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1. This document summarizes a Supreme Court case from the Philippines regarding a three-vehicle accident.
2. The trial court found the truck driver guilty of damage to property for bumping the jeep from behind and causing it to hit the petitioner's car. The jeep driver was acquitted.
3. The petitioner then filed a civil case against the jeep driver and truck owner to recover damages. The trial court dismissed the case, finding it was barred by the result in the criminal case.
4. The Supreme Court overturned this, finding there was no identity of cause of action between the criminal and civil cases. The criminal case addressed different damages and parties than the civil case filed by the petitioner
1. This document summarizes a Supreme Court case from the Philippines regarding a three-vehicle accident.
2. The trial court found the truck driver guilty of damage to property for bumping the jeep from behind and causing it to hit the petitioner's car. The jeep driver was acquitted.
3. The petitioner then filed a civil case against the jeep driver and truck owner to recover damages. The trial court dismissed the case, finding it was barred by the result in the criminal case.
4. The Supreme Court overturned this, finding there was no identity of cause of action between the criminal and civil cases. The criminal case addressed different damages and parties than the civil case filed by the petitioner
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1. This document summarizes a Supreme Court case from the Philippines regarding a three-vehicle accident.
2. The trial court found the truck driver guilty of damage to property for bumping the jeep from behind and causing it to hit the petitioner's car. The jeep driver was acquitted.
3. The petitioner then filed a civil case against the jeep driver and truck owner to recover damages. The trial court dismissed the case, finding it was barred by the result in the criminal case.
4. The Supreme Court overturned this, finding there was no identity of cause of action between the criminal and civil cases. The criminal case addressed different damages and parties than the civil case filed by the petitioner
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Formati disponibili
Scarica in formato DOCX, PDF, TXT o leggi online su Scribd
Montoya, he flashed a signal indicating his intention SUPREME COURT to turn left towards the poblacion of Marilao but was Manila stopped at the intersection by a policeman who was FIRST DIVISION directing traffic; that while he was at a stop position, G.R. No. L-32599 June 29, 1979 his jeep was bumped at the rear by the truck driven by Montova causing him to be thrown out of the EDGARDO E. MENDOZA, petitioner jeep, which then swerved to the left and hit vs. petitioner's car, which was coming from the HON. ABUNDIO Z. ARRIETA, Presiding Judge of opposite direction. Branch VIII, Court of First Instance of Manila, FELINO TIMBOL, and RODOLFO SALAZAR, On July 31, 1970, the Court of First Instance of respondents. Bulacan, Branch V, Sta. Maria, rendered judgment, stating in its decretal portion: David G. Nitafan for petitioner. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, this Arsenio R. Reyes for respondent Timbol. Court finds the accused Freddie Armando M. Pulgado for respondent Salazar. Montoya GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of damage to property thru reckless imprudence in MELENCIO-HERRERA, J: Crime. Case No. SM-227, and hereby Petitioner, Edgardo Mendoza, seeks a review on sentences him to pay a fine of P972.50 and to indemnify Rodolfo certiorari of the Orders of respondent Judge in Civil Salazar in the same amount of Case No. 80803 dismissing his Complaint for P972.50 as actual damages, with Damages based on quasi-delict against respondents subsidiary imprisonment in case of Felino Timbol and Rodolfo Salazar. insolvency, both as to fine and The facts which spawned the present controversy indemnity, with costs. may be summarized as follows: Accused Rodolfo Salazar is hereby On October 22, 1969, at about 4:00 o'clock in the ACQUITTED from the offense charged afternoon, a three- way vehicular accident occurred in Crime. Case No. SM-228, with costs along Mac-Arthur Highway, Marilao, Bulacan, de oficio, and his bond is ordered involving a Mercedes Benz owned and driven by canceled petitioner; a private jeep owned and driven by SO ORDERED. 1 respondent Rodolfo Salazar; and a gravel and sand truck owned by respondent Felipino Timbol and Thus, the trial Court absolved jeep-owner-driver driven by Freddie Montoya. As a consequence of Salazar of any liability, civil and criminal, in view of said mishap, two separate Informations for Reckless its findings that the collision between Salazar's jeep Imprudence Causing Damage to Property were filed and petitioner's car was the result of the former against Rodolfo Salazar and Freddie Montoya with having been bumped from behind by the truck the Court of First Instance of Bulacan. The race driven by Montoya. Neither was petitioner awarded against truck-driver Montoya, docketed as Criminal damages as he was not a complainant against Case No. SM-227, was for causing damage to the truck-driver Montoya but only against jeep-owner- jeep owned by Salazar, in the amount of Pl,604.00, driver Salazar. by hitting it at the right rear portion thereby causing On August 22, 1970, or after the termination of the said jeep to hit and bump an oncoming car, which criminal cases, petitioner filed Civil Case No. 80803 happened to be petitioner's Mercedes Benz. The with the Court of First Instance of Manila against case against jeep-owner-driver Salazar, docketed as respondents jeep-owner-driver Salazar and Felino Criminal Case No. SM 228, was for causing damage Timbol, the latter being the owner of the gravel and to the Mercedes Benz of petitioner in the amount of sand truck driven by Montoya, for indentification for P8,890.00 the damages sustained by his car as a result of the At the joint trial of the above cases, petitioner collision involving their vehicles. Jeep-owner-driver testified that jeep-owner- driver Salazar overtook Salazar and truck-owner Timbol were joined as the truck driven by Montoya, swerved to the left defendants, either in the alternative or in solidum going towards the poblacion of Marilao, and hit his allegedly for the reason that petitioner was car which was bound for Manila. Petitioner further uncertain as to whether he was entitled to relief testified that before the impact, Salazar had jumped against both on only one of them. from the jeep and that he was not aware that On September 9, 1970, truck-owner Timbol filed a Salazar's jeep was bumped from behind by the truck Motion to Dismiss Civil Case No. 80803 on the driven by Montoya. Petitioner's version of the grounds that the Complaint is barred by a prior accident was adopted by truck driver Montoya. Jeep- judgment in the criminal cases and that it fails to owner-driver Salazar, on the other hand, tried to state a cause of action. An Opposition thereto was It is conceded that the first three requisites of res filed by petitioner. judicata are present. However, we agree with petitioner that there is no Identity of cause of action In an Order dated September 12, 1970, respondent between Criminal Case No. SM-227 and Civil Case Judge dismissed the Complaint against truck-owner No. 80803. Obvious is the fact that in said criminal Timbol for reasons stated in the afore- mentioned case truck-driver Montoya was not prosecuted for Motion to Dismiss On September 30, 1970, damage to petitioner's car but for damage to the petitioner sought before this Court the review of jeep. Neither was truck-owner Timbol a party in said that dismissal, to which petition we gave due case. In fact as the trial Court had put it "the owner course. of the Mercedes Benz cannot recover any damages On January 30, 1971, upon motion of jeep-owner- from the accused Freddie Montoya, he (Mendoza) driver Salazar, respondent Judge also dismissed the being a complainant only against Rodolfo Salazar in case as against the former. Respondent Judge Criminal Case No. SM-228. 4 And more importantly, reasoned out that "while it is true that an in the criminal cases, the cause of action was the independent civil action for liability under Article enforcement of the civil liability arising from 2177 of the Civil Code could be prosecuted criminal negligence under Article l of the Revised independently of the criminal action for the offense Penal Code, whereas Civil Case No. 80803 is based from which it arose, the New Rules of Court, which on quasi-delict under Article 2180, in relation to took effect on January 1, 1964, requires an express Article 2176 of the Civil Code As held in Barredo vs. reservation of the civil action to be made in the Garcia, et al. 5 criminal action; otherwise, the same would be The foregoing authorities clearly barred pursuant to Section 2, Rule 111 ... 2 demonstrate the separate in. Petitioner's Motion for Reconsideration thereof was individuality of cuasi-delitos or culpa denied in the order dated February 23, 1971, with aquiliana under the Civil Code. respondent Judge suggesting that the issue be Specifically they show that there is a raised to a higher Court "for a more decisive distinction between civil liability interpretation of the rule. 3 arising from criminal negligence On March 25, 1971, petitioner then filed a (governed by the Penal Code) and Supplemental Petition before us, also to review the responsibility for fault or negligence last two mentioned Orders, to which we required under articles 1902 to 1910 of the jeep-owner-driver Salazar to file an Answer. Civil Code, and that the same The Complaint against negligent act may produce either a civil liability arising from a crime truck-owner Timbol under the Penal Code, or a separate We shall first discuss the validity of the Order, dated responsibility for fault or negligence September 12, 1970, dismissing petitioner's under articles 1902 to 1910 of the Complaint against truck-owner Timbol. Civil Code. Still more concretely, the authorities above cited render it In dismissing the Complaint against the truck-owner, inescapable to conclude that the respondent Judge sustained Timbol's allegations employer in this case the defendant- that the civil suit is barred by the prior joint petitioner is primarily and directly judgment in Criminal Cases Nos. SM-227 and SM- liable under article 1903 of the Civil 228, wherein no reservation to file a separate civil Code. case was made by petitioner and where the latter actively participated in the trial and tried to prove That petitioner's cause of action against Timbol in damages against jeep-driver-Salazar only; and that the civil case is based on quasi-delict is evident from the Complaint does not state a cause of action the recitals in the complaint to wit: that while against truck-owner Timbol inasmuch as petitioner petitioner was driving his car along MacArthur prosecuted jeep-owner-driver Salazar as the one Highway at Marilao, Bulacan, a jeep owned and solely responsible for the damage suffered by his driven by Salazar suddenly swerved to his car. (petitioner's) lane and collided with his car That the sudden swerving of Salazar's jeep was caused either Well-settled is the rule that for a prior judgment to by the negligence and lack of skill of Freddie constitute a bar to a subsequent case, the following Montoya, Timbol's employee, who was then driving requisites must concur: (1) it must be a final a gravel and sand truck iii the same direction as judgment; (2) it must have been rendered by a Salazar's jeep; and that as a consequence of the Court having jurisdiction over the subject matter collision, petitioner's car suffered extensive damage and over the parties; (3) it must be a judgment on amounting to P12,248.20 and that he likewise the merits; and (4) there must be, between the first incurred actual and moral damages, litigation and second actions, Identity of parties, Identity of expenses and attorney's fees. Clearly, therefore, the subject matter and Identity of cause of action. two factors that a cause of action must consist of, namely: (1) plaintiff's primary right, i.e., that he is latter. Hence, 'the proviso in Section 2 the owner of a Mercedes Benz, and (2) defendant's of Rule 111 with reference to ... delict or wrongful act or omission which violated Articles 32, 33 and 34 of the Civil plaintiff's primary right, i.e., the negligence or lack Code is contrary to the letter and of skill either of jeep-owner Salazar or of Timbol's spirit of the said articles, for these employee, Montoya, in driving the truck, causing articles were drafted ... and are Salazar's jeep to swerve and collide with petitioner's intended to constitute as exceptions car, were alleged in the Complaint. 6 to the general rule stated in what is now Section 1 of Rule 111. The Consequently, petitioner's cause of action being proviso, which is procedural, may also based on quasi-delict, respondent Judge committed be regarded as an unauthorized reversible error when he dismissed the civil suit amendment of substantive law, against the truck-owner, as said case may proceed Articles 32, 33 and 34 of the Civil independently of the criminal proceedings and Code, which do not provide for the regardless of the result of the latter. reservation required in the proviso ... . Art. 31. When the civil action is based In his concurring opinion in the above case, Mr. on an obligation not arising from the Justice Antonio Barredo further observed that act or omission complained of as a inasmuch as Articles 2176 and 2177 of the Civil felony, such civil action may proceed Code create a civil liability distinct and different independently of the criminal from the civil action arising from the offense of proceedings and regardless of the negligence under the Revised Penal Code, no result of the latter. reservation, therefore, need be made in the criminal But it is truck-owner Timbol's submission (as well as case; that Section 2 of Rule 111 is inoperative, "it that of jeep-owner-driver Salazar) that petitioner's being substantive in character and is not within the failure to make a reservation in the criminal action power of the Supreme Court to promulgate; and of his right to file an independent civil action bars even if it were not substantive but adjective, it the institution of such separate civil action, invoking cannot stand because of its inconsistency with section 2, Rule 111, Rules of Court, which says: Article 2177, an enactment of the legislature Section 2. — Independent civil action. superseding the Rules of 1940." — In the cases provided for in Articles We declare, therefore, that in so far as truck-owner 31, 32, 33, 34 and 2177 of the Civil Timbol is concerned, Civil Case No. 80803 is not Code of the Philippines, an barred by the fact that petitioner failed to reserve, independent civil action entirely in the criminal action, his right to file an separate and distinct from the independent civil action based on quasi-delict. criminal action may be brought by the The suit against injured party during the pendency of the criminal case, provided the right jeep-owner-driver Salazar is reserved as required in the The case as against jeep-owner-driver Salazar, who preceding section. Such civil action was acquitted in Criminal Case No. SM-228, presents shau proceed independently of the a different picture altogether. criminal prosecution, and shall require only a preponderance of evidence. At the outset it should be clarified that inasmuch as civil liability co-exists with criminal responsibility in Interpreting the above provision, this Court, in negligence cases, the offended party has the option 7 Garcia vs. Florida said: between an action for enforcement of civil liability As we have stated at the outset, the based on culpa criminal under Article 100 of the same negligent act causing damages Revised Penal Code, and an action for recovery of may produce a civil liability arising damages based on culpa aquiliana under Article from crime or create an action for 2177 of the Civil Code. The action for enforcement quasi-delict or culpa extra- of civil liability based on culpa criminal under contractual. The former is a violation section 1 of Rule 111 of the Rules of Court is of the criminal law, while the latter is deemed simultaneously instituted with the criminal a distinct and independent action, unless expressly waived or reserved for negligence, having always had its own separate application by the offended party. 8 foundation and individuality. Some The circumstances attendant to the criminal case legal writers are of the view that in yields the conclusion that petitioner had opted to accordance with Article 31, the civil base his cause of action against jeep-owner-driver action based upon quasi-delict may Salazar on culpa criminal and not on culpa aquiliana proceed independently of the criminal as evidenced by his active participation and proceeding for criminal negligence intervention in the prosecution of the criminal suit and regardless of the result of the against said Salazar. The latter's civil liability Art. 29. When the accused in a continued to be involved in the criminal action until criminal prosecution is acquitted on its termination. Such being the case, there was no the ground that his guilt has not been need for petitioner to have reserved his right to file proved beyond reasonable doubt, a a separate civil action as his action for civil liability civil action for damages for the same was deemed impliedly instituted in Criminal Case act or omission may be instituted. No. SM-228. Such action requires only a preponderance of evidence ... Neither would an independent civil action he. Noteworthy is the basis of the acquittal of jeep- If in a criminal case the judgment of owner-driver Salazar in the criminal case, acquittal is based upon reasonable expounded by the trial Court in this wise: doubt, the court shall so declare. In the absence of any declaration to that In view of what has been proven and effect, it may be inferred from the established during the trial, accused text of the decision whether or not Freddie Montoya would be held able the acquittal is due to that ground. for having bumped and hit the rear portion of the jeep driven by the In so far as the suit against jeep-owner-driver accused Rodolfo Salazar, Salazar is concerned, therefore, we sustain Considering that the collision between respondent Judge's Order dated January 30, 1971 dismissing the complaint, albeit on different the jeep driven by Rodolfo Salazar and the car owned and driven by grounds. Edgardo Mendoza was the result of WHEREFORE, 1) the Order dated September 12, the hitting on the rear of the jeep by 1970 dismissing Civil Case No. 80803 against the truck driven by Freddie Montoya, private respondent Felino Timbol is set aside, and this Court behaves that accused respondent Judge, or his successor, hereby ordered Rodolfo Salazar cannot be held able to proceed with the hearing on the merits; 2) but for the damages sustained by the Orders dated January 30, 1971 and February 23, Edgardo Mendoza's car. 9 1971 dismissing the Complaint in Civil Case No. Crystal clear is the trial Court's pronouncement that 80803 against respondent Rodolfo Salazar are hereby upheld. under the facts of the case, jeep-owner-driver Salazar cannot be held liable for the damages No costs. sustained by petitioner's car. In other words, "the SO ORDERED. fact from which the civil might arise did not exist. " Accordingly, inasmuch as petitioner's cause of Teehankee, (Chairman), Makasiar, Fernandez, action as against jeep-owner-driver Salazar is ex- Guerrero and De Castro, JJ., concur. delictu, founded on Article 100 of the Revised Penal #Footnotes Code, the civil action must be held to have been extinguished in consonance with Section 3(c), Rule 1 p. 26, Rollo 111 of the Rules of Court 10 which provides: 2 pp. 147-149, Ibid. Sec. 3. Other civil actions arising from 3 pp. 138-139, Ibid. offenses. — In all cases not included in the preceding section the following 4 Decision P. 26, Ibid rules shall be observed: 5 73 PhiL 607, 620 (1942) xxx xxx xxx 6 Racoma vs. Fortich, 39S CRA 521(1971) c) Extinction of the penal action does not carry with it extinction of the civil, 7 52 SCRA 420 (1973) unless the extinction proceeds from a 8 Padua vs. Robles, 66 SCRA 485 declaration in a final judgment that (1975) the fact from which the civil night arise did not exist. ... 9 pp. 25-26, Rollo And even if petitioner's cause of action as against 10 Eleano Hill, 77 SCRA 98 (1977) jeep-owner-driver Salazar were not ex-delictu, the end result would be the same, it being clear from the judgment in the criminal case that Salazar's acquittal was not based upon reasonable doubt, consequently, a civil action for damages can no longer be instituted. This is explicitly provided for in Article 29 of the Civil Code quoted here under: