Facts:

On 10 July 1997, Alfie Lorenzo,

Lorenzo, Allen
Allen Macasae
Macasaet,t, Nicolas
Nicolas Quijano,
Quijano, Jr.,
Jr., and Roer 
Roer 
!ara
!arajes
jes,, colu"
colu"nis
nist,
t, #u$li
#u$lis%s%er
er,, "ana
"anain
in edito
editorr, and
and edito
editor,
r, res#ec
res#ecti&
ti&ely
ely of t%e
ne's#a
ne's#a#er#er “Abante
“Abante”” 'ere c%ared $efore t%e Reional (rial )ourt *R()+ of Quezon
)ity, 'it% t%e cri"e of li$el.

(o '%ic%
'%ic% an articl
article
e is #u$li
#u$lis%e
s%ed
d #u$li
#u$licly
cly i"#ut
i"#utin
in a cri"e
cri"e,, &ice
&ice or defe
defect,
ct, real
real or 
i"ainary or an act, o"ission, condition, status or circu"stance and causin in &ie' of 
t%eir #u$lication, discredit and conte"#t u#on t%e #erson of said Joselito Maallanes
(rinidad a..a. Joey (rinidad a..a. (oto (rinidad, to %is da"ae and #rejudice.

On 1- e#te"$er 1997, #etitioners filed a Motion to /is"iss t%e li$el case on t%e
round t%at t%e trial court
court did not %a&e jurisdiction
jurisdiction o&er t%e offense c%ared.
c%ared. Accordin
Accordin
to #etitioners, as t%e infor"ation
infor"ation discloses t%at t%e residence of #ri&ate res#ondent
res#ondent 'as
in Mariina, t%e R() of Quezon )ity did not %a&e jurisdiction
jurisdiction o&er t%e case #ursuant to
 Article 0
0 of t%e
t%e Re&ised
Re&ised !enal )ode, to 'it2

(%e cri"inal and ci&il action for da"aes in cases of 'ritten defa"ations as
#ro&ided for in t%is c%a#ter, s%all $e filed si"ultaneously or se#arately 'it% t%e
)ourt of 3irst 4nstance of t%e #ro&ince or city '%ere t%e li$elous article is #rinted
and first #u$lis%ed or '%ere any of t%e offended #arties actually resides at t%e
ti"e of t%e co""ission of t%e offense5

4n an Order dated - e#te"$er 1997, 68 Jude

68 Jude ruselas, Jr., ruled t%at :'it% t%e filin
of t%e ;Motion to /is"iss,< t%e court considers t%e accused to %a&e a$andoned t%eir 
;Motion for Reconsideration and to =it%dra' !lea< and sees no furt%er need to act on
t%e sa"e.>

On -? No&e"$er 1997, t%e trial court rendered an Order dis"issin t%e case due to
lac of jurisdicti
jurisdiction.
on. (%e court a quo
quo noted t%at alt%ou% t%e infor"ation alleed t%e
&enue of t%is case falls 'it%in t%e jurisdiction of Quezon )ity, t%e e&idence su$"itted for 
its consideration
consideration indicated
indicated ot%er'ise.
ot%er'ise. 3irst, t%e editorial
editorial $o@ of  Abante clearly indicated
t%at t%e #ur#orted li$elous article 'as #rinted and first #u$lis%ed in t%e )ity of Manila.
4n addition, t%e trial court relied on t%e follo'in "atters to su##ort its conclusion t%at,
indeed, jurisdiction
jurisdiction 'as i"#ro#erly laid in t%is case2 a+ on #ae ? of t%e infor"ation, t%e
address of #ri&ate res#ondent a##eared to $e t%e one in Mariina )ity alt%ou% ri%t
$elo' it 'as a %and'ritten notation statin :11 ct. Lozano t., aranay acred
eart, Q)>B $+ t%e t'o barangay   certifications su$"itted $y t%e #etitionersB and c+ t%e
Me"orandu" for !reli"inary 4n&estiation and Affida&itC)o"#laint attac%ed to t%e
infor"ation '%erein t%e i&en address of #ri&ate res#ondent 'as Mariina )ity.

Dndaunted, t%e #u$lic and t%e #ri&ate #rosecutors filed a notice of a##eal $efore t%e
court a quo. 4n t%e /ecision no' assailed, t%e )ourt of A##eals re&ersed and set aside
t%e trial court<s conclusion and ordered t%e re"and of t%e case to t%e court a quo for 
furt%er #roceedins.

(%e )ourt of A##eals %eld t%at juris#rudentially, it is settled t%at t%e :residence of a
#erson "ust $e %is #ersonal, actual or #%ysical %a$itation or %is actual residence or 
a$ode> and for t%e #ur#ose of deter"inin &enue, actual residence is a #erson<s #lace
of a$ode and not necessarily %is leal residence or do"icile. 6-08 4n t%is case, t%e defect
a##earin on t%e oriinal co"#laint '%erein t%e residence of #ri&ate res#ondent 'as
indicated to $e Mariina )ity 'as su$seEuently cured $y %is su##le"entalCaffida&it
su$"itted durin t%e #reli"inary in&estiation of t%e case. Moreo&er, as t%e
a"end"ent 'as "ade durin t%e #reli"inary in&estiation #%ase of t%is case, t%e sa"e
could $e done as a "atter of ri%t #ursuant to t%e Re&ised Rules of )ourt.

(%e #etitioners t%ereafter filed a "otion for reconsideration '%ic% 'as denied $y t%e
)ourt of A##eals in a Resolution #ro"ulated on  January -00.

Issue:

=%et%er or not t%e )ourt of A##eals co""itted a re&ersi$le error in rulin t%at t%e
Reional (rial )ourt of Quezon )ity %as territorial Jurisdiction o&er t%e cri"e c%aredF

Ruling:

Jurisdiction %as $een defined as :t%e #o'er conferred $y la' u#on a jude or court to
try a case t%e conizance of '%ic% $elons to t%e" e@clusi&ely> and it constitutes t%e
$asic foundation of judicial #roceedins. (%e ter" deri&es its oriin fro" t'o Latin
'ords G “jus”   "eanin la' and t%e ot%er, “dicere”   "eanin to declare. (%e ter" %as
also $een &aria$ly e@#lained to $e :t%e #o'er of a court to %ear and deter"ine a cause
of action #resented to it, t%e #o'er of a court to adjudicate t%e ind of case $efore it, t%e
#o'er of a court to adjudicate a case '%en t%e #ro#er #arties are $efore it, and t%e
#o'er of a court to "ae t%e #articular decision it is ased to render.>
4n cri"inal actions, it is a funda"ental rule t%at &enue is jurisdictional. (%us, t%e #lace
'%ere t%e cri"e 'as co""itted deter"ines not only t%e &enue of t%e action $ut is an
essential ele"ent of jurisdiction.

(%e la', is "ore #articular in li$el cases. (%e #ossi$le &enues for t%e institution of t%e
cri"inal and t%e ci&il as#ects of said case are concisely outlined in Article 0 of t%e
Re&ised !enal )ode, as a"ended $y Re#u$lic Act No. ?.

4n A$ayani &. ayo , 'e su""arized t%e foreoin rule in t%e follo'in "anner2

1. =%et%er t%e offended #arty is a #u$lic official or a #ri&ate #erson, t%e cri"inal
action "ay $e filed in t%e )ourt of 3irst 4nstance of t%e #ro&ince or city '%ere t%e
li$elous article is #rinted and first #u$lis%ed.

-. 4f t%e offended #arty is a #ri&ate indi&idual, t%e cri"inal action "ay also $e filed in
t%e )ourt of 3irst 4nstance of t%e #ro&ince '%ere %e actually resided at t%e ti"e of t%e
co""ission of t%e offense.

. 4f t%e offended #arty is a #u$lic officer '%ose office is in Manila at t%e ti"e of t%e
co""ission of t%e offense, t%e action "ay $e filed in t%e )ourt of 3irst 4nstance of 
Manila.

?. 4f t%e offended #arty is a #u$lic officer %oldin office outside of Manila, t%e action
"ay $e filed in t%e )ourt of 3irst 4nstance of t%e #ro&ince or city '%ere %e %eld office at
t%e ti"e of t%e co""ission of t%e offense.

4n t%e case at $ar, #ri&ate res#ondent 'as a #ri&ate citizen at t%e ti"e of t%e #u$lication
of t%e alleed li$elous article, %ence, %e could only file %is li$el suit in t%e )ity of Manila
'%ere Abante 'as first #u$lis%ed or in t%e #ro&ince or city '%ere %e actually resided at
t%e ti"e t%e #ur#orted li$elous article 'as #rinted.

 A #erusal, %o'e&er, of t%e infor"ation in&ol&ed in t%is case easily re&eals t%at t%e
alleations contained t%erein are utterly insufficient to &est jurisdiction on t%e R() of 
Quezon )ity. Ot%er t%an #erfunctorily statin :Quezon )ity> at t%e $einnin of t%e
infor"ation, t%e assistant city #rosecutor '%o #re#ared t%e infor"ation did not $ot%er to
indicate '%et%er t%e jurisdiction of R() Quezon )ity 'as in&oed eit%er $ecause
 Abante 'as #rinted in t%at #lace or #ri&ate res#ondent 'as a resident of said city at t%e
ti"e t%e clai"ed li$elous article ca"e out. As t%ese "atters deal 'it% t%e funda"ental
issue of t%e court<s jurisdiction, Article 0 of t%e Re&ised !enal )ode, as a"ended,
"andates t%at eit%er one of t%ese state"ents "ust $e alleed in t%e infor"ation itself 
and t%e a$sence of $ot% fro" t%e &ery face of t%e infor"ation renders t%e latter fatally
defecti&e. adly for #ri&ate res#ondent, t%e infor"ation filed $efore t%e trial court falls
'ay s%ort of t%is reEuire"ent. (%e assistant city #rosecutor<s failure to #ro#erly lay t%e
$asis for in&oin t%e jurisdiction of t%e R(), Quezon )ity, effecti&ely denied said court
of t%e #o'er to tae conizance of t%is case.

3or t%e uidance, t%erefore, of $ot% t%e $enc% and t%e $ar, t%is )ourt finds it a##ro#riate
to reiterate our earlier #ronounce"ent in t%e case of  Agbayani , to 'it2

4n order to o$&iate contro&ersies as to t%e &enue of t%e cri"inal action for 'ritten
defa"ation, t%e co"#laint or infor"ation s%ould contain alleations as to '%et%er, at t%e
ti"e t%e offense 'as co""itted, t%e offended #arty 'as a #u$lic officer or a #ri&ate
indi&idual and '%ere %e 'as actually residin at t%at ti"e. =%ene&er #ossi$le, t%e
#lace '%ere t%e 'ritten defa"ation 'as #rinted and first #u$lis%ed s%ould lie'ise $e
alleed. (%at alleation 'ould $e a sine qua non  if t%e circu"stance as to '%ere t%e
li$el 'as #rinted and first #u$lis%ed is used as t%e $asis of t%e &enue of t%e action.