G.R. No. 80718 January 29, 1988 FELIZA P. DE ROY and VIRGILIO RAMOS, petitioners, vs.

COUR OF APPEALS and LUIS !ER"AL, SR., GLE"IA !ER"AL, LUIS !ER"AL, #R., $EIRS OF MARISSA !ER"AL, na%e&', GLICERIA DELA CRUZ !ER"AL and LUIS !ER"AL, SR., respondents.

FACTS (e )ire*a&& o) a +,rned-o,t +,i&din. o*ned +' petitioners /o&&apsed and destro'ed t(e tai&orin. s(op o//,pied +' t(e )a%i&' o) private respondents, res,&tin. in in0,ries to private respondents and t(e deat( o) Marissa !erna&, a da,.(ter. Respondents (ad +een *arned +' petitioners to va/ate t(eir s(op in vie* o) its pro1i%it' to t(e *ea2ened *a&& +,t t(e )or%er )ai&ed to do so. Re.iona& ria& Co,rt. First #,di/ia& Re.ion, presided +' t(e $on. Antonio M. !e&en, rendered 0,d.%ent )indin. petitioners .,i&t' o) .ross ne.&i.en/e and a*ardin. da%a.es to private respondents. On appea&, t(e de/ision o) t(e tria& /o,rt *as a))ir%ed in toto +' t(e Co,rt o) Appea&s, AND RECEIVED BY DE ROY ON A G ST 2!, 1987. ON SE"TE#BER 9, 1987 $t(e &ast da' o) t(e )i)teen-da' period to )i&e appea&3 petitioners )i&ed a %otion )or e1tension o) ti%e to )i&e a %otion )or re/onsideration, *(i/( *as event,a&&' denied +' t(e appe&&ate /o,rt in t(e Resolution of September 30, 1987. Petitioners )i&ed t(eir %otion )or re/onsideration on Septe%+er 45, 6789 +,t t(is *as denied in t(e Resolution of October 27, 1987. (e petitioner t(en )i&ed /ertiorari see2in. to de/&are n,&& and void 4 reso&,tions o) t(e First Division o) t(e Co,rt o) Appea&s. (e )irst reso&,tion pro%,&.ated on :; Septe%+er 6789 denied petitioners< %otion )or e1tension o) ti%e to )i&e a %otion )or re/onsideration and dire/ted entr' o) 0,d.%ent sin/e t(e de/ision in said /ase (ad +e/o%e )ina&. And t(e se/ond reso&,tion dated 49 O/to+er 6789 denied petitioners< %otion )or re/onsideration )or (avin. +een )i&ed o,t o) ti%e. SC )inds t(at CA did not /o%%it a .rave a+,se o) dis/retion *(en it denied petitioners< %otion )or e1tension o) ti%e to )i&e a %otion )or re/onsideration, dire/ted entr' o) 0,d.%ent and denied t(eir %otion )or re/onsideration. It /orre/t&' app&ied t(e r,&e &aid do*n in Habaluyas Enterprises, Inc ! "ap#on, =G.R. "o. 9;87>, A,.,st >, 678>,6:8 SCRA 5?6, t(at t(e )i)teen-da' period )or appea&in. or )or )i&in. a %otion )or re/onsideration /annot +e e1tended.SC r,&ed on #,&' :;, 678?@

$e%innin% one mont& after t&e promul%ation of t&is Resolution, t&e rule s&all be strictly enforce' t&at no motion for e(tension of time to file a motion for reconsi'eration may be file' )it& t&e *etropolitan or *unicipal +rial ,ourts, t&e Re%ional +rial ,ourts, an' t&e Interme'iate -ppellate ,ourt Suc& a motion may be file' only in cases pen'in% )it& t&e Supreme ,ourt as t&e court of last resort, )&ic& may in its soun' 'iscretion eit&er %rant or 'eny t&e e(tension

re.ueste' (ere *as a one %ont( .ra/e period )ro% pro%,&.ation o) t(e r,&in. a+ove )ro% %a' :;, 678? to #,ne :;, 678?. A(i/( %eans t(at t(e r,&e +arrin. e1tensions o) ti%e to )i&e %otions )or ne* tria& or re/onsideration is, as 'et, not stri/t&' en)or/ea+&e. Petitioners /ontend t(at t(e r,&e en,n/iated in t(e Habaluyas /ase s(o,&d not +e %ade to app&' to t(e /ase at +ar o*in. to t(e non-p,+&i/ation o) t(e Habaluyas de/ision in t(e O))i/ia& GaBette as o) t(e ti%e t(e s,+0e/t de/ision o) t(e Co,rt o) Appea&s *as pro%,&.ated. ISS E A(et(er or not S,pre%e Co,rt de/isions %,st +e p,+&is(ed in t(e O))i/ia& GaBette +e)ore t(e' /an +e +indin.. %E&D (ere is no &a* reC,irin. t(e p,+&i/ation o) S,pre%e Co,rt de/ision in t(e O))i/ia& GaBette +e)ore t(e' /an +e +indin. and as a /ondition to t(eir +e/o%in. e))e/tive. It is +o,nden d,t' o) /o,nse& as &a*'er in a/tive &a* pra/ti/e to 2eep a+reast o) de/isions o) t(e S,pre%e Co,rt parti/,&ar&' *(ere iss,es (ave +een /&ari)ied, /onsistent&' reiterated and p,+&is(ed in t(e advan/e reports o) S,pre%e Co,rt de/isions and in s,/( p,+&i/ations as t(e SCRA and &a* 0o,rna&s.

Co,rt Reso&ved to DE"Y t(e instant petition )or &a/2 o) %erit.