The 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure

Section 1

The defendant shall file his or her answer to the complaint within thirty (30) calendar days after service of summons, unless a different period is fixed by the court. (1a)

Section 2

Where the defendant is a foreign private juridical entity and service of summons is made on the government official designated by law to receive the same, the answer shall be filed within sixty (60) calendar days after receipt of summons by such entity. (2a)

Section 3

When the plaintiff files an amended complaint as a matter of right, the defendant shall answer the same within thirty (30) calendar days after being served with a copy thereof. Where its filing is not a matter of right, the defendant shall answer the amended complaint within fifteen (15) calendar days from notice of the order admitting the same. An answer earlier filed may serve as the answer to the amended complaint if no new answer is filed. This Rule shall apply to the answer to an amended counterclaim, amended cross-claim, amended third (fourth, etc.)-party complaint, and amended complaint-in-intervention. (3a)

Section 4

A counterclaim or cross-claim must be answered within twenty (20) calendar days from service. (4a)

Section 5

The time to answer a third (fourth, etc.)-party complaint shall be governed by the same rule as the answer to the complaint. (5)

Section 6

A reply, if allowed under Section 10, Rule 6 hereof, may be filed within fifteen (15) calendar days from service of the pleading responded to. (6a)

Section 7

A supplemental complaint may be answered within twenty (20) calendar days from notice of the order admitting the same, unless a different period is fixed by the court. The answer to the complaint shall serve as the answer to the supplemental complaint if no new or supplemental answer is filed. (7a)

Section 8

A compulsory counterclaim or a cross-claim that a defending party has at the time he or she files his or her answer shall be contained therein. (8a)

Section 9

A counterclaim or a cross-claim which either matured or was acquired by a party after serving his or her pleading may, with the permission of the court, be presented as a counterclaim or a cross-claim by supplemental pleading before judgment. (9a)

Section 10

When a pleader fails to set up a counterclaim or a cross-claim through oversight, inadvertence, or excusable neglect, or when justice requires, he or she may, by leave of court, set up the counterclaim or cross-claim by amendment before judgment. (10a)

Section 11

A defendant may, for meritorious reasons, be granted an additional period of not more than thirty (30) calendar days to file an answer. A defendant is only allowed to file one (1) motion for extension of time to file an answer. A motion for extension to file any pleading, other than an answer, is prohibited and considered a mere scrap of paper. The court, however, may allow any other pleading to be filed after the time fixed by these Rules. (11a)