SECOND DIVISION

[G.R. No. 134239. May 26, 2005]

REYNALDO VILLAFUERTE and PERLITA T.

VILLAFUERTE, petitioners, vs. HON. COURT OF APPEALS,
EDILBERTO DE MESA and GONZALO DALEON, respondents.

DECISION
CHICO-NAZARIO, J.:

This is a petition for review on certiorari of the Decision[1] of the Court of Appeals in
CA-G.R. CV No. 41871 which affirmed, with modification, the decision [2] of the Regional
Trial Court, Branch 55, Lucena City, in Civil Case No. 90-11 entitled, Reynaldo C.
Villafuerte and Perlita Tan Villafuerte v. Edilberto De Mesa and Gonzalo Daleon.
The facts, as established by the Court of Appeals, follow:

Appelees the spouses Reynaldo C. Villafuerte and Perlita Tan-Villafuerte operated a

gasoline station known as Peewees Petron Powerhouse Service Station and General
Merchandise on the premises of three (3) adjoining lots at the corner of Gomez Street
and Quezon Avenue in Lucena City. One of these lots, Lot No. 2948-A with an area
of 575 square meters, is owned by several persons, one of whom is appellant Edilberto
de Mesa, while the other lot, Lot 2948-B with an area of 290 square meters, is owned
by appellant Gonzalo Daleon and his brother Federico A. Daleon. The remaining lot
belongs to Mrs. Anicia Yap-Tan, mother of appellee Perlita Tan-Villafuerte.

Appellants Edilberto de Mesa and Gonzalo Daleon acquired their respective lots
subject to the lease by Petrophil Corporation which had built thereon the gasoline
station being managed by the Villafuerte couple. When the lease of Petrophil
Corporation expired on December 31, 1988, the Villafuertes obtained a new lease on
Lot No. 2948-A from appellant Edilberto de Mesa for a period expiring on December
31, 1989, thus:.

1 This lease will be for a period of one (1) year only, from January 1, 1989 and will
terminate on the 31st of December 1989 at a monthly rental of FOUR THOUSAND
PESOS (P4,000.00). (Exhibit 1-A-1 De Mesa).
As regards Lot 2948-B of the Daleon brothers, the Villafuertes were not as lucky. For,
instead of obtaining a lease renewal, what they received were demand letters from the
brothers counsel ordering them to vacate the premises. Instead of complying
therewith, the Villafuertes simply ignored the demand and continued operating the gas
station (Exhibits 3-B, 3-C and 3-F, Daleon).

On May 9, 1989, in the Office of the Barangay Captain of Barangay Tres, Lucena
City, a complaint for ejectment was filed by Gonzalo Daleon against the Villafuertes
(Exhibit 6, Daleon). Evidently, no settlement was reached thereat, as shown by a
certification to file action issued by the lupon.

With their problem with the Daleon brothers far from over, the Villafuertes were apt
for another one; their lease contract with Edilberto de Mesa was not renewed when it
expired on December 31, 1989. Nonetheless, and duplicating what they had done in
the case of the property of the Daleon brothers, the spouses continued to operate their
gasoline station and other businesses on the lot of de Mesa despite the latters demand
to vacate.

What transpired next lays at the core of the instant controversy.

It appears that in the early morning of February 1, 1990, appellants Edilberto de Mesa
and Gonzalo Daleon, with the aid of several persons and without the knowledge of the
Villafuertes, caused the closure of the latters gasoline station by constructing fences
around it.

The following day February 2, 1990 the Villafuertes countered with a complaint for
damages with preliminary mandatory injunction against both Edilberto de Mesa and
Gonzalo Daleon. Docketed in the court below as Civil Case No. 90-11, the complaint
seeks vindication for the alleged malicious and unlawful fencing of the plaintiffs
business premises (Records, pp. 1-6).

Invoking their status as owners of the withheld premises, the defendants admitted in
their respective answers having caused the fencing of the plaintiffs gasoline station
thereat but reasoned out that they did so on account of the plaintiffs refusal to vacate
the same despite demands.

After hearing the parties in connection with the plaintiffs application for a writ of
preliminary mandatory injunction, the lower court, in its order of May 23, 1990, ruled
that with the expiration of the lease on the defendants property, the plaintiffs have no
more right to stay thereon and, therefore, cannot pretend to have a clear and
unmistakable right to an injunctive writ and accordingly denied their application
therefore (Rec., p. 186). In a subsequent order of July 30, 1990, the same court denied
the Villafuertes motion for reconsideration (Rec., p. 237).

Later, with leave of court, the Villafuertes amended their complaint to allege, among
others, that the complained acts of the defendants cost them the following items of
actual damages:

a) Daily Sales (4000-5000 lts.) at .35lt.

mark-up, P1,750 x 270 days P472,500.00

b) Storage Fee of POL (Petroleum, Oil &

Lubricants) Recom 4 at 5% for 100,000 lts.
= 5000 lts. X 3 quarters x P6.00/lt. 90,000.00

c) Tires, Batteries, Accessories (TBA) Gen.

Merchandise Sales, P50,000/mo. 20% mark-
Up = P10,000 x 9 months 90,000.00

d) Hauling of Petroleum products for Peewees

Petron Powerhouse, 2 trips weekly, P1,500
X 8 trips/mo. X 9 months 108,000.00

e) Hauling of Petroleum products for military

7 trips/qtr., P1,500/trip x 21 (3 qtrs.) 31,500.00

f) Balloon Business (Sunshine Balloons)

P50,000.00 capital, P6,000/mo. Income
TOTAL LOSS 200,000.00

g) Uncollected Debts 619,030.61

h) Uncollected Checks 37,449.05

i) Merchandise Inventory as of July 25, 1990,

P141,036.50 value, 50% damaged 70,518.25

j) Damaged Office Equipments 30,000.00

k) Stampitas (Religious Articles) and other

Hermana Fausta Memorial Foundation, Inc.
printed matters entrusted in my care,
totally damaged by rain and termites 5,000.00
l) Products lost in 4 underground tanks 249,805.00

m) Interest payments to RCBC (Rizal Commercial

Banking Corporation) for additional loan
availed of to pay off products acquired on
credit from Petron Corp. but were held
inside gas station 172,490.53

TOTAL -- P2,176,293.44

(Rec., pp. 290, 300)

The amended complaint thus prayed for the following reliefs:

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Hon. Court that judgment be rendered

in favor of the plaintiffs:

A - Immediately ordering the issuance of a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction

against the defendants commanding them and any person acting in their behalf to
forthwith remove the fence they have constructed around the premises in question,
and after trial making the said injunction permanent.

B - Ordering the defendants to pay jointly and severally the plaintiffs the following:

1) Moral damages equivalent to not less than P200,000.00;

2) Exemplary damages in the amount of P50,000.00;

3) Attorneys fee in the amount of P60,000.00 plus twenty-five percent (25%) of the
amount of damages to which plaintiffs are entitled; and

4) Litigation expenses in this instance in the amount of P10,000.00

C - Requiring the defendants to pay jointly and severally actual damages representing
unrealized income and profits as well as losses referred to in paragraphs 10 and 12
hereof in such amount as may be shown in evidence during the hearing.

D - Granting the plaintiffs such other just and equitable remedies to which they may
be entitled under the law and equity. (Orig. Rec., pp. 292-293).

As later events disclosed, the defendants resumed possession of the premises in

question on January 25, 1991 (Rec., p. 333). Four (4) days later, they obtained a
judgment by compromise from the Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Lucena City in
connection with the suit for ejectment they earlier filed thereat against Petrophil
Corporation. In that judgment, Petrophil bound itself to remove the materials and
equipment related to the operation of the gasoline station on the subject premises.
(Rec., pp. 355-356).

After the parties herein had presented their respective evidence, the lower court came
out with the decision now under review. Dated November 13, 1990, the decision
dispositively reads:

WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the plaintiffs and ordering the
defendants Edliberto de Mesa and Gonzalo Daleon to pay, jointly and severally,
plaintiffs the following:

1. Actual damages in the total amount of TWO MILLION ONE HUNDRED

SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND AND TWO HUNDRED NINETY THREE
PESOS AND FORTY FOUR CENTAVOS (P2,176,293.44);

2. Moral damages in the amount of P200,000.00;

3. Exemplary damages in the amount of P50,000.00;

4. P50,000.00, as and for attorneys fees; and

5. Costs of suit.

SO ORDERED (Rec., pp. 408-414). [3]

The trial court ruled that with the continued occupation by petitioners of the two lots
belonging to private respondents, despite the expiration of the lease contracts over the
same, petitioners had become undesirable lessees.[4] However, it was improper for
private respondents to resort to fencing their properties in order to remove petitioners
from the premises in the light of the clear provision of the Civil Code on the matter, to
wit:

Art. 536. In no case may possession be acquired through force or intimidation as long
as there is a possessor who objects thereto. He who believes that he has an action or a
right to deprive another of the holding of a thing, must invoke the aid of the
competent court, if the holder should refuse to deliver the thing.

Having disregarded the plain requirement of the law, private respondents were held
accountable to petitioners for the various damages prayed for by petitioners in their
amended complaint.
 In due time, private respondents filed their respective appeals before the Court of
Appeals which affirmed, with modification, the decision of the trial court. The dispositive
portion of the appellate courts decision reads:

WHEREFORE, the decision appealed from is MODIFIED by holding the appellants

jointly and severally liable to the appellees for P50,000.00 as exemplary damages and
for P27,000.00 as actual damages, itemized as follows:

1. detention of the records: P7,000.00;

2. detention of the merchandise: P10,000.00;
3. value of the damaged merchandise and religious items: P5,000;
and
4. detention of offices equipment: P5,000.00,

and by holding the appellees jointly and severally liable for rental to appellants
Edilberto de Mesa and Gonzalo Daleon in the amount of P5,500.00 and P39,000.00,
respectively.

The deficiency in the payment of the docket fees, to be computed by the clerk of court
of the lower court, shall constitute a lien on this judgment.[5]

In adjudging private respondents liable for damages, the Court of Appeals

substantially ruled that:
1. Private respondents could not invoke the doctrine of self-help contained in Article
429 of the Civil Code[6] reasoning that the doctrine finds no application when occupation
was effected through lawful means such as in this case where petitioners possession of
the lots owned by private respondents was effected through lease agreements;
2. Petitioners continued unauthorized occupation of private respondents properties
may have been illegal, however, it was incumbent upon private respondents to abide by
the express provision of Article 536 of the Civil Code requiring recourse to the proper
court prior to ousting petitioners from their (private respondents) lots;
3. On the matter of insufficient docket fees paid by petitioners during the institution
of this action, the Court of Appeals declared that whatever deficiency there may be in
the docket fees can be levied from the amount that may be awarded the appellees
(petitioners herein)[7] and that private respondents were already estopped from assailing
the jurisdiction of the trial court;
4. Private respondents could not invoke the principle of damnum absque injuria as
this doctrine only applies when the loss or damage does not constitute a violation of a
legal right or amounts to a legal wrong[8] and not to this case where private respondents
clearly violated the law by unilaterally displacing petitioners from the subject premises;
5. On the issue of actual damages, the appellate court substantially reduced the
amount of actual damages awarded by the court a quo upon the ground that petitioners
failed to substantiate their claims thereto except for the detention of petitioners records
of their receivables, various merchandise, damaged goods, religious items, and office
equipment;
6. As for the propriety of awarding moral damages to petitioners, the Court of
Appeals held that petitioners are not entitled to this form of damage as this case does
not fall within Article 2219 of the Civil Code;
7. Although Article 2219 of the Civil Code encompasses incidents which may fall
within the purview of Article 21 of the Civil Code, the latter, being a rule based on equity,
necessitates the claimant to come to court with clean hands which cannot be said of
petitioners who continued to occupy the lands belonging to private respondents without
the authority of a subsisting lease agreement;
8. Private respondents are nevertheless liable for exemplary damages for having
taken the law into their own hands by fencing the premises of the Petron gasoline
station operated by petitioners instead of seeking redress from the proper court as
mandated by Article 536 of the Civil Code; and
9. Petitioners are liable to pay private respondents for the unpaid rentals from the
time the lease agreements over the subject properties expired until 01 February 1990
when private respondents constructed the fence.
Dissatisfied with the ruling of the Court of Appeals, petitioners are now before us
raising, in the main, the issue of whether the appellate court erred in substantially
reducing the amount of damages earlier awarded to them by the trial court.
Petitioners insist that the appellate court resorted to assumptions, inferences,
surmises and conjectures in disallowing certain items of actual damages like lost
petroleum products valued at P249,805.00, loss of value of merchandise detained for a
quite a long time (sic) in the fenced premises and uncollected debts as against the
positive testimony of petitioner Perlita Villafuerte which remained unrebutted and
uncontested even on appeal.[9] They also allege that the list of unrealized income,
collectibles and damages prepared by petitioner Perlita was based and ably supported
by documents.
Petitioners also maintain that the Court of Appeals erred in finding that they came to
court with unclean hands, thus, depriving them of entitlement to moral damages.
According to petitioners, their continued occupation of private respondents properties
was based on their belief that their lease contract with private respondent De Mesa was
modified and extended whereas private respondent Daleon had verbally agreed to allow
them to continue with their possession of his lot for as long as the Petron Corporations
equipment remain in the premises.
Finally, petitioners argue that the trial court was correct in awarding in their favor
attorneys fees in the amount of P50,000.00 as they were compelled to engage the
services of counsel in order to seek vindication from the arbitrary action of private
respondents.
After a considered review of the records of this case, we resolve to affirm, with
modification, the decision of the Court of Appeals.
 Both the trial court and the Court of Appeals concluded that the lease contracts
between petitioners and private respondents over the latters respective lots had already
expired. There was also a congruence of findings that it was wrong for private
respondents to fence their properties thereby putting to a halt the operation of
petitioners gasoline station. To this, we agree.
Article 536 of the Civil Code previously quoted explicitly provides for the proper
recourse of one who claims to be entitled to the possession of a thing. When private
respondents personally took it upon themselves to evict petitioners from their properties,
which act was in clear contravention of the law, they became liable for all the necessary
and natural consequences of [their] illegal act.[10]
As expected, petitioners instituted this action praying that private respondents be
held liable for actual damages, moral damages, exemplary damages, attorneys fees,
and costs of litigation. We shall resolve their right to these damages in seriatim.
Actual or compensatory damages are those awarded in order to compensate a
party for an injury or loss he suffered. They arise out of a sense of natural justice and
are aimed at repairing the wrong done.[11] Except as provided by law or by stipulation, a
party is entitled to an adequate compensation only for such pecuniary loss as he has
duly proven.[12] It is hornbook doctrine that to be able to recover actual damages, the
claimant bears the onus of presenting before the court actual proof of the damages
alleged to have been suffered, thus:

A party is entitled to an adequate compensation for such pecuniary loss actually

suffered by him as he has duly proved. Such damages, to be recoverable, must not
only be capable of proof, but must actually be proved with a reasonable degree of
certainty. We have emphasized that these damages cannot be presumed and courts, in
making an award must point out specific facts which could afford a basis for
measuring whatever compensatory or actual damages are borne. [13]

We have exhaustively perused the records of this case and thus conclude that
petitioners have miserably failed to proffer evidence capable of sustaining their plea for
actual damages. We note that when petitioner Perlita was directly examined with
respect to her unrealized income[14] for the following matters, namely: daily sales of
various petroleum products;[15] storage fee of RECOM IVs petroleum, oil, and
lubricants;[16] sales of tires, batteries, accessories, and general merchandise; [17] hauling of
petroleum products for Peewees Petron Powerhouse by the gasoline tankers owned by
petitioners;[18] hauling of petroleum products for the military;[19] and petitioner Perlitas
balloon business which she conducted within the premises of the fenced gasoline
station,[20] she repeatedly testified that she arrived at these claimed amounts based on
the average of her sales for the month of January 1990, the number of trips undertaken
by their tankers, and average volume of the gasoline deposit for RECOM IV. Her
testimony on these matters went as follows:
Atty. CAMALIGAN:
 May I ask that this List of Unrealized Income, Collectibles and Damages from
Febrauary 1, 1990 to October 30, 1990 be marked as Exhibit AA.
...
Q: Will you explain to the court why this list you made is up to October 30, 1990?
A: I prepared this list until October 10, 1990 in preparation for our first hearing
sometime in November, sir.
Q: I am calling your attention to No. 1 which is I quote, Daily Sales (4,000 to 5,000
liters) at P0.035 per liter mark up P1,750.00 by 270 days amounting to
P472,500.00 will you explain to the court how you incurred this damage?
(A): After the closure of our gasoline station that was February 1, 1990 and then until
September, 1990 is nine (9) months and that is 270 days. I went thru my sales for
January and the average sales (is) 4,000 to 5,000 liters and so for our daily sales
of 4,000 to 5,000 liters sale at P0.35 centavos mark-up, I got P1,750.00 daily so
that is times 270 days until September 1990, the total is P472,500.00, sir.
COURT: That is gross?
A: Yes, your Honor.
COURT: What about the net income to be realized?
A: Your Honor, we will deduct from here the salaries and wages of the gasoline boys
and electric bill, maybe P0.25 centavos per liter.
COURT: Proceed.
Q: Is the mark-up of P0.35 centavos per liter thru (sic), irrespective of amount of
gasoline or value of gasoline per liter?
A: We have different kinds of petroleum products, extra, regular and diesel and the
average mark-up is thirty-five (35) centavos.
...
Q: Calling your attention to No. 2 in the list which refers to storage fee of petroleum, oil
and lubricant from RECOM IV amounting to a total of ninety thousand pesos
(P90,000.00) will you kindly explain how you arrived at this amount?
A: The military, PC/INP RECOM IV which is stationed at Camp Nakar has entered into
an agreement with us to deposit their petroleum, oil and lubricant for every quarter,
sir.
Q: Under what condition was that deposit made for?
A: That they will be able to withdraw the said products for a certain storage fee, sir, and
the storage fee is 5% which would cover disposing the products and also certain
percent of evaporation.
COURT: Five percent of what?
A: Five percent of the number of liters deposited with us so that if they deposited one
hundred thousand (100,000) liters we are paid in terms of gasoline also, five
thousand (5,000) liters.
 Q: What was the average volume of deposit made by the RECOM IV?
A: It is on a quarterly basis, that is one hundred thousand (100,000) liters quarterly, sir.
Q: On item 3 referring to tires, batteries, accessories, general merchandise is listed an
amount of ninety thousand (P90,000.00) pesos as your losses, will you please
explain how you incurred such losses?
A: Aside from petroleum products we also sell accessories for the motoring public and
they are in kinds like tires, batteries and some additives, how do you realize
income out of this? (sic)
A: We have 20% mark-up on the merchandise and last January 1990 I average fifty
thousand (P50,000.00) pesos gross income on the general merchandise so for
20% mark-up that is more or less ten thousand (P10,000.00) pesos and for nine
(9) months that is ninety thousand (P90,000.00) pesos, sir.
Q: In item No. 4 appearing in your list you listed a total amount of one hundred eight
thousand (P108,000.00) pesos, for hauling of petroleum products for Peewees
Petron Powerhouse, will you explain to the court this hauling?
A: My husband and I run a fleet of gasoline tankers and they are hauling petroleum
products for our gasoline stations and for the military accounts. We average two
(2) deliveries every week so this is already a net of one thousand five hundred
(P1,500.00) pesos per delivery. It is two thousand eight hundred (P2,800.00)
pesos per delivery and deducting the salaries of the drivers, the fuel consumption
and the depreciation of the tankers, we incur a net of one thousand five hundred
(P1,500.00) pesos per trip. Every month we incur at least eight (8) trips and that is
one thousand five hundred (P1,500.00) pesos times eight (8) trips times nine (9)
months and I got one hundred eight thousand (P108,000.00) pesos total.
Q: Do you own them?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: In item No. 6 you listed Balloon Business under Sunshine Balloon, you have given a
total amount of two hundred thousand (P200,000.00) pesos as your losses here,
will you please explain to the Court how you incurred these losses?
...
A: Inside the gasoline station we also operate a balloon business and we have
invested fifty thousand capital on this balloon business. This business has been
thriving for several years and we usually incur six (6) thousand monthly income
from said business, sir. Now that the gasoline station was closed with all the
equipments of the balloon business inside also, we have totally lost the market for
the balloon business and I feel that two hundred thousand (P200,000.00) pesos
would have to be paid for the total loss of the business.[21]
Noticeably, petitioner Perlitas testimony was replete with claims that her unrealized
income, as far as these items were concerned, were based on the average. Except,
however, for the record of daily petroleum sales for the month of January
1990,[22] petitioners failed to present any evidence that would sufficiently establish their
mean income from these business undertakings. In the absence of any corroborative
proof, this Court is not bound to award in petitioners favor the actual damages for items
a, b, c, d, e, and f of her alleged unrealized income. Nor can we give premium on the
summary of daily petroleum sales for January 1990 prepared by petitioner Perlita as the
same is not supported by any competent evidence; at best, said exhibit is self-serving.
Anent the actual damages claimed for the deterioration of the items which remained
inside petitioners office, petitioner Perlita testified that when they were able to retrieve
the merchandise from the gasoline station, they noticed that most of them were already
defective and so they valued[23] the damages thereto at seventy (70%) of their total
value. As for the items entrusted to her by the Hermana Fausta Memorial Foundation of
which she was the executive vice president at that time, petitioner Perlita alleged that
the amount of five thousand pesos represents the production cost of these materials
which the foundation purportedly paid to Imprenta Lucentina. As regards the amount
of P30,000.00 sought as actual damages for the damaged office equipment, petitioner
Perlita stated before the trial court that she arrived at this figure after computing the
acquisition costs of these equipment which she approximated[24] to be P35,000.00.
Evidently, in establishing the amount of actual damages for the merchandise
inventory, office equipment, and materials owned by the Hermana Fausta Memorial
Foundation, petitioners relied solely on their own assessment of the prices of these
items as well as the damage thereto purportedly occasioned by the fencing of the
gasoline station. This is clearly demonstrated by the inconsistent stance of petitioner
Pertlita with regard to the percentage of damaged merchandise stored in the gasoline
station, thus:
ATTY. CAMALIGAN:
Q: I noticed that the total appearing on page 3 of your merchandize inventory is one
hundred forty one thousand thirty six pesos and fifty centavos (P141,036.50) only
while in your list, it is ninety eight thousand seven hundred twenty five pesos and
fifty five centavos (P98,725.55), will you please explain the same?
WITNESS:
A: This list with the total amount of one hundred forty one thousand thirty six pesos and
fifty centavos (P141,036.50) represent the total value of all the merchandize but
then the reason why we have the ninety eight thousand seven hundred twenty five
pesos and fifty five centavos (P98,725.55) figure is, this represents seventy
percent (70%) of the total amount because when we retrieved the merchandize,
we noticed that most of them are already defective, so we valued the damages
only seventy percent (70%) of the total value because some of them could still be
sold, sir.
ATTY. CAMALIGAN:
Q: I noticed there is a correction in Item No. 9 from ninety percent (90%) to seventy
percent (70%). When did you make that correction?
A: Only last December 30, 1990 after we have retrieved all the merchandize. I
prepared this list on October 31, 1990 not realizing the extent of the real damages
to the merchandize but when we retrieved them last December 29 and upon
inspection, most of the motor oil have already leaked because of the plastics that
were exposed to sun and rain, so we changed the estimate to seventy percent
(70%), sir.[25]
Such arbitrary estimations run afoul with our consistent pronouncement that actual or
compensatory damages cannot be presumed but must be proved with reasonable
degree of certainty.[26] A court cannot simply rely on speculation, conjecture or
guesswork as to the fact and amount of damages, but is required to depend upon
competent proof that the claimant had suffered and on evidence of the actual amount
thereof.[27] Failing in this regard, we resolve to delete the award of actual damages
rendered by the Court of Appeals with respect to these items.
Similarly, we rule that petitioners are not entitled to the total amount of the 17
checks issued in their favor by their customers and to the amount of uncollected debts
owed to them by their patrons. Petitioners maintain that their customers were used to
coming to their gasoline station in order to settle their obligations but were prevented
from doing after the 01 February 1990 incident. They therefore would like to hold private
respondents accountable for these receivables. This, we can not grant.
The records indicate that petitioners filed before the trial court a motion to allow
them to enter the gasoline station subject of this dispute in order to make an inventory
of their property that were locked inside and to remove those they needed for their
personal use.[28] Among the items removed from the gasoline station were the receipts
evidencing petitioners receivables from their customers[29] as well as the 17 uncollected
checks.[30] Obviously, after the court-approved ocular inspection conducted on 24 July
1990 and 25 July 1990, petitioners were already in possession of the evidences of
credit of their customers. There was nothing, not even the closure of their gasoline
station, which stood in the way of petitioners exerting earnest efforts in going after their
debtors.
Petitioners likewise seek to be compensated for the value of the petroleum products
allegedly lost from the four underground tanks between the period 01 February 1990
until 25 July 1990 when an ocular inspection was conducted within the disputed
property. According to petitioners, after they compared the volume of the tanks contents
as of the evening of 31 January 1990 with the dipstick reading on 25 July 1990, they
discovered that they had lost thousands of liters of petroleum products. On this point,
we quote with approval the conclusion of the Court of Appeals, to wit:

The appellees failed to adduce convincing evidence that appellants are the ones
[31]

responsible for the loss of the petroleum products in the four (4) underground tanks
(item 1, paragraph 10 of Amended Complaint). Although the premises which were
fenced by the appellants adjoin the lot of Perlitas mother and are even secured by
[32]

appellees guard, the appellees did not present anyone to testify on the fact of loss of
said gasoline products. Instead, they chose to rely on Perlitas bare assertion that she
lost P249,805.00 in terms of petroleum products that allegedly disappeared. The sheer
volume of the missing fuel makes it difficult for the pilferer to commit the deed
without attracting attention. An unsubstantiated claim of loss, more so of such a
dimension, cannot merit an award therefor. [33]

Finally, with respect to the interest payments to the Rizal Commercial Banking
Corporation (RCBC), petitioners maintain that because of the fencing of their gasoline
station on 01 February 1990, they were forced to obtain a loan from RCBC in order to
pay off their obligations to different suppliers. This contention was effectively refuted by
petitioner Perlita herself when, during her re-direct examination, she admitted that the
loan granted by the RCBC was intended for all the businesses that she and her
husband, petitioner Reynaldo, were maintaining.[34] It would, therefore, be iniquitous to
charge private respondents for the interest payments for this loan the proceeds of which
were utilized to finance petitioners various businesses and not solely the settlement of
petitioners obligations to the suppliers of Peewees Petron Powerhouse. In the absence
of actual proof as to how much of the RCBC loan was really used to pay the creditors of
the closed gasoline station, this Court can not affirm petitioners right to be compensated
for the amount of interest payments they have made to the RCBC.
We find, however, that an award of temperate damages to petitioners is in order. In
lieu of actual damages, temperate damages, which are more than nominal but less than
compensatory damages, may be awarded where the court finds that some pecuniary
loss had been suffered by the claimant but its amount cannot be proved with certainty.
Undoubtedly, pecuniary loss had been inflicted upon petitioners in this case, however,
due to the insufficiency of evidence before us, we cannot place its amount with
certainty. In this regard, we find the amount of P50,000.00 to be sufficient.
Petitioners also assail the removal by the Court of Appeals of the moral damages
previously ordered by the trial court. They argue that contrary to the findings of the
appellate court, they came to court with clean hands as they believed that the lease
contract with private respondent De Mesa was modified and extended. At the same
time, they contend that they had a verbal understanding with private respondent Daleon
wherein the latter permitted them to remain in his lot for as long as Petron Corporation
was not removing its equipment. Further, petitioners contend that under Article 2219 of
the Civil Code, this Court had awarded moral damages in instances where the
claimants were victims of capricious, wanton, oppressive, malicious, and arbitrary acts
such as petitioners in this case. On this issue, we agree in the findings of the Court of
Appeals that:

The Court must have to disallow the lower courts award of moral damages. The
concept of moral damages, as announced in Article 2217 of the Civil Code, is
designed to compensate the complainant for his physical suffering, mental anguish,
fright, serious anxiety, besmirched reputation, wounded feelings, moral shock, social
humiliation and similar injury occasioned by the defendants wrongful act or omission.
Article 2219 of the same Code specifies the cases where moral damages may be
awarded, to wit:

Art. 2219. Moral damages may be recovered in the following and analogous cases:

(1) A criminal offense resulting in physical injuries;

(2) Quasi-delicts causing physical injuries;
(3) Seduction, abduction, rape, or other lascivious acts;
(4) Adultery or concubinage;
 (5) Illegal or arbitrary detention or arrest;
(6) Illegal search;
(7) Libel, slander or any other form of defamation;
(8) Malicious prosecution;
(9) Acts mentioned in article 309;
(10) Acts and actions referred to in articles 21, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34,
and 35.

The parents of the female seduced, abducted, raped or abused, referred to in No. 3 of
this article, may also recover moral damages.

The spouse, descendants, ascendants, and brothers and sisters may bring the action
mentioned in No. 9 of this article, in the order named.

Noticeably, none of the foregoing instances has any relevant bearing to the case at
bench. While Article 2219 comprehends the situation in Article 21 of the Code,
whereunder [A]ny person who willfully causes loss or injury to another in a manner
that is contrary to morals, good customs or public policy shall compensate the latter
for the damages, the appellees cannot benefit from it. The right to recover moral
damages under Article 21 is based on equity, and those who come to court to demand
equity must come with clean hands (Garciano v. Court of Appeals, 212 SCRA 436
citing Padilla, CIVIL CODE ANNOTATED, Vol. 1, 1975 Ed., p. 87). The appellees
knew that their lease had expired. Yet, despite such awareness, they persisted in their
unauthorized occupancy of appellants property. Being partly responsible for their
present predicament which is very much within their power to avoid, appellees cannot
receive compensation for whatever mental anguish or suffering they went thru. [35]

Similarly, we uphold the award of P50,000.00 as exemplary damages in order to

deter similarly minded individuals from pursuing the course of action taken by private
respondents. The law on this matter is clear: (h)e who believes himself entitled to
deprive another of the possession of a thing, so long as the possessor refuses delivery,
must request the assistance of the proper authority.[36] Petitioners arbitrary conduct of
fencing their properties under the claim that they own the same brazenly violates the
law and circumvents the proper procedure which should be obtained before the court.
This Court likewise adopts the conclusion reached by the Court of Appeals that
petitioners do not deserve the award of attorneys fees for it was precisely their
unfounded insistence to stay on private respondents properties that precipitated this
suit.
WHEREFORE, the Decision of the Court of Appeals dated 31 March 1998, which
modified the Decision dated 13 November 1992 of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 55,
Lucena City, and its Resolution of 17 June 1993 denying reconsideration are hereby
MODIFIED as follows:
 1. The award of Twenty-Seven Thousand Pesos (P27,000.00) as actual damages in
favor of petitioners Reynaldo and Perlita Villafuerte is deleted; and
2. Private respondents Edilberto De Mesa and Gonzalo Daleon are held jointly and
severally liable to pay petitioners the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) as
temperate damages.
The remainder of the same Decision and Resolution of the Court of Appeals are
hereby AFFIRMED. No costs.
SO ORDERED.
Puno, Acting C.J., (Chairman), Austria-Martinez, and Callejo, Sr., concur.
Tinga, J., out of the country.