Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila FIRST DIVISION G.R. No.

L-41607 August 21, 1990 MARIANO T. NASSER, MANUEL S. NASSER, ROSARIO S. MATUTE, a ! "ORTUNATA #AM$RANO %&A. &E MATUTE, petitioners, vs. 'ON. SERA"IN R. CUE%AS, (u!g), Cou*t o+ ",*st I sta -), Ma ,.a, $*. I%, PATERNO R. CANLAS, a ! PRO%INCIAL S'ERI"" O" &A%AO ORIENTAL, respondents. Ernesto L. Pineda for petitioner. Jose Villa Agustin,, Sr. for Matute and Villanueva. Paterno R. Canlas Law Offices for and in is own !e alf

NAR%ASA, J.: n atte!pt to "ive to the plain lan"ua"e of a #ritten a"ree!ent a construction or si"nification clearl$ not #arranted b$ its ter!s is all that this case is about. In the proceedin"s for the settle!ent of the estate of the late !adeo Matute Molave in the then %ourt of First Instance of Manila, 1 a docu!ent e!bod$in" a supple!ental co!pro!ise a"ree!ent and pro&ect of partition #as e'ecuted a!on" the heirs and other interested parties . 2 It #as approved b$ the Probate %ourt so!e ei"ht !onths later . / It rendered !oot related cases then pendin" in this %ourt 4 (hich on that account #ere conse)uentl$ dis!issed. 0 The a"ree!ent provided inter alia for the pa$!ent of the attorne$*s fees of respondent tt$. Paterno %anlas in the a""re"ate a!ount of P+,,,,,,.,,, in propert$ - "acienda Cadiatan, valued at P./0,,,,.,,1 and cash -P2./,,,,.,,1. Relative to said fees, the a"ree!ent also contained a provision creatin" a char"in" lien in %anlas* favor readin" as follo#s3 6 .. 4o#ever, until after the full pa$!ent of the su! of P+,,,,,,.,, or P2./,,,,.,,, as the case !a$ be, there shall be established on all the properties of the 5state, real and personal, herein ad&udicated and other properties not $et ad&udicated, a char"in" lien for attorne$*s fees to secure the pa$!ent of said attorne$*s fees and, b$ these present, all the si"natories to this %o!pro!ise "ree!ent e'pressl$ a"ree to the establish!ent and creation of the aforesaid char"in" lien, provided that upon full pa$!ent of the correspondin" liabilit$ of a part$ the lien on his6her share is e'tin"uished. The annotation on the ne# titles over propert$ to be issued to the heirs, of their correspondin" share in the obli"ation to pa$ %anlas* attorne$*s fees, in accordance #ith the co!pro!ise a"ree!ent and pro&ect of partition, #as also directed in the order approvin" the sa!e. 7 Shortl$ after the approval of the a"ree!ent b$ the %ourt, %anlas !oved for e'ecution, 1 #hich the %ourt, then presided over b$ respondent 7ud"e Serafin R. %uevas, 9 "ranted b$ Order 10 #hich directed 11 8

NASSER %. CUE%AS, 111 SCRA 112 .. the heirs and transferee pendente lite to pa$ tt$. Paterno R. %anlas their correspondin" shares of the attorne$*s fees pursuant to No. Ill para"raph c, pa"es /9 to /9: of the Supple!ental %o!pro!ise "ree!ent and Pro&ect of Partition, as follo#s3 Mariano T. Nasser:P/,/,;,,.,,, !inus 4acienda %adiatan, P./0,,,,.,, or P<2,;,,.,,= Manuel S. Nasser:P2,,;,,.,,= and the seven -<1 heirs, na!el$, Rosario S. Matute, Fortunata >a!brano Vda. de Matute, Trinidad Matute de ?a$ani, Matias S. Matute, %arlos V. Matute, %ecilia Villanueva Matute, %onchita V. Matute, includin" transferee pendente lite 7effre R. %anlas, the su! of P99,,0../; each, and finall$ directs Mariano T. Nasser to deliver or surrender possession of hacienda %adiatan to the !ovant Paterno R. %anlas or his dul$ authori@ed representative #ithin ten -.,1 da$s fro! receipt hereof. This Order of 7ud"e %uevas #as assailed in this %ourt b$ the heirs -the Nassers and Matutes throu"h the special civil action of certiorari and6or prohibition at bar, principall$ on the "round that e'ecution #as i!proper in the absence of a #ritten a"ree!ent on the precise ter!s of pa$!ent of %anlas attorne$*s fees. The %ourt issued a te!porar$ restrainin" order. 12 Not too lon" after#ards, Mariano T. Nasser, Manuel S. Nasser and Fortunata >a!brano Vda. de Matute reached an a"ree!ent #ith respondent %anlas over the pa$!ent of the latter*s fees. This the$ !ade Ano#n to the %ourt,1/ as #ell as the fact that no si!ilar a"ree!ent could be arrived at as re"ards the other heirs, despite ne"otiations and conferences to#ards this end. 14 It appears, ho#ever, that onl$ the Nassers co!plied #ith their undertaAin" to pa$ %anlas* fees. Fortunata >a!brano Vda. de Matute has, to date, failed to do so. 10 The recalcitrant heirs !aintain that: .1 the clause in the provision relative to %anlas* attorne$*s fees3 B upon full#pa$%ent of t e corresponding lia!ilit$ of apart$ t e lien on is l er s are is e&tinguis ed , 16 connoted p@a$!ent of the fees on install!ent= and /1 indeed, this had been orall$ a"reed upon in the course of the conferences held in the cha!bers and in the presence of Mr. 7ustice ntonio ?arredo #ith a vie# to reachin" a !utuall$ satisfactor$ settle!ent of the !atter. There is nothin" in the cited proviso to &ustif$ the readin" that the petitioners #ould "ive to it. The para"raph in #hich it is found does no !ore than establish Bon all the properties of the 5state, real and personal, herein ad&udicated and other properties not $et ad&udicated, a char"in" lien ... to secure the pa$!ent of -%anlas1 attorne$*s fees=B this, #ith the e'press a"ree!ent of all the si"natories. The proviso that Bupon full pa$%ent of t e corresponding lia!ilit$ of a part$ t e lien on is' er s are is e&tinguis ed, B evidentl$ conte!plates the probabilit$ that the heirs obli"ed to pa$ %anlas* fees #ould pa$ at different ti!es, and denotes nothin" !ore than that if one of the obli"ors separatel$ pa$s his share in %anlas* fees, the lien on his share of the estate is thereb$ e'tin"uished a )uite obvious proposition, to be sure. The clause cannot be construed as "rantin" to an$ of the obli"ors, b$ i!plication, the option to pa$ in install!ents, or as i!pliedl$ bindin" the obli"ee to accept pa$!ent b$ parts.

The le"al principle, in an$ event, is that Bthe creditor cannot be co!pelled partiall$ to receive the presentations in #hich the obli"ation consistsB unless Bthere is an e'press stipulation to that effect,B in !uch the sa!e #a$ that the debtor !a$ not Bbe re)uired to !aAe partial pa$!ents. 17 It is note#orth$ that the a"ree!ent of co!pro!ise and of partition in )uestion #as si"ned b$ the obli"ors #ith the assistance of their respective counsel, and #as not approved b$ the Probate %ourt until after ei"ht !onths or so. t no ti!e did the$ then dra# attention to the absence in the a"ree!ent, or in the %ourt order approvin" it, of an$ option on their part to pa$ their share in the attorne$*s fees b$ parts or In install!ents. 5)uall$ note#orth$, as reflective of the heirs* intention, or lacA of it, to co!pl$ #ith their obli"ation to pa$ %anlas* fees, is that fro! the ti!e of the e'ecution of the co!pro!ise a"ree!ent, up to date hereof, si'teen $ears alto"ether, the$ have not paid a sin"le centavo to Mr. %anlas. Neither does the %ourt find in the record an$ proof #orth$ of the na!e to substantiate the supposed a"ree!ent verball$ !ade before 7ustice ?arredo. The self:servin" affidavits of the heirs 11 do not, all circu!stances considered, )ualif$ as such proof. On nothin" but #hat !a$ be called se!antic sophistr$, the petitioners have succeeded in dela$in" pa$!ent of their valid debts for si'teen -.+1 $ears. Their strata"e! havin" been e'posed for #hat it is, the$ should not be allo#ed to dela$ fulfill!ent of their obli"ation an$ lon"er. (45R5FOR5, bein" !anifestl$ #ithout !erit, the petition is D5NI5D. The restrainin" order a"ainst the enforce!ent of the challen"ed order of e'ecution and #rit of e'ecution issued in Special Proceedin"s No. /;0<+ of the %ourt of First Instance of Manila is CIFT5D ND DISSOCV5D. Said order and #rit are held to have been validl$ and la#full$ issued, and alias e'ecution !a$ issue to the e'tent that the &ud"!ent credit of tt$. Paterno R. %anlas re!ains unsatisfied, #ith the proviso that the su!s still due hi! shall bear interest at the le"al rate of si' percent -+D1 per annu% fro! Septe!ber /, .E<2 until full$ paid. Petitioners are char"ed treble costs. This Decision is i!!ediatel$ e'ecutor$. SO ORD5R5D. Cru(, )anca$co, )ri*o#A+uino and Medialdea, JJ., concur.