Rules of Procedure on Corporate Rehabilitation

Section 1

A debtor that foresees the impossibility of meeting its debts as they fall due may, by itself or jointly with any of its creditors, file a verified petition for the approval of a pre-negotiated rehabilitation plan. The petition shall comply with Section 2 of Rule 4 and be supported by an affidavit showing the written approval or endorsement of creditors holding at least two-thirds (2/3) of the total liabilities of the debtor, including secured creditors holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the total secured claims of the debtor and unsecured creditors holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the total unsecured claims of the debtor.

Section 2

If the court finds the petition sufficient in form and substance, it shall, not later than five (5) working days from the filing of the petition, issue an order which shall: (a) Identify the debtor, its principal business or activity/ies and its principal place of business; (b) Direct the publication of the order in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for at least two (2) consecutive weeks, with the first publication to be made within seven (7) days from the time of its issuance; (c) Direct the service by personal delivery of a copy of the petition on each creditor who is not a petitioner holding at least five percent (5%) of the total liabilities of the debtor, as determined in the schedule attached to the petition, within three (3) days; (d) Direct the petitioner to furnish a copy of the petition and its annexes, as well as the stay order, to the relevant regulatory agency; (e) State that copies of the petition and the rehabilitation plan are available for examination and copying by any interested party; (f) Direct creditors and other parties interested (including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the relevant regulatory agencies such as, but not limited to, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Insurance Commission, the National Telecommunications Commission, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and the Energy Regulatory Commission) in opposing the petition or rehabilitation plan to file their verified objections thereto or comments thereon within a period of not later than twenty (20) days from the second publication of the order, with a warning that failure to do so will bar them from participating in the proceedings; (g) Appoint the rehabilitation receiver named in the plan, unless the court finds that he is not qualified under these Rules in which case it may appoint a qualified rehabilitation receiver of its choice; (h) Stay enforcement of all claims, whether for money or otherwise and whether such enforcement is by court action or otherwise, against the debtor, its guarantors and persons not solidarily liable with the debtor; provided, that the stay order shall not cover claims against letters of credit and similar security arrangements issued by a third party to secure the payment of the debtor's obligations; provided further, that the stay order shall not cover foreclosure by a creditor of property not belonging to a debtor under corporate rehabilitation; provided, however, that where the owner of such property sought to be foreclosed is also a guarantor or one who is not solidarily liable, said owner shall be entitled to be benefit of excussion as such guarantor; (i) Prohibit the debtor from selling, encumbering, transferring, or disposing in any manner any of its properties except in the ordinary course of business; (j) Prohibit the debtor from making any payment of its liabilities outstanding as of the date of filing of the petition; (k) Prohibit the debtor's suppliers of goods or services from withholding supply of goods and services in the ordinary course of business for as long as the debtor makes payments for the services and goods supplied after the issuance of the stay order; (l) Direct the payment in full of all administrative expenses incurred after the issuance of the stay order; and (m) Direct the payment of new loans or other forms of credit accommodations obtained for the rehabilitation of the debtor with prior court approval.

Section 3

Within ten (10) days from the date of the second publication of the order referred to in Section 2 of this Rule, the court shall approve the rehabilitation plan unless a creditor or other interested party submits a verified objection to it in accordance with the next succeeding section.

Section 4

Any creditor or other interested party may submit to the court a verified objection to the petition or the rehabilitation plan. The objection shall be limited to the following: (a) The petition or the rehabilitation plan or their attachments contain material omissions or are materially false or misleading; (b) The terms of rehabilitation are unattainable; or (c) The approval or endorsement of creditors required under Section 1 of this Rule has not been obtained Copies of any objection to the petition or the rehabilitation plan shall be served on the petitioning debtor and/or creditors.

Section 5

The court shall set the case for hearing not earlier than ten (10) days and no longer than twenty (20) days from the date of the second publication of the order mentioned in Section 2 of this Rule on the objections is in accordance with the immediately preceding section, it shall direct the petitioner to cure the defect within a period fifteen (15) days from receipt of the order.

Section 6

The court shall decide the petition not later than one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of the filing of the petition. If the court fails to do so within said period, the rehabilitation plan shall be deemed approved.

Section 7

Approval of the rehabilitation plan under this Rule shall have the same legal effect as approval of a rehabilitation plan under Section 20 of Rule 3.

Section 8

Not later than thirty (30) days from the approval of a rehabilitation plan under this Rule, the plan may, upon motion and after notice and hearing, be revoked on the ground that the approval was secured by fraud or that the petitioner has failed to cure the defect ordered by the court pursuant to Section 5 of this Rule.

Section 9

Any pending petition for rehabilitation that has not undergone the initial hearing prescribed under the Interim Rules of Procedure for Corporate Rehabilitation at the time of the effectivity of these Rules may be converted into a rehabilitation proceeding under this Rule.