FIRST DIVISION
[G.R. No. 234302. February 7, 2018.]
SUNVERDE HOTELS AND RESORTS, INC. AND MA. HENCEL PAULA OLONAN, petitioners,vs. NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE REPRESENTED BY ADMINISTRATOR CARMELITA N. ERICTA, LOURDES JIMENEZ HUFANA, HILDA OROPEZA BALLESFIN, DULCE ALISAGO REGALA, ELSIE BRACIA SOLIDUM, AND PAULA MONINA COLLADO, respondents.
NOTICE
Sirs/Mesdames :
Please take notice that the Court, First Division, issued a Resolution datedFebruary 7, 2018which reads as follows: ITAaHc
"G.R. No. 234302 (Sunverde Hotels and Resorts, Inc. and Ma. Hencel Paula Olonan v. National Statistics Office represented by Administrator Carmelita N. Ericta, Lourdes Jimenez Hufana, Hilda Oropeza Ballesfin, Dulce Alisago Regala, Elsie Bracia Solidum, and Paula Monina Collado). — The petitioners' motion for an extension of thirty (30) days within which to file a petition for review on certiorari is GRANTED, counted from the expiration of the reglementary period.
After a review of the records, the Court resolves to DENY the petition and AFFIRM the Court of Appeals (CA) Decision dated July 4, 2017 and Resolution dated September 13, 2017 in CA-G.R. SP No. 150552 for failure to sufficiently show that the CA committed any reversible error in affirming the Decision dated December 20, 2016 of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 52, which denied petitioner's Petition for Certiorari with Application for Issuance of TRO and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction.
As correctly held by the CA, the mere filing of a notice of appeal is not enough. It must be accompanied by the payment of the correct docket fees. Further, petitioner's claim of its counsel's negligence is not sufficient for the Court to relax the strict requirement for the timely payment of docket fees. More importantly, the lower court gave petitioner sufficient time to pay the docket fees. However, petitioner still failed to comply with the order of the lower court. It is well-settled that the payment of docket fees is not only mandatory, but also jurisdictional. Without such payment, the CA does not acquire jurisdiction over the subject matter of the action and the decision sought to be appealed from becomes final and executory.
SO ORDERED."
Very truly yours,
(SGD.) LIBRADA C. BUENADeputy Division Clerk of Court