ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | Feb. 6, 2025
Dear Chief Acosta,
Kapag ba nagsabi ako nito: “Kakasuhan kita dahil sa hindi mo pagbabayad ng utang,” maaari ba itong maituring na ilegal na pagbabanta at maaari pa akong makasuhan?
– Ashley
Dear Ashley,
Ang sagot sa iyong katanungan ay hindi. Alinsunod sa Artikulo 1335 ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 386, o mas kilala sa tawag na “Civil Code of the Philippines”:
“Article 1335. There is violence when in order to wrest consent, serious or irresistible force is employed.
There is intimidation when one of the contracting parties is compelled by a reasonable and well-grounded fear of an imminent and grave evil upon his person or property, or upon the person or property of his spouse, descendants or ascendants, to give his consent.
To determine the degree of intimidation, the age, sex and condition of the person shall be borne in mind.
A threat to enforce one’s claim through competent authority, if the claim is just or legal, does not vitiate consent.”
Ayon sa nabanggit, ang banta na ipatupad ang paghahabol o pagsasampa ng kaso sa pamamagitan ng karampatang awtoridad, kung ang paghahabol ay makatarungan o legal, ay hindi ipinagbabawal.
Sa katunayan, ayon sa Korte Suprema sa kasong Lee vs. Court of Appeals (G.R. No. 90423, 6 September 1991) sa panulat ni Honorable Associate Justice Leo D. Medialdea, ang pagbabanta ng pagkakaso ay hindi masama, lalo kung kaugnay sa pagpapatupad ng nararapat na obligasyon:
“In the light of the foregoing circumstances, petitioner’s demand that the private respondent return the proceeds of the check accompanied by a threat to file criminal charges was not improper. There is nothing unlawful on the threat to sue. In the case of Berg v. National City Bank of New York (102 Phil. 309, 316), We ruled that:
... It is a practice followed not only by banks but even by individuals to demand payment of their accounts with the threat that upon failure to do so an action would be instituted in court. Such a threat is proper within the realm of the law as a means to enforce collection. Such a threat cannot constitute duress even if the claim proves to be unfounded so long as the creditor believes that it was his right to do so.”
Ganunpaman, bagaman hindi ipinagbabawal ang pagbabanta ng pagsasampa ng kaso, mahalaga na sa pamamaraan nito ay walang pagmamalabis o karagdagang kilos na labag sa batas ang gagawing kaakibat sa pagbabanta, o sa mismong pagsasampa ng kaso upang maiwasan ang pagkakaroon ng legal na pananagutan.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.