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Advocates Philippines
Supreme Court Rules On Forum Shopping Case: ABS-CBN's Claims Dismissed, Revillame Prevails
Screengrab from Wowowin
The Supreme Court's Third Division settled a longstanding legal battle between ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation (ABS-CBN) and television personality Willie Revillame. The Court's ruling, authored by Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, revolved around the principle that issues resolved in a previous suit cannot be re-litigated in a future case involving the same parties but a different cause of action.
The dispute dates back to August 23, 2010, when Revillame initiated a civil action to terminate his contract with ABS-CBN, following his withdrawal from hosting the show "Wowowee." ABS-CBN responded by filing a counterclaim seeking substantial damages. ABS-CBN also attempted to restrain Revillame from performing on a rival network's show, claiming a breach of contract.
The Court of Appeals (CA) ruled that ABS-CBN engaged in forum shopping by filing multiple suits related to the same alleged contract breach. The CA found that both ABS-CBN's counterclaim and a subsequent copyright infringement complaint shared the same cause of action.
The Supreme Court's First Division had earlier upheld this decision in a separate case. In the recent ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed the principle of conclusiveness of judgment, stating that identical parties and subject matter necessitate the application of this doctrine. As both ABS-CBN and Revillame were parties in the previous case and the present matter revolved around the same alleged contract violation, the Court concluded that the issue of forum shopping was conclusively settled.
Furthermore, the Court considered whether ABS-CBN's forum shopping was deliberate and willful. Citing Rule 7 of the Rules of Court, the Court explained that such actions are subject to dismissal as a punitive measure. In this case, the Court found ABS-CBN guilty of willful forum shopping for pursuing the same relief in different courts after an initial denial.
Consequently, the Court ordered the dismissal of ABS-CBN's counterclaim in the original civil case, directing the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to continue the case without it. Additionally, the Court rejected ABS-CBN's separate petitions challenging CA decisions related to Revillame's compliance with a security bond.
The dispute dates back to August 23, 2010, when Revillame initiated a civil action to terminate his contract with ABS-CBN, following his withdrawal from hosting the show "Wowowee." ABS-CBN responded by filing a counterclaim seeking substantial damages. ABS-CBN also attempted to restrain Revillame from performing on a rival network's show, claiming a breach of contract.
The Court of Appeals (CA) ruled that ABS-CBN engaged in forum shopping by filing multiple suits related to the same alleged contract breach. The CA found that both ABS-CBN's counterclaim and a subsequent copyright infringement complaint shared the same cause of action.
The Supreme Court's First Division had earlier upheld this decision in a separate case. In the recent ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed the principle of conclusiveness of judgment, stating that identical parties and subject matter necessitate the application of this doctrine. As both ABS-CBN and Revillame were parties in the previous case and the present matter revolved around the same alleged contract violation, the Court concluded that the issue of forum shopping was conclusively settled.
Furthermore, the Court considered whether ABS-CBN's forum shopping was deliberate and willful. Citing Rule 7 of the Rules of Court, the Court explained that such actions are subject to dismissal as a punitive measure. In this case, the Court found ABS-CBN guilty of willful forum shopping for pursuing the same relief in different courts after an initial denial.
Consequently, the Court ordered the dismissal of ABS-CBN's counterclaim in the original civil case, directing the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to continue the case without it. Additionally, the Court rejected ABS-CBN's separate petitions challenging CA decisions related to Revillame's compliance with a security bond.
Aug 18, 2023
