[See Introduction and Menu; Rule 6; Rule 7; Rule 8; Rule 9; Rule 10; Rule 11; Rule 12; Rule 13; Rule 14; Rule 15; Rule 16 (deleted); Rule 17; Rule 18; Rule 19; Rule 20; Rule 21; Rule 22; Rule 23; Rule 24; Rule 25; Rule 26; Rule 27; Rule 28; Rule 29; Rule 30; Rule 31; Rule 32; Rule 33; Rule 34; Rule 35; See summaries: Electronic Filing and Service and Filing and Service of Papers]

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RULE 13

FILING AND SERVICE OF PLEADINGS, JUDGMENTS AND OTHER PAPERS 

Section 1. Coverage. — This Rule shall govern the filing of all pleadings, motions, and other court submissions, as well as their service, except those for which a different mode of service is prescribed. (1a) 

Section 2. Filing and Service, defined. — Filing is the act of submitting the pleading or other paper to the court. 

Service is the act of providing a party with a copy of the pleading or any other court submission. If a party has appeared by counsel, service upon such party shall be made upon his or her counsel, unless service upon the party and the party’s counsel is ordered by the court. Where one counsel appears for several parties, such counsel shall only be entitled to one copy of any paper served by the opposite side. 

Where several counsels appear for one party, such party shall be entitled to only one copy of any pleading or paper to be served upon the lead counsel if one is designated, or upon any one of them if there is no designation of a lead counsel. (2a) 

Section. 3. Manner of filing. — The filing of pleadings and other court submissions shall be made by: 

(a) Submitting personally the original thereof, plainly indicated as such, to the court; 

(b) Sending them by registered mail;

(c) Sending them by accredited courier; or 

(d)Transmitting them by electronic mail or other electronic means as may be authorized by the Court in places where the court is electronically equipped. 

In the first case, the clerk of court shall endorse on the pleading the date and hour of filing. In the second and third cases, the date of the mailing of motions, pleadings, and other court submissions, and payments or deposits, as shown by the post office stamp on the envelope or the registry receipt, shall be considered as the date of their filing, payment, or deposit in court. The envelope shall be attached to the record of the case. In the fourth case, the date of electronic transmission shall be considered as the date of filing. (3a) 

Section 4. Papers required to be filed and served. – Every judgment, resolution, order, pleading subsequent to the complaint, written motion, notice, appearance, demand, offer of judgment or similar papers shall be filed with the court, and served upon the parties affected. (4) 

Section 5. Modes of Service. — Pleadings, motions, notices, orders, judgments, and other court submissions shall be served personally or by registered mail, accredited courier, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, other electronic means as may be authorized by the Court, or as provided for in international conventions to which the Philippines is a party. (5a) 

Section 6. Personal Service. — Court submissions may be served by personal delivery of a copy to the party or to the party’s counsel, or to their authorized representative named in the appropriate pleading or motion, or by leaving it in his or her office with his or her clerk, or with a person having charge thereof. If no person is found in his or her office, or his or her office is not known, or he or she has no office, then by leaving the copy, between the hours of eight in the morning and six in the evening, at the party’s or counsel’s residence, if known, with a person of sufficient age and discretion residing therein. (6a) 

Section 7. Service by mail. — Service by registered mail shall be made by depositing the copy in the post office, in a sealed envelope, plainly addressed to the party or to the party’s counsel at his or her office, if known, otherwise at his or her residence, if known, with postage fully pre-paid, and with instructions to the postmaster to return the mail to the sender after ten (l0) calendar days if undelivered. If no registry service is available in the locality of either the sender or the addressee, service may be done by ordinary mail. (7a) 

Section 8. Substituted service. – If service of pleadings, motions, notices, resolutions, orders and other papers cannot be made under the two preceding sections, the office and place of residence of the party or his or her counsel being unknown, service may be made by delivering the copy to the clerk of court, with proof of failure of both personal service and service by mail. The service is complete at the time of such delivery. (8a) 

Section 9. Service by electronic means and facsimile. — Service by electronic means and facsimile shall be made if the party concerned consents to such modes of service. 

Service by electronic means shall be made by sending an e-mail to the party’s or counsel’s electronic mail address, or through other electronic means of transmission as the parties may agree on, or upon direction of the court. 

Service by facsimile shall be made by sending a facsimile copy to the party’s or counsel’s given facsimile number. (n) 

Section 10. Presumptive service. — There shall be presumptive notice to a party of a court setting if such notice appears on the records to have been mailed at least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the scheduled date of hearing and if the addressee is from within the same judicial region of the court where the case is pending, or at least thirty (30) calendar days if the addressee is from outside the judicial region. (n) 

Section 11. Change of electronic mail address or facsimile number. — A party who changes his or her electronic mail address or facsimile number while the action is pending must promptly file, within five (5) calendar days from such change, a notice of change of e-mail address or facsimile number with the court and serve the notice on all other parties. 

Service through the electronic mail address or facsimile number of a party shall be presumed valid unless such party notifies the court of any change, as aforementioned. (n) 

Section 12. Electronic mail and facsimile subject and title of pleadings and other documents. — The subject of the electronic mail and facsimile must follow the prescribed format: case number, case title and the pleading, order or document title. The title of each electronically-filed or served pleading or other document, and each submission served by facsimile shall contain sufficient information to enable the court to ascertain from the title: (a) the party or parties filing or serving the paper, (b) nature of the paper, (c) the party or parties against whom relief, if any, is sought, and (d) the nature of the relief sought. (n) 

Section 13. Service of Judgments, Final Orders or Resolutions. — Judgments, final orders, or resolutions shall be served either personally or by registered mail. Upon ex parte motion of any party in the case, a copy of the judgment, final order, or resolution may be delivered by accredited courier at the expense of such party. When a party summoned by publication has failed to appear in the action, judgments, final orders or resolutions against him or her shall be served upon him or her also by means of publication at the expense of the prevailing party. (9a) 

Section 14. Conventional service or filing of orders, pleadings and other documents. – Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following orders, pleadings, and other documents must be served or filed personally or by registered mail when allowed, and shall not be served or filed electronically, unless express permission is granted by the Court: 

(a) Initiatory pleadings and initial responsive pleadings, such as an answer; 

(b) Subpoenae, protection orders, and writs; 

(c) Appendices and exhibits to motions, or other documents that are not readily amenable to electronic scanning may, at the option of the party filing such, be filed and served conventionally; and 

(d) Sealed and confidential documents or records. (n) 

Section 15. Completeness of service. — Personal service is complete upon actual delivery. Service by ordinary mail is complete upon the expiration of ten (10) calendar days after mailing, unless the court otherwise provides. Service by registered mail is complete upon actual receipt by the addressee, or after five (5) calendar days from the date he or she received the first notice of the postmaster, whichever date is earlier. Service by accredited courier is complete upon actual receipt by the addressee, or after at least two (2) attempts to deliver by the courier service, or upon the expiration of five (5) calendar days after the first attempt to deliver, whichever is earlier. 

Electronic service is complete at the time of the electronic transmission of the document, or when available, at the time that the electronic notification of service of the document is sent. Electronic service is not effective or complete if the party serving the document learns that it did not reach the addressee or person to be served. 

Service by facsimile transmission is complete upon receipt by the other party, as indicated in the facsimile transmission printout. (10a) 

Section 16. Proof of filing. — The filing of a pleading or any other court submission shall be proved by its existence in the record of the case. 

(a) If the pleading or any other court submission is not in the record, but is claimed to have been filed personally, the filing shall be proven by the written or stamped acknowledgment of its filing by the clerk of court on a copy of the pleading or court submission; 

2. (b)  If the pleading or any other court submission was filed by registered mail, the filing shall be proven by the registry receipt and by the affidavit of the person who mailed it, containing a full statement of the date and place of deposit of the mail in the post office in a sealed envelope addressed to the court, with postage fully prepaid, and with instructions to the postmaster to return the mail to the sender after ten (10) calendar days if not delivered. 
3. (c)  If the pleading or any other court submission was filed through an accredited courier service, the filing shall be proven by an affidavit of service of the person who brought the pleading or other document to the service provider, together with the courier’s official receipt and document tracking number. 
4. (d)  If the pleading or any other court submission was filed by electronic mail, the same shall be proven by an affidavit of electronic filing of the filing party accompanied by a paper copy of the pleading or other document transmitted or a written or stamped acknowledgment of its filing by the clerk of court. If the paper copy sent by electronic mail was filed by registered mail, paragraph (b) of this Section applies. 

(e)If the pleading or any other court submission was filed through other authorized electronic means, the same shall be proven by an affidavit of electronic filing of the filing party accompanied by a copy of the electronic acknowledgment of its filing by the court. (12a) 

Section 17. Proof of service. –— Proof of personal service shall consist of a written admission of the party served, or the official return of the server, or the affidavit of the party serving, containing a statement of the date, place, and manner of service. If the service is made by: 

(a)  Ordinary mail. – Proof shall consist of an affidavit of the person mailing stating the facts showing compliance with Section 7 of this Rule. 

(b)  Registered mail. – Proof shall be made by the affidavit mentioned above and the registry receipt issued by the mailing office. The registry return card shall be filed immediately upon its receipt by the sender, or in lieu thereof, the unclaimed letter together with the certified or sworn copy of the notice given by the postmaster to the addressee. 

(c)  Accredited courier service. – Proof shall be made by an affidavit of service executed by the person who brought the pleading or paper to the service provider, together with the courier’s official receipt or document tracking number. 

(d)  Electronic mail, facsimile, or other authorized electronic means of transmission. – Proof shall be made by an affidavit of service executed by the person who sent the e-mail, facsimile, or other electronic transmission, together with a printed proof of transmittal. (13a) 

Section 18. Court-issued orders and other documents. — The court may electronically serve orders and other documents to all the parties in the case which shall have the same effect and validity as provided herein. A paper copy of the order or other document electronically served shall be retained and attached to the record of the case. (n) 

Section 19. Notice of lis pendens. –— In an action affecting the title or the right of possession of real property, the plaintiff and the defendant, when affirmative relief is claimed in his or her answer, may record in the office of the registry of deeds of the province in which the property is situated a notice of the pendency of the action. Said notice shall contain the names of the parties and the object of the action or defense, and a description of the property in that province affected thereby. Only from the time of filing such notice for record shall a purchaser, or encumbrancer of the property affected thereby, be deemed to have constructive notice of the pendency of the action, and only of its pendency against the parties designated by their real names. 

The notice of lis pendens hereinabove mentioned may be cancelled only upon order of the court, after proper showing that the notice is for the purpose of molesting the adverse party, or that it is not necessary to protect the rights of the party who caused it to be recorded. (14a) 

[Rule 14. Summons]