This case has been cited 1 times or more.
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2012-11-13 |
PEREZ, J. |
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| Even more fundamentally, the award of the proceeds of TDC Nos. 162828 and 162829 sought by the Republic would be tantamount to an alteration of the decisions rendered by the Sandiganbayan and this Court, which have already attained finality. Except for clerical errors and in cases of void judgments and nunc pro tunc entries which cause no prejudice to any party,[67] nothing is more settled in law than that when a judgment becomes final and executory, it becomes immutable and unalterable.[68] It cannot, therefore, be gainsaid that such a judgment may no longer be modified in any respect, even if the modification is meant to correct what is perceived to be an erroneous conclusion of fact or law, and regardless of whether the modification is attempted to be made by the court rendering it or by the highest court of the land.[69] The reason is grounded on the fundamental considerations of public policy and sound practice that, at the risk of occasional error, the judgments or orders of courts must be final at some definite date fixed by law.[70] "Otherwise, there will be no end to litigations, thus negating the main role of courts of justice to assist in the enforcement of the rule of law and the maintenance of peace and order by settling justiciable controversies with finality."[71] | |||||