SUBJECT:  ALL COMPLAINTS MUST SPECIFY THE AMOUNTS OF DAMAGES SOUGHT NOT ONLY IN THE BODY OF THE PLEADING BUT ALSO IN THE PRAYER IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED AND ADMITTED FOR FILING. THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGES SO SPECIFIED IN THE COMPLAINT SHALL BE THE BASIS FOR ASSESSING THE AMOUNT OF THE FILING FEES. 
   
In "Manchester Development Corporation vs. Court of Appeals", No. L-75919, May 7, 1987, 149 SCRA 562, this Court condemned the practice of counsel who, in filing the original complaint, omitted from the prayer any specification of the amount of damages although the amount of over P78 million is alleged in the body of the complaint. This Court observed that "[T]his is clearly intended for no other purpose than to evade the payment of the correct filing fees if not to mislead the docket clerk, in the assessment of the filing fee. This fraudulent practice was compounded when even as this Court had taken cognizance of the anomaly and ordered an investigation, petitioner through another counsel, filed an amended complaint, deleting all mention of the amount of damages being asked for in the body of the complaint. x x x." 

For the guidance of all concerned, the warning given by the Court in the afore-cited case is reproduced hereunder: 

Let this be circularized to all the Courts hereinabove named and to the President and Board of Governors of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, which is hereby directed to disseminate this Circular to all its members.