RULES OF COURT

SUMMONS

RULE 14
SUMMONS
Section 1. Clerk to issue summons.
Upon the filing of the complaint and the
payment of the requisite legal fees, the
clerk of court shall forthwith issue the
corresponding summons to the
defendants.
Sec. 2. Contents.
The summons shall be directed to the
defendant, signed by the clerk of court
under seal, and contain:
(a) the name of the court and the names
of the parties to the action;

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(b) a direction that the defendant

answer within the time fixed by these
Rules;
(c) a notice that unless the defendant so
answers, plaintiff will take judgment by
default and may be granted the relief
applied for.
A copy of the complaint and order for
appointment of guardian ad litem, if any,
shall be attached to the original and each
copy of the summons.
Sec. 3. By whom served.
The summons may be served by the
sheriff, his deputy, or other proper court
officer, or for justifiable reasons by any

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suitable person authorized by the court

issuing the summons.
Sec. 4. Return.
When the service has been completed,
the server shall, within five (5) days
therefrom, serve a copy of the return,
personally or by registered mail, to the
plaintiff's counsel, and shall return the
summons to the clerk who issued it,
accompanied by proof of service.
Sec. 5. Issuance of alias summons.
If a summons is returned without being
served on any or all of the defendants,
the server shall also serve a copy of the
return on the plaintiff's counsel, stating

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the reasons for the failure of service,

within five (5) days therefrom. In such a
case, or if the summons has been lost,
the clerk, on demand of the plaintiff,
may issue an alias summons.
Sec. 6. Service in person on defendant.
Whenever practicable, the summons
shall be served by handing a copy
thereof to the defendant in person, or, if
he refuses to receive and sign for it, by
tendering it to him.
Sec. 7. Substituted service.
If, for justifiable causes, the defendant
cannot be served within a reasonable
time as provided in the preceding

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section, service may be effected (a) by

leaving copies of the summons at the
defendant's residence with some person
of suitable age and discretion then
residing therein, or (b) by leaving the
copies at defendant's office or regular
place of business with some competent
person in charge thereof.
Sec. 8. Service upon entity without
juridical personality.
When persons associated in an entity
without juridical personality are sued
under the name by which they are
generally or commonly known, service
may be effected upon all the defendants
by serving upon any one of them, or
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upon the person in charge of the office

or place of business maintained in such
name. But such service shall not bind
individually any person whose
connection with the entity has, upon due
notice, been severed before the action
was brought.
Sec. 9. Service upon prisoners.
When the defendant is a prisoner
confined in a jail or institution, service
shall be effected upon him by the officer
having the management of such jail or
institution who is deemed deputized as a
special sheriff for said purpose.

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Sec. 10. Service upon minors and

incompetents.
When the defendant is a minor, insane
or otherwise an incompetent, service
shall be made upon him personally and
on his legal guardian if he has one, or if
none, upon his guardian ad litem whose
appointment shall be applied for by the
plaintiff. In the case of a minor, service
may also be made on his father or
mother.
Sec. 11. Service upon domestic private
juridical entity.
When the defendant is a corporation,
partnership or association organized

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under the laws of the Philippines with a

juridical personality, service may be
made on the president, managing
partner, general manager, corporate
secretary, treasurer, or in-house counsel.
Sec. 12. Service upon foreign private
juridical entity.
When the defendant is a foreign private
juridical entity which has transacted
business in the Philippines, service may
be made on its resident agent
designated in accordance with law for
that purpose, or, if there be no such
agent, on the government official
designated by law to that effect, or on

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any of its officers or agents within the

Philippines.
Sec. 13. Service upon public
corporations.
When the defendant is the Republic of
the Philippines, service may be effected
on the Solicitor General; in case of a
province, city or municipality, or like
public corporations, service may be
effected on its executive head, or on
such other officer or officers as the law
or the court may direct.
Sec. 14. Service upon defendant whose
identity or whereabouts are unknown.

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In any action where the defendant is

designated as an unknown owner, or the
like, or whenever his whereabouts are
unknown and cannot be ascertained by
diligent inquiry, service may, by leave of
court, be effected upon him by
publication in a newspaper of general
circulation and in such places and for
such time as the court may order.
Sec. 15. Extraterritorial service.
When the defendant does not reside and
is not found in the Philippines, and the
action affects the personal status of the
plaintiff or relates to, or the subject of
which is, property within the Philippines,
in which the defendant has or claims a
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lien or interest, actual or contingent, or

in which the relief demanded consists,
wholly or in part, in excluding the
defendant from any interest therein, or
the property of the defendant has been
attached within the Philippines, service
may, by leave of court, be effected out of
the Philippines by personal service as
under section 6; or by publication in a
newspaper of general circulation in such
places and for such time as the court
may order, in which case a copy of the
summons and order of the court shall be
sent by registered mail to the last known
address of the defendant, or in any other
manner the court may deem sufficient.

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Any order granting such leave shall

specify a reasonable time, which shall
not be less than sixty (60) days after
notice, within which the defendant must
answer.
Sec. 16. Residents temporarily out of the
Philippines.
When any action is commenced against
a defendant who ordinarily resides
within the Philippines, but who is
temporarily out of it, service may, by
leave of court, be also effected out of the
Philippines, as under the preceding
section.
Sec. 17. Leave of court.

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Any application to the court under this

Rule for leave to effect service in any
manner for which leave of court is
necessary shall be made by motion in
writing, supported by affidavit of the
plaintiff or some person on his behalf,
setting forth the grounds for the
application.
Sec. 18. Proof of service.
The proof of service of a summons shall
be made in writing by the server and
shall set forth the manner, place, and
date of service; shall specify any papers
which have been served with the process
and the name of the person who
received the same; and shall be sworn to
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when made by a person other than a

sheriff or his deputy.
Sec. 19. Proof of service by publication.
If the service has been made by
publication, service may be proved by
the affidavit of the printer, his foreman
or principal clerk, or of the editor,
business or advertising manager, to
which affidavit a copy of the publication
shall be attached, and by an affidavit
showing the deposit of a copy of the
summons and order for publication in
the post office, postage prepaid, directed
to the defendant by registered mail to
his last known address.

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Sec. 20. Voluntary appearance.

The defendant's voluntary appearance in
the action shall be equivalent to service
of summons. The inclusion in a motion
to dismiss of other grounds aside from
lack of jurisdiction over the person of the
defendant shall not be deemed a
voluntary appearance.

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