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in a proper manner the prestation which he is bound to perform under the contract, he
is not entitled to demand the performance of the other party. A party does not incur in
delay if the other party fails to perform the obligation incumbent upon him.
The petitioner, however, maintains that the payments by SOB of the monthly billings in
purely Iraqi Dinars did not render impossible the performance of the Project by VPECI.
Such posture is quite contrary to its previous representations. In his 26 March 1987
letter to the Office of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs (OMEAA), DFA, Manila,
petitioner’s Executive Vice-President Jesus M. Tañedo stated that while VPECI had taken
every possible measure to complete the Project, the war situation in Iraq, particularly
the lack of foreign exchange, was proving to be a great obstacle; thus:
VPECI has taken every possible measure for the completion of the project
but the war situation in Iraq particularly the lack of foreign exchange is
proving to be a great obstacle. Our performance counterguarantee was
called last 26 October 1986 when the negotiations for a foreign currency
loan with the Italian government through Banco de Roma bogged down
following news report that Iraq has defaulted in its obligation with major
European banks. Unless the situation in Iraq is improved as to allay the
bank’s apprehension, there is no assurance that the project will ever be
completed. [58]
In order that the debtor may be in default it is necessary that the following requisites
be present: (1) that the obligation be demandable and already liquidated; (2) that the
debtor delays performance; and (3) that the creditor requires the performance because
it must appear that the tolerance or benevolence of the creditor must have ended. [59]
As stated earlier, SOB cannot yet demand complete performance from VPECI because it
has not yet itself performed its obligation in a proper manner, particularly the payment
of the 75% of the cost of the Project in US Dollars. The VPECI cannot yet be said to
have incurred in delay. Even assuming that there was delay and that the delay was
attributable to VPECI, still the effects of that delay ceased upon the renunciation by the
creditor, SOB, which could be implied when the latter granted several extensions of
time to the former. [60] Besides, no demand has yet been made by SOB against the
respondent contractor. Demand is generally necessary even if a period has been fixed
in the obligation. And default generally begins from the moment the creditor demands
judicially or extra-judicially the performance of the obligation. Without such demand,
the effects of default will not arise.[61]
Moreover, the petitioner as a guarantor is entitled to the benefit of excussion, that is, it
cannot be compelled to pay the creditor SOB unless the property of the debtor VPECI
has been exhausted and all legal remedies against the said debtor have been resorted
to by the creditor.[62] It could also set up compensation as regards what the creditor
SOB may owe the principal debtor VPECI.[63] In this case, however, the petitioner has
clearly waived these rights and remedies by making the payment of an obligation that
was yet to be shown to be rightfully due the creditor and demandable of the principal
debtor.
elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/45413
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