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JESUS M. IBONILLA v. PROVINCE OF CEBU

This case has been cited 2 times or more.

2008-04-10
PUNO, CJ.
The Rules of Court provide that only a real party in interest is allowed to prosecute and defend an action in court.[12]  A real party in interest is the one who stands to be benefited or injured by the judgment in the suit or the one entitled to the avails thereof.[13]  Such interest, to be considered a real interest, must be one which is present and substantial, as distinguished from a mere expectancy, or a future, contingent, subordinate or consequential interest.[14] A plaintiff is a real party in interest when he is the one who has a legal right to enforce or protect, while a defendant is a real party in interest when he is the one who has a correlative legal obligation to redress a wrong done to the plaintiff by reason of the defendant's act or omission which had violated the legal right of the former.[15]  The purpose of the rule is to protect persons against undue and unnecessary litigation.[16]  It likewise ensures that the court will have the benefit of having before it the real adverse parties in the consideration of a case.[17] Thus, a plaintiff's right to institute an ordinary civil action should be based on his own right to the relief sought.
2007-12-19
VELASCO JR., J.
A petition or complaint originating from a dispute can be filed or initiated only by a real party-in-interest.  The rules of court define a real party-in-interest as "the party who stands to be benefited or injured by the judgment in the suit or the party entitled to the avails of the suit."[53]  Every action, therefore, can only be prosecuted in the name of the real party-in-interest.[54]  It has been explained that "a real party-in-interest plaintiff is one who has a legal right, while a real party-in-interest-defendant is one who has a correlative legal obligation whose act or omission violates the legal right of the former."[55]