Suspension Of Civil Action

Sec. 2. When separate civil action is suspended. – After the criminal action  has  been  commenced,  the  separate  civil  action  arising therefrom  cannot  be  instituted  until  final  judgment  has  been entered in the criminal action.

If the criminal action is filed after the said civil action has already been instituted, the latter shall be suspended in whatever state  it may be found before judgment on the merits. The suspension shall last  until  final  judgment   is  rendered  in   the  criminal   action. Nevertheless,  before judgment on the merits  rendered in the civil action,  the  same  may,  upon  motion  of  the  offended  party,  be
consolidated  with  the  criminal  action  in  the  court  trying  the criminal  action.  In  case  of  consolidation,  the  evidence  already adduced   in   the   civil   action   shall   be   deemed   automatically reproduced in the criminal action without prejudice to the right of the  prosecution  to  cross-examine  the  witness  presented  by  the offended  party  in  the  criminal  case  and  of  the  parties  to  present
additional  evidence.  The  consolidated  criminal  and  civil  actions shall be tried and decided jointly.

During  the  pendency  of  the  criminal  action,  the  running  period  of prescription   of   the   civil   action   which   cannot   be   instituted separately  or  whose  proceeding  has  been  suspended  shall  be tolled.

The extinction of the penal action does not carry with it extinction of the civil action. However, the civil action based on delict shall be deemed extinguished if there is a finding in a final judgment in the criminal action that the act or omission from which the civil liability may arise did not exist.

WHEN IS THE SEPARATE CIVIL ACTION SUSPENDED?

> After the criminal action has been commenced, the separate civil action arising therefrom cannot be instituted until final  judgment has been entered in the criminal action.  
> If the criminal action is filed after the said civil action has already been instituted, the latter shall be suspended in whatever state it may  be  found  before  judgment  on  the  merits.  The  suspension shall last until final judgment is rendered in the criminal action.
> Nonetheless, the civil action may be consolidate with the criminal action at any time before judgment on the merits upon motion of the offended party with the court trying the criminal action
> The  evidence  presented  at  the  civil  action  shall  be  deemed reproduced in the criminal action without prejudice to the right of the  prosecution  to  cross-examine  the  witness  presented  by  the offended party in the criminal  case and of the parties to present additional  evidence.    The  consolidated  criminal  actions  shall  be tried and decided jointly
> ONLY  EXCEPTION:    a  prejudicial  question  arising  in  a  previously filed civil action should be resolved first 

ARE THE INDEPENDENT CIVIL ACTIONS ALSO DEEMED SUSPENDED WITH THE FILING OF THE CRIMINAL ACTION?

> No, only the civil action arising from the crime under Article 100 of the RPC is suspended 
> The independent civil actions are not suspended and may continue even if the criminal action has been instituted
> However, the offended party may not recover twice from the same act
>  He should only get the bigger award