Professional Documents
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Notarial Law - 2021 Sec Sem.
Notarial Law - 2021 Sec Sem.
WARNING
Unauthorized reproduction or claim of ownership of this original [derivative] work by any person amounts to
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A.M. No. 20-07-04-SC, otherwise known as the 2020 Interim Rules on Remote Notarization of Paper
Documents (“RON Rules”)(July 14, 2020
SECTION 2. Scope. — These Rules shall be limited to the notarization of paper documents and instruments
with handwritten signatures or marks through the use of videoconferencing facilities as defined herein.
These Rules shall not apply to the execution of notarial wills.
………..
SECTION 3. Localities Where the Rules Apply. — Until the Supreme Court directs otherwise, these Rules
shall apply to permit the performance of notarial acts through the use of videoconferencing facilities in cases
where the notary public or at least one of the principals resides, holds office, or is otherwise
situated in a locality that is under community quarantine due to COVID-19, as directed by the Inter-
Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF), the provincial governors
with regard to component cities and municipalities, or mayors of cities and municipalities with regard to
barangays, both governors and mayors having the concurrence of the relevant regional counterpart body of
the IATF.
…………………
SECTION 4. Notarial Commission. — A notary public with a valid and existing notarial commission issued
under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice can perform the notarial acts authorized by these Rules.
SECTION 5. Legal Effect and Enforceability. —- Any notarial act performed through the use of
videoconferencing facilities pursuant to these Rules shall have the same validity, force, effect and may be
relied upon to the same extent as any other notarial act performed under the 2004 Rules on Notarial Practice.
…………….
f) “Personal appearance,” “appears in person,” or “in the presence of the notary public” means that the
principal, witnesses, and the notary public can see, hear, and communicate with each other present and
confirm competent evidence of identity to each other in real time er, and through the use of
videoconferencing facilities and other devices or technologies that achieve the same purposes.
Resolution A.M. No. 02-8-13-SC
05 July 2004
Acting on the compliance dated 05 July 2004 and on the proposed Rules on Notarial Practice of 2004
submitted by the Sub-Committee for the Study, Drafting and Formulation of the Rules Governing the
Appointment of Notaries Public and the Performance and Exercise of Their Official Functions, of the
Committees on Revision of the Rules of Court and on Legal Education and Bar Matters, the Court Resolved
to APPROVE the proposed Rules on Notarial Practice of 2004, with modifications.
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(1) must be a citizen of the Philippines;
(2) must be over twenty-one (21) years of age;
(3) must be a resident in the Philippines for at least one (1) year and maintains a regular place of work or
business in the city or province where the commission is to be issued;
(4) must be a member of the Philippine Bar in good standing with clearances from the Office of the Bar
Confidant of the Supreme Court and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and
(5) must not have been convicted in the first instance of any crime involving moral turpitude.
Con’t….
(d) Within five (5) days after the official seal of a notary public is stolen, lost, damaged or other otherwise
rendered unserviceable in affixing a legible image, the notary public, after informing the appropriate law
enforcement agency, shall notify the Executive Judge in writing, providing proper receipt or
acknowledgment, including registered mail, and in the event of a crime committed, provide a copy or entry
number of the appropriate police record. Upon receipt of such notice, if found in order by the Executive
Judge, the latter shall order the notary public to cause notice of such loss or damage to be published, once a
week for three (3) consecutive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or province where the
notary public is commissioned. Thereafter, the Executive Judge shall issue to the notary public a new
Certificate of Authorization to Purchase a Notarial Seal.
Con’t….
(e) Within five (5) days after the death or resignation of the notary public, or the revocation or expiration of a
notarial commission, the official seal shall be surrendered to the Executive Judge and shall be destroyed or
defaced in public during office hours. In the event that the missing, lost or damaged seal is later found or
surrendered, it shall be delivered by the notary public to the Executive Judge to be disposed of in accordance
with this section. Failure to effect such surrender shall constitute contempt of court. In the event of death of
the notary public, the person in possession of the official seal shall have the duty to surrender it to the
Executive Judge.
What is an oath?
Rule II SEC. 2. Affirmation or Oath. - The term "Affirmation" or "Oath" refers to an act in which an individual
on a single occasion:
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(a) appears in person before the notary public;
(b) is personally known to the notary public or identified by the notary public through competent evidence
of identity as defined by these Rules; and
(c) avows under penalty of law to the whole truth of the contents of the instrument or document.
Jurat
Rule II SEC. 6. Jurat. - "Jurat" refers to an act in which an individual on a single occasion:
(a) appears in person before the notary public and presents an instrument or document;
(b) is personally known to the notary public or identified by the notary public through competent evidence
of identity as defined by these Rules;
(c) signs the instrument or document in the presence of the notary; and
(d) takes an oath or affirmation before the notary public as to such instrument or document.
A jurat is, among others, an attestation that the person
who presented the instrument or document to be notarized is personally known to the notary public or
identified by the notary public through competent evidence of identity.
What is an acknowledgement?
Acknowledgment refers to an act in which an individual on a single occasion:
(a) appears in person before the notary public and presents an integrally complete instrument or
document;
(b) is attested to be personally known to the notary public or identified by the notary public through
competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules; and
(c) represents to the notary public that the signature on the instrument or document was voluntarily affixed
by him for the purposes stated in the instrument or document, declares that he has executed the instrument
or document as his free and voluntary act and deed, and, if he acts in a particular representative capacity, that
he has the authority to sign in that capacity. (See Section 1, Rule II of 2004 Rules of Notarial Practice) -
Testate Estate of the late Alipio Abada v. Abaja, G.R. No. 147145. January 31, 2005
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his demise and (2) to assure that his estate is administered in the manner that he intends it to be done. -
Manuel L. Lee v. Atty. Regino B. Tambago, A.C. No. 5281, February 12, 2008)
Notarized document
Petitioner phrases this issue as to whether the will has to be “notarized.” A notarized document includes one
that is subscribed and sworn under oath or one that contains a jurat.– Testate Estate of the late Alipio
Abada v. Abaja, G.R. No. 147145. January 31, 2005
A notary public shall keep only one active notarial register at any given time
Section l(a), Rule VI of the Notarial Practice Rules provides that "a notary public shall keep, maintain,
protect and provide for lawful inspection as provided in these Rules, a chronological official notarial register
of notarial acts consisting of a permanently bound book with numbered pages." The same section further
provides that "a notary public shall keep only one active notarial register at any given time." On this basis,
Atty. Zaide's act of simultaneously keeping several active notarial registers is a blatant violation of
Section 1, Rule VI.
The Notarial Practice Rules strictly requires a notary public to maintain only one active notarial register
and ensure that the entries in it are chronologically arranged. The "one active notarial register" rule is in
place to deter a notary public from assigning several notarial registers to different offices manned by
assistants who perform notarial services on his behalf.
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The foregoing notwithstanding, until the aforementioned steps have been completed, the notary public may
continue to use the former name or regular place of work or business in performing notarial acts for
three (3) months from the date of the change, which may be extended once for valid and just cause by the
Executive Judge for another period not exceeding three (3) months.
Publication of Resignation
SEC. 3. Publication of Resignation. - The Executive Judge shall immediately order the Clerk of Court to post
in a conspicuous place in the offices of the Executive Judge and of the Clerk of Court the names of notaries
public who have resigned their notarial commissions and the effective dates of their resignation.
Notarial Certificate
Rule II SEC. 8. Notarial Certificate. - "Notarial Certificate" refers to the part of, or attachment to, a
notarized instrument or document that is completed by the notary public, bears the notary's signature and
seal, and states the facts attested to by the notary public in a particular notarization as provided for by these
Rules.
……..
The inclusion of a counsel’s Roll of Attorneys number, professional tax receipt number, and Integrated Bar of
the Philippines (IBP) receipt (or lifetime membership) number is intended to preserve and protect the
integrity of legal practice.
They seek to ensure that only those who have satisfied the requisites for legal practice are able to engage in it.
With the Roll of Attorneys number, parties can readily verify if a person purporting to be a lawyer has, in
fact, been admitted to the Philippine bar.
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“As a matter of fact, recognizing the established unreliability of a community tax certificate in proving
the identity of a person who wishes to have his document notarized, we did not include it in the list of
competent evidence of identity that notaries public should use in ascertaining the identity of persons
appearing before them to have their documents notarized.”- Amora, Jr. v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 192280,
January 25, 2011
…..
With the professional tax receipt number, they can verify if the same person is qualified to engage in a
profession in the place where he or she principally discharges his or her functions.
With the IBP receipt number, they can ascertain if the same person remains in good standing as a lawyer.
These pieces of information“protect the public from bogus lawyers.”
Paying professional taxes (and the receipt that proves this payment) is likewise compliance with a revenue
mechanism that has been statutorily devolved to local government units.
…….
The inclusion of information regarding compliance with (or exemption from) Mandatory Continuing
Legal Education (MCLE) seeks to ensure that legal practice is reserve only for those who have complied
with the recognized mechanism for “keep[ing] abreast with law and jurisprudence, maintain[ing] the ethics
of the profession[,] and enhanc[ing] the standards of the practice of law.”
……
The inclusion of a counsel’s address and contact details is designed to facilitate the dispensation of justice.
These pieces of information aid in the service of court processes, enhance compliance with the requisites of
due process, and facilitate better representation of a client’s cause. - Uy v. Atty. Pacifico M. Maghari, III, A.C.
No. 10525, September 1, 2015
Copy Certification
Rule II SEC. 4. Copy Certification. - "Copy Certification" refers to a notarial act in which a notary public:
(a) is presented with an instrument or document that is neither a vital record, a public record, nor publicly
recordable;
(b) copies or supervises the copying of the instrument or document;
(c) compares the instrument or document with the copy; and
(d) determines that the copy is accurate and complete.
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Sec. 12, as amended, provides:
Sec. 12. Competent Evidence of Identity. - The phrase "competent evidence of identity" refers to the
identification of an individual based on:
(a) at least one current identification document issued by an official agency bearing the photograph and
signature of the individual, such as but not limited to:
passport,
driver's license,
Professional Regulations Commission ID,
National Bureau of Investigation clearance,
police clearance,
postal ID,
voter's ID,
Barangay certification,
Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) e-card,
Social Security System (SSS) card,
PhilHealth card,
senior citizen card,
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) ID,
OFW ID,
seaman's book,
alien certificate of registration/immigrant certificate of registration,
government office ID,
certificate from the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP), Department of Social
Welfare and Development certification [as amended by A.M. No. 02-8- 13-SC dated February 19, 2008]
NO current identification document
issued by an official agency
1. the oath or affirmation of one credible witness not privy to the instrument, document or transaction
who is personally known to the notary public and who personally knows the individual, or
2. the oath or affirmation of two credible witnesses neither of whom is privy to the instrument, document or
transaction who each personally knows the individual and shows to the notary public documentary
identification.
The notary public does not personally knows the third party [two witnesses]
1. The 2 credible witnesses are not privy to the instrument, document or transaction.
2. The 2 credible witnesses each personally knows the individual and
3. Shows to the notary public documentary identification [of their real by showing current
identification document issued by an official agency].
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“Signature witnessing"
• Rule II SEC. 14. Signature Witnessing. -The term "signature witnessing" refers to a notarial act in which
an individual on a single occasion:
(a) appears in person before the notary public and presents an instrument or document;
(b) is personally known to the notary public or identified by the notary public through
competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules; and
(c) signs the instrument or document in the presence of the notary public.
Term
Rule III SEC. 11. Jurisdiction and Term. - A person commissioned as notary public may perform notarial acts
in any place within the territorial jurisdiction of the commissioning court for a period of two (2) years
commencing the first day of January of the year in which the commissioning is made, unless earlier
revoked or the notary public has resigned under these Rules and the Rules of Court.
This is to certify that (name of notary public) of (regular place of work or business) in (city or province) was
on this (date) day of (month) two thousand and (year) commissioned by the undersigned as a notary public,
within and for the said jurisdiction, for a term ending the thirty-first day of December (year).
_______________
Executive Judge
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• (b) A person shall not perform a notarial act if the person involved as signatory to the instrument
or document -
• is not in the notary's presence personally at the time of the notarization; and
(2) is not personally known to the notary public or otherwise identified by the notary
public through competent evidence of identity as defined by these Rules.
But Atty. Revilla, Jr. is not without fault for failing to indicate such fact in the “jurat” of the complaint-
affidavit. No statement was included therein that he knows the three affiants personally. - Jandoquile v. Atty.
Revilla Jr., A.C. No. 9514, April 10, 2013
Disqualification Rule
Let it be impressed that Atty. Revilla, Jr. was clearly disqualified to notarize the complaint-affidavit of his
relatives within the fourth civil degree of affinity. While he has a valid defense as to the second charge, it does
not exempt him from liability for violating the disqualification rule. - Jandoquile v. Atty. Revilla Jr., A.C. No.
9514, April 10, 2013
Con’t…..
If the notary public knows the affiants personally, he need not require them to show their valid
identification cards. This rule is supported by the definition of a “jurat” under Section 6, Rule II of the 2004
Rules on Notarial Practice.
A “jurat” refers to an act in which an individual on a single occasion: (a) appears in person before the
notary public and presents an instrument or document; (b) is personally known to the notary public or
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identified by the notary public through competent evidence of identity; (c) signs the instrument or
document in the presence of the notary; and (d) takes an oath or affirmation before the notary public as
to such instrument or document. - Jandoquile v. Atty. Revilla Jr., A.C. No. 9514, April 10, 2013
Con’t….
[C]ompetent evidence of identity is not required in cases where the affiant is personally known to the
Notary Public, which is the case herein. - Amora, Jr. v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 192280, January 25, 2011
Held:
“From the foregoing premises, herein respondent could not have been at fault or deemed to have violated his
oath as a commissioned notary public on account of complaint’s non-appearance or absence when she
acknowledged the deed of settlement as her voluntary act and deed. Because of respondent’s close
relationship with the Imson family and the assurances of the complainant’s sister Flora Imson-Elvina and
Lydia Imson-Salud ( that they have the written authority of the complainant to sign on her behalf,
respondent thus notarized the questioned document believing in good faith the representation of
complainant’s sisters Flora Imson-Elvina and Lydia Imson-Sinlao that they have the written authority of their
sister Salud Imson-Souweha) - Imson-Souweha v. Atty. Rondez, A.C. No. 3961. September 18, 1997
Prohibition to do a notarial act even if payment is tendered
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Rule IV SEC. 4. Refusal to Notarize. - A notary public shall not perform any notarial act described in these
Rules for any person requesting such an act even if he tenders the appropriate fee specified by these Rules
if:
(a) the notary knows or has good reason to believe that the notarial act or transaction is unlawful or immoral;
(b) the signatory shows a demeanor which engenders in the mind of the notary public reasonable doubt as to
the former's knowledge of the consequences of the transaction requiring a notarial act; and
(c) in the notary's judgment, the signatory is not acting of his or her own free will.
Schedule of fees
RRC 141 Sec. 12. Notaries. -- No notary public shall charge or receive for any service rendered by him any
fee, remuneration or compensation in excess of those expressly prescribed in the following schedule:
(a) For protests of drafts, bills of exchange, or promissory notes for non-acceptance or non-payment, and for
notice thereof, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS;
(b) For the registration of such protest and filing or safekeeping of the same, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00)
PESOS;
(c) For authenticating powers of attorney, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS;
(d) For sworn statement concerning correctness of any account or other document, ONE HUNDRED
(P100.00) PESOS;
(e) For each oath of affirmation, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS;
……
(f) For receiving evidence of indebtedness to be sent outside, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS;
(g) For issuing a certified copy of all or part of his notarial register or notarial records, for each page,
ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS;
(h) For taking depositions, for each page, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00) PESOS; and
(i) For acknowledging other documents not enumerated in this section, ONE HUNDRED (P100.00)
PESOS.
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The physical presence of the affiants enables the notary public to verify the genuineness of the signatures of
the acknowledging parties and to ascertain that the document is the parties’ free act and deed. – Angeles, et.
al. v. Atty. Ibañez, A.C. No. 7860 January 15, 2009
Interviewing the contracting parties does not make the parties personally known to the notary
public
That the parties appeared before [notary ex-officio] and that he interviewed them do not make the parties
personally known to him. The parties are supposed to appear in person to subscribe to their affidavits. To
personally know the parties, the notary public must at least be acquainted with them. Interviewing the
contracting parties does not make the parties personally known to the notary public. – Tupal v. Judge
Rojo, A.M. No. MTJ–14–1842, February 24, 2014
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On the issue of whether respondent was under the legal obligation to furnish a copy of the notarized will to
the archives division, Article 806 provides:
Art. 806. Every will must be acknowledged before a notary public by the testator and the witness. The notary
public shall not be required to retain a copy of the will, or file another with the office of the Clerk of
Court. (emphasis supplied)
Respondent’s failure, inadvertent or not, to file in the archives division a copy of the notarized will was
therefore not a cause for disciplinary action. (Lee v. Atty. Tambago, A.C. No. 5281, February 12, 2008)
“xxx having signed the Verification of the pleading, he cannot swear that he appeared before himself as
Notary Public.” – Villarin v. Atty. Sabate, Jr.,A.C. No. 3324 February 9, 2000
……
As more lawyers and regular notaries public populated far-flung areas, the need for ex officio notaries public
diminished as did their power. Thus, ever since this clarification was made by the Court in the 1980 case
Borre v. Moya, the power of ex officio notaries public have been limited to notarial acts connected to
the exercise of their official functions and duties.
……..
To repeat, the notarization of documents that have no relation to the performance of their official functions
is now considered to be beyond the scope of their authority as notaries public ex officio. Any one of them
who does so would be committing an unauthorized notarial act, which amounts to engaging in the
unauthorized practice of law and abuse of authority.
……..
This means that since the promulgation of that ruling, they have no longer had the authority to notarize
documents that do not bear any relation to the performance of their official functions, such as
contracts and other acts of conveyance, affidavits, certificates of candidacy, special powers of attorney,
pleadings, sworn applications for business permits, or other similar instruments.
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This means that since the promulgation of that ruling, they have no longer had the authority to notarize
documents that do not bear any relation to the performance of their official functions, such as
contracts and other acts of conveyance, affidavits, certificates of candidacy, special powers of attorney,
pleadings, sworn applications for business permits, or other similar instruments.
………
However, the Court, taking judicial notice of the fact that there are still municipalities which have neither
lawyers nor notaries public, rules that MTC and MCTC judges assigned to municipalities or circuits with no
lawyers or notaries public may, in the capacity as notaries public ex oficio, perform any act within the
competency of a regular notary public, provided that:
(1) all notarial fees charged be for the account of the Government and turned over to the municipal treasurer
and
(2) certification be made in the notarized documents attesting to the lack of any lawyer or notary public in
such municipality or circuit. - A.M. No. MTJ-01-1355. April 20, 2001
…….
They may not, as notaries public ex officio, undertake the preparation and acknowledgment of private
documents, contracts and other acts of conveyances which bear no direct relation to the performance of their
functions as judges.
Defective notarization
Anent the first assigned error, petitioners are correct in pointing out that notarized documents carry
evidentiary weight conferred upon them with respect to their due execution and enjoy the presumption of
regularity which may only be rebutted by evidence so clear, strong and convincing as to exclude all
controversy as to falsity. However, the presumptions that attach to notarized documents can be affirmed only
so long as it is beyond dispute that the notarization was regular.
…….
A defective notarization will strip the document of its public character and reduce it to a private instrument.
Consequently, when there is a defect in the notarization of a document, the clear and convincing evidentiary
standard normally attached to a duly-notarized document is dispensed with, and the measure to test the
validity of such document is preponderance of evidence.
While indeed a notarized document enjoys the presumption of regularity, the fact that a deed is notarized is
not a guarantee of the validity of its contents. The presumption is not absolute and may be rebutted by clear
and convincing evidence to the contrary. – Sps. Martires v. Chua, G.R. No. 174240, March 20, 2013
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Series of 1990.
……..
The document was dated 1999, but the date in the acknowledgment and notarial reference was an earlier
date, 1990. The ex-oficio notary public, Judge Base, was not presented to explain the apparent material
discrepancy of the dates appearing on the questioned document. This only confirms the claim of Aquiles
that he signed the receipt representing his loan at the bodega of Sia Ko Pio sometime in 1990, and not at the
office of Judge Base in 1999.
…….
La Suerte insists that the discrepancy on the dates was a mere clerical error that did not invalidate the deed of
sale. It is worthy to stress that a notarial document is evidence of the facts in the clear unequivocal manner
therein expressed and has in its favor the presumption of regularity. While it is true that an error in the
notarial inscription does not generally invalidate a sale, if indeed it took place, the same error can only mean
that the document cannot be treated as a notarial document and thus, not entitled to the presumption of
regularity. The document would be taken out of the realm of public documents whose genuineness and due
execution need not be proved. – Riosa v. Tabaco La Suerte Corporation (La Suerte), G.R. No. 203786, October
23, 2013
WON a special power of attorney executed in a foreign country is admissible in evidence as a public
document in courts
Mrs. Priscilla L. Ty the supposed attorney-in-fact, contends that inasmuch as the special power of attorney in
question is notarized, it is a public document which should be admitted in evidence without need of
authentication and/or proof of due execution.
On the other hand, the private respondent argues that the same cannot be considered as a public document
because its authenticity has not been proved by Mrs. Ty in accordance with the procedure prescribed under
the Rules of Court.– Lopez, represented by Priscilla Ty as her attorney in fact v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
77008 December 29, 1987
……
Section 25, Rule 132 of the Rules of Court provides-
Sec. 25. Proof of public or official record. — An official record or an entry therein, when admissible for any
purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication thereof or by a copy attested by the officer having the
legal custody of the record, or by his deputy, and accompanied, if the record is not kept in the Philippines,
with a certificate that such officer has the custody. If the office in which the record is kept is in a foreign
country, the certificate may be made by a secretary of embassy or legation consul general, consul, vice consul,
or consular agent or by any officer in the foreign service of the Philippines stationed in the foreign country in
which the record is kept, and authenticated by the seal of his office.
……..
When the special power of attorney is executed and acknowledged before a notary public or other competent
official in a foreign country, it cannot be admitted in evidence unless it is certified as such in accordance with
the foregoing provision of the rules by a secretary of embassy or legation, consul general, consul, vice consul,
or consular agent or by any officer in the foreign service of the Philippines stationed in the foreign country in
which the record is kept of said public document and authenticated by the seal of his office. A city judge-
notary who notarized the document, as in this case, cannot issue such certification.
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affidavits are generally rejected for being hearsay, unless the affiants themselves are placed on the witness
stand to testify thereon. – Republic v. Sps. Gimenez, G.R. No. 174673, January 11, 2016
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