .irst case T#e court also *eci*e* in .a/or o. t#e $etitioner o.  t#e .irst case because in t#e secon* case .ile* by t#e co'$any% t#e la)yers .orgot to co'$ly )it# t#e $ri'ary re>uire'ent o. t#eir case )#ic# is t#e Purc#ase Or*er )#ic# )as t#en not attac#e* to t#eir co'$laint T#e court t#ere.ore grante* t#e instant $etition o. t#e $lainti.. an* t#ere.ore *is'issing Ci/il Case 9o 653563 on groun*s o.  lis $en*ens )it# cost against t#e *e.en*ants t#erein T#e Or*er o. res$on*ent Court o.  33 2anuary 5663 ( Ci/ic Case 9o 653,46 is #ereby 'o*i.ie* by setting asi*e t#at $ortion t#ereo. *enying t#e 'otion to reconsi*er its Or*er o. Se$t 54% 5665 an* *eclaring t#at $ortion *enying t#e 'otion .or consoli*ation as 'oot an* aca*e'ic

4

V

C!&t&*e of the S*$!eme Co*!t %e#&s&on ( agree )it# t#e CourtHs *ecision to 'a7e Ci/il Case 9o 653,46 t#e groun* in e0a'ining t#e case an* *eci*ing in .a/or o. t#e $etitioner because t#e res$on*ents .aile* to $ro/e t#at t#e secon* case )as initiate* )it#out an una*ulterate* goo* .ait# an* is not broug#t to #arass t#e $etitioner o. t#e .irst case T#e la)yers o. t#e *e.en*ant .aile* to con/ince t#e court t#at t#ey acte* base* on goo* .ait# (t is $ro/en t#at t#e secon* action )as sel.ser/ing an* is *one to /e0 t#e ot#er $arty Contracts are bin*ing an* sti$ulations o. t#e contract s#oul* be at all ti'es be .ollo)e* an* )it# t#e res$on*ent co'$any not .ul.illing its obligation% t#e co'$any s#oul* be #el* liable .or its *a'ages to t#e /en*or as state* in t#e Article 5+3 o. t#e Ci/il Co*e

VI

Con#l*s&on an Re#ommenat&on Rule *oes not re>uire as a groun* .or *is'issal o. a co'$laint t#at t#ere is a $rior  action but only a $en*ing action Ci/il Case 9o 653,46 satis.ies all t#e re>uisites o.  litis $en*entia an* s#oul* t#ere.ore be gi/en t#e .a/orable *ecision o. t#e court T#e secon* case s#oul* be abate* since it /iolates t#e rule o. .oru' s#o$$ing t#at states t#at a $arty s#oul* be allo)e* to $ursue si'ultaneous re'e*ies in t)o *i..erent .oru' (t is also note* t#at t#e secon* action )as sel.ser/ing an* .aile* to $ro/e to t#e court t#at t#eir action )as in goo* .ait# an* not 'eant to #arass t#e $etitioner o. t#e .irst case T#e res$on*ents s#oul* #a/e o..ere* to return t#e co'$uters i. t#ey are really not satis.ie* )it# t#e $er.or'ance o. t#e sai* co'$uters an* establis#e* to t#e court t#at t#e co'$uters *eli/ere* are out*ate* an* obsolete T#e res$on*ents .aile* to establis#e* t#is one to t#e court an* in a**ition because o. t#eir #aste to .ile t#e case to t#e court% t#e *e.en*ants .aile* to attac#e* t#e si'$le an* basic re>uire'ent in .iling a case base* on *ocu'ents $resente*% an* t#at is t#e $urc#ase or*er in t#e case at bar

5