E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly 14 of 40 http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/65160 defective. The court may order its submission or correction or act on the pleading if the attending circumstances are such that strict compliance with the Rule may be dispensed with in order that the ends of justice may be served thereby. 3) Verification is deemed substantially complied with when one who has ample knowledge to swear to the truth of the allegations in the complaint or petition signs the verification, and when matters alleged in the petition have been made in good faith or are true and correct. 4) As to certification against forum shopping, non-compliance therewith or a defect therein, unlike in verification, is generally not curable by its subsequent submission or correction thereof, unless there is a need to relax the Rule on the ground of "substantial compliance" or presence of "special circumstances or compelling reasons". 5) The certification against forum shopping must be signed by all the plaintiffs or petitioners in a case; otherwise, those who did not sign will be dropped as parties to the case. Under reasonable or justifiable circumstances, however, as when all the plaintiffs or petitioners share a common interest and invoke a common cause of action or defense, the signature of only one of them in the certification against forum shopping substantially complies with the Rule. 6) Finally, the certification against forum shopping must be executed by the party-pleader, not by his counsel. If, however, for reasonable or justifiable reasons, the party-pleader is unable to sign, he must execute a Special Power of Attorney designating his counsel of record to sign on his behalf.[96] (Citations omitted) Here, there were around 200 petitioners in the two (2) environmental cases on appeal before this Court; yet, only 30 petitioners signed the Verification and Certification Against Forum Shopping. However, contrary to private respondents SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and Shopping Center Management Corporation's assertions, the failure of all petitioners to sign the document is not a sufficient ground for the Petition's outright dismissal. Jurisprudence confirms that petitioners substantially complied with the verification requirement. The 30 signatories provided the guarantee that: (1) they had ample knowledge as to the truth of the allegations in the Petition; and (2) the Petition was made in good faith. 4/23/2020, 10:52 AM