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Violeta Batara And Roy Batara vs CA Julian And Rosario Punongbayan And Sps. Gil And Erlinda Obsequio, Respondents.

VIOLETA BATARA and ROY BATARA, petitioners, vs. COURT OF APPEALS, JULIAN and ROSARIO PUNONGBAYAN and Sps. GIL and ERLINDA OBSEQUIO, respondents.

G.R. No. 127906 | 1998-12-16

D E C I S I O N

BELLOSILLO, J.:

The timeliness of an appeal is a jurisdictional caveat that not even this Court can trifle with. It is only the existence of a highly exceptional circumstance that can allow it to relax this rule.

The main subject of this petition for review on certiorari is the disapproval by the RTC- Br. 72, Olongapo City, of petitioners' Notice of Appeal in accordance with its Order[1] of 11 March 1996 which respondent Court of Appeals affirmed in its challenged decision and resolution of 5 November 1996 and 21 January 1997, respectively.[2]

Two (2) separate actions were filed and thereafter consolidated by agreement...