Short answer. The petition must name the parties without impleading the agency, concisely state the facts, issues, and grounds for review, attach a certified copy of the ruling appealed from and supporting record excerpts, carry a certification against forum shopping, and state the specific dates proving it was filed on time.
What the law says
The petition for review shall (a) state the full names of the parties to the case, without impleading the court or agencies either as petitioners or respondents; (b) contain a concise statement of the facts and issues involved and the grounds relied upon for the review; (c) be accompanied by a clearly legible duplicate original or a certified true copy of the award, judgment, final order or resolution appealed from, together with certified true copies of such material portions of the record referred to therein and other supporting papers; and (d) contain a sworn certification against forum shopping
Rule 43, Section 6 — Contents of the petition. Read the full provision →
What the law says
The petition shall state the specific material dates showing that it was filed within the period fixed herein.
Rule 43, Section 6 — Contents of the petition. Read the full provision →
Naming the parties correctly
A petition for review under Rule 43 has to follow a specific structure. First, it must state the full names of the parties to the case, without impleading the court or agencies either as petitioners or respondents. The agency whose ruling is being reviewed is not a party to the appeal — only the original litigants are named as petitioner and respondent. This convention keeps the appeal focused on the actual dispute between the original litigants rather than turning the agency itself into a defendant in the appellate proceeding.
Facts, issues, grounds, and supporting documents
Beyond naming the parties, the petition must contain a concise statement of the facts and issues involved and the grounds relied upon for the review, and must be accompanied by a clearly legible duplicate original or a certified true copy of the award, judgment, final order or resolution appealed from, along with certified copies of the relevant portions of the record and other supporting papers. Together, these requirements let the Court of Appeals evaluate the petition without first having to track down the underlying agency record on its own initiative.
Forum shopping certification and timeliness dates
The petition must also contain a sworn certification against forum shopping, and separately state the specific material dates showing that it was filed within the period fixed herein. The dates requirement exists precisely so the Court of Appeals can verify, from the face of the petition itself, that the appeal was not filed late, without needing to reconstruct the timeline from documents scattered elsewhere in the record.
Why completeness matters here
These are not stylistic preferences — Rule 43 elsewhere makes clear that failing to comply with the contents and documentary requirements is itself a ground for dismissal. A petitioner who leaves out the certified copy of the ruling, skips the material dates, or forgets the forum shopping certification risks losing the appeal on a technicality before the substance is ever reached.
Related provisions
- Rule 43, Section 6 — Contents of the petition
- Rule 43, Section 5 — How appeal taken
- Rule 43, Section 7 — Effect of failure to comply with requirements