E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly 13 of 40 http://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/65160 Corporation are mistaken. This Court, as emphasized in Altres v. Empleo,[92] has consistently applied the substantial compliance rule when it comes to a supposedly defective verification and certification against forum shopping attached to a petition. Altres, citing Tan v. Ballena,[93] mentioned that the purpose of a verification was to assure this Court that a petition contains allegations that are true, and that it was filed in good faith. Thus, the signing of the verification by some petitioners already served the purpose contemplated by the verification.[94] However, when it comes to the certification against forum shopping, Altres ruled that the non-signing petitioners shall be dropped from the petition: In the present case, the signing of the verification by only 11 out of the 59 petitioners already sufficiently assures the Court that the allegations in the pleading are true and correct and not the product of the imagination or a matter of speculation; that the pleading is filed in good faith; and that the signatories are unquestionably real parties-in-interest who undoubtedly have sufficient knowledge and belief to swear to the truth of the allegations in the petition. With respect to petitioners' certification against forum shopping, the failure of the other petitioners to sign as they could no longer be contacted or are no longer interested in pursuing the case need not merit the outright dismissal of the petition without defeating the administration of justice. The non-signing petitioners are, however, dropped as parties to the case.[95] (Emphasis in the original) Altres then provided guidelines, as culled from jurisprudence, on low to resolve noncompliance with the requirement and defective submissions of verification and certification against forum shopping: For the guidance of the bench and bar, the Court restates in capsule form the jurisprudential pronouncements already reflected above respecting non-compliance with the requirements on, or submission of defective, verification and certification against forum shopping: 1) A distinction must be made between non-compliance with the requirement on or submission of defective verification, and non- compliance with the requirement on or submission of defective certification against forum shopping. 2) As to verification, non-compliance therewith or a defect therein does not necessarily render the pleading fatally 4/23/2020, 10:52 AM