FABRE vs.

COURT OF APPEALS
Facts:
1. Engracio Fabre, Jr. and is !i"e are te o!ners o" te #inib$s.
%. Por"irio J. Cabi& is te driver ired b' te Fabre co$(&e in 1)*1 a"ter tr'ing i# o$t "or t!o !ee+s. ,is -ob
!as to ta+e scoo& ci&dren to and "ro# te St. Sco&astica.s Co&&ege in /a&ate, /ani&a.
0. 1ove#ber %, 1)*2 : 3ord "or te 3or&d Cristian Fe&&o!si( 4nc. 533CF6 arranged !it (etitioners "or te
trans(ortation o" 00 #e#bers o" its 7o$ng Ad$&ts /inistr' "ro# /ani&a to La Union and bac+ "or te a#o$nt
o" P0,888.88.
2. Te gro$( !as sced$&ed to &eave at 9P/ o" 1ove#ber %, 1)*2.
9. Te gro$( ad to ta+e a deto$r beca$se bridge at Car#en !as $nder re(air.
:. At 11:08 tat nigt, (etitioner Cabi& ca#e $(on a sar( c$rve on te ig!a', r$nning on a so$t to east
direction, !ic e described as ;siete.; Since it !as raining t$s te road !as s&i((er',te b$s !ic !as
r$nning at te s(eed o" 98 +i&o#eters (er o$r, s+idded to te &e"t road so$&der itting te &e"t tra""ic stee&
brace and sign a&ong te road and ra##ed te "ence o" one Jes$s Escano, ten t$rned over and &anded on its
&e"t side, co#ing to a "$&& sto( on&' a"ter a series o" i#(acts. Te b$s ca#e to rest o"" te road. Severa&
(assengers !ere in-$red. One o" te (assengers, A#'&ine Antonio !as tro!n on te "&oor o" te b$s and
(inned do!n b' a !ooden seat !ic ca#e o"" a"ter being $nscre!ed. 4t too+ tree (ersons to sa"e&' re#ove
er "ro# tis (osition.
<. Po&ice investigated te incident te ne=t da'. And "i&ed a cri#ina& co#(&aint against te driver, Por"irio Cabi&.
Te case !as &ater "i&ed !it te Linga'en Regiona& Tria& Co$rt.
*. Petitioners Fabre (aid Jes$s Escano P1,988.88 "or te da#age to te &atter.s "ence. On te basis o" Escano.s
a""idavit o" desistance te case against (etitioners Fabre !as dis#issed.
). A#'&ine Antonio, !o is no! s$""ering "ro# (ara(&egia and is (er#anent&' (ara&'>ed "ro# te !aist do!n,
bro$gt tis case in te RTC o" /a+ati, /etro /ani&a.
18. Te tria& co$rt rendered -$dg#ent against de"endants /r. ? /rs. Engracio Fabre, Jr. and Por"irio Cabi& '
Ja#i& ($rs$ant to artic&es %1<: and %1*8 o" te Civi& Code o" te Pi&i((ines and said de"endants are ordered
to (a' -oint&' and severa&&' to te (&ainti""s.
11. Te Co$rt o" A((ea&s s$stained te tria& co$rt.s "inding tat (etitioner Cabi& "ai&ed to e=ercise d$e care and
(reca$tion in te o(eration o" is veic&e considering te ti#e and te (&ace o" te accident. Te Co$rt o"
A((ea&s e&d tat te Fabres !ere te#se&ves (res$#(tive&' neg&igent. Te Co$rt o" A((ea&s #odi"ied
da#ages.
4ss$es:
4. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS 3ERE 1E@L4@E1T.
44. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS 3ERE L4ABLE FOR T,E 41JUR4ES SUFFEREA B7 PR4BATE
RESPO1AE1TS.
444. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT AA/A@ES CA1 BE A3ARAEA A1A 41 T,E POS4T4BE, UP TO 3,AT
ECTE1T.
4B. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS /A7 BE /AAE TO RESPO1A TO PR4BATE RESPO1AE1T
JO41TL7 A1A SEBERALL7
,e&d:
4. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS 3ERE 1E@L4@E1T.
7es.
Cabi&:
Considering te "act tat it !as raining and te road !as s&i((er', tat it !as dar+, tat e drove is b$s at 98
+i&o#eters an o$r !en even on a good da' te nor#a& s(eed !as on&' %8 +i&o#eters an o$r, and tat e !as
$n"a#i&iar !it te terrain, Cabi& !as gross&' neg&igent and so$&d be e&d &iab&e "or te in-$ries s$""ered b' (rivate
res(ondent A#'&ine Antonio.
Fabres:
P$rs$ant to Arts. %1<: and %1*8 o" te Civi& Code Cabi&.s neg&igence gave rise to te (res$#(tion tat is e#(&o'ers,
te Fabres, !ere te#se&ves neg&igent in te se&ection and s$(ervision o" teir e#(&o'ee.
44. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS 3ERE L4ABLE FOR T,E 41JUR4ES SUFFEREA B7 PR4BATE
RESPO1AE1TS.
7es. Tis case invo&ves a contract o" carriage. Te Fabres, did not ave to be engaged in te b$siness o" ($b&ic
trans(ortation "or te (rovisions o" te Civi& Code on co##on carriers to a((&' to te#.
Civi& Code Art. 1<9) :Carriers are &iab&e "or te deat o" or in-$ries to (assengers tro$g te neg&igence or !i&"$& acts
o" te "or#er.s e#(&o'ees, a&to$g s$c e#(&o'ees #a' ave acted be'ond te sco(e o" teir a$torit' or in
vio&ation o" te orders o" te co##on carriers.Tis &iabi&it' o" te co##on carriers does not cease $(on (roo" tat
te' e=ercised a&& te di&igence o" a good "ater o" a "a#i&' in te se&ection and s$(ervision o" teir e#(&o'ees.
444. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT AA/A@ES CA1 BE A3ARAEA A1A 41 T,E POS4T4BE, UP TO 3,AT ECTE1T.
7es, On te teor' tat (etitioners are &iab&e "or breac o" contract o" carriage: te a!ard o" #ora& da#ages is
a$tori>ed b' Art. 1<:2, in re&ation to Art. %%%8, since Cabi&.s gross neg&igence a#o$nted to bad "ait.
O!ing to A#'&ine Antonio.s testi#on' as !e&& as te testi#onies o" er "ater and coD(assengers !ic "$&&'
estab&is te ('sica& s$""ering and #enta& ang$is se end$red as a res$&t o" te in-$ries ca$sed b' (etitioners.
neg&igence an a!ard o" e=e#(&ar' da#ages and attorne'.s "ees is !arranted.
4B. 3,ET,ER OR 1OT PET4T4O1ERS /A7 BE /AAE TO RESPO1A TO PR4BATE RESPO1AE1T
JO41TL7 A1A SEBERALL7
7es. Te co$rt $sed severa& (recedents to e=(&ain...
1. 4n Aang!a Trans. Co. 4nc. v. Co$rt o" A((ea&s,
D "acts si#i&ar to tose in tis case
D te b$s co#(an' and te driver -oint&' and severa&&' &iab&e "or da#ages "or in-$ries s$""ered b' a (assenger.
%. 4n Bace&or E=(ress, 4nc. v. Co$rt o" A((ea&s
D a driver "o$nd neg&igent in "ai&ing to sto( te b$s in order to &et o"" (assengers !en a "e&&o! (assenger ran
a#$c+, as a res$&t o" !ic te (assengers -$#(ed o$t o" te s(eeding b$s and s$""ered in-$ries
D driver -oint&' and severa&&' &iab&e !it te b$s co#(an' to te in-$red (assengers.
0. Te sa#e r$&e o" &iabi&it' !as a((&ied in sit$ations !ere te neg&igence o" te driver o" te b$s on !ic
(&ainti"" !as riding conc$rred !it te neg&igence o" a tird (art' !o !as te driver o" anoter veic&e, t$s
ca$sing an accident.
Cases cited: An$ran v. B$Eo, Batangas Lag$na Ta'abas B$s Co. v. 4nter#ediate A((e&&ate Co$rt,/etro
/ani&a Transit Cor(oration v. Co$rt o" A((ea&s
D b$s co#(an', its driver, te o(erator o" te oter veic&e and te driver o" te veic&e !ere -oint&' and
severa&&' e&d &iab&e to te in-$red (assenger or te &atter.s eirs.
Te basis o" tis a&&ocation o" &iabi&it' !as e=(&ained in Bi&$an v. Co$rt o" A((ea&s, t$s: Nor should it
make any difference that the liability of petitioner [bus owner] springs from contract while that of
respondents [owner and driver of other vehicle] arises from quasi-delict. As early as 11!" we already ruled
in #utierre$ vs. #utierre$" %& 'hil. 1((" that in case of in)ury to a passenger due to the negligence of the
driver of the bus on which he was riding and of the driver of another vehicle" the drivers as well as the
owners of the two vehicles are )ointly and severally liable for damages. *ome members of the +ourt" though"
are of the view that under the circumstances they are liable on quasi-delict.
2. 4n te case o" BLTB
D (rivate res(ondents and er coD(&ainti""s did not sta+e o$t teir c&ai# against te carrier and te driver
e=c&$sive&' on one teor',
Da&&eged a&ternative ca$ses o" action and -oin as #an' (arties as #a' be &iab&e on s$c ca$ses o" action so
&ong as (rivate res(ondent and er coD(&ainti""s do not recover t!ice "or te sa#e in-$r'.
Dte carrier and te driver !ere -oint&' and severa&&' &iab&e beca$se teir se(arate and distinct acts conc$rred
to (rod$ce te sa#e in-$r'.
9. 4n Pi&i((ine Rabbit B$s Lines, 4nc. v. Co$rt o" A((ea&s SC
De=onerated te -ee(ne' driver "ro# &iabi&it' to te in-$red (assengers and teir "a#i&ies
Dte o!ners o" te -ee(ne' -oint&' and severa&&' &iab&e, b$t that is because that case was e,pressly tried and
decided e,clusively on the theory of culpa contractual.
DAs tis Co$rt tere e=(&ained: -he trial court was therefore right in finding that .analo [the driver] and
spouses .angune and +arreon [the )eepney owners] were negligent. /owever" its ruling that spouses
.angune and +arreon are )ointly and severally liable with .analo is erroneous. -he driver cannot be held
)ointly and severally liable with the carrier in case of breach of the contract of carriage. -he rationale
behind this is readily discernible. 0irstly" the contract of carriage is between the carrier and the passenger"
and in the event of contractual liability" the carrier is e,clusively responsible therefore to the passenger" even
if such breach be due to the negligence of his driver 5see Bi&$an v. Te Co$rt o" A((ea&s, et a&., @.R. 1os. LD
%12<<D*1, A(ri& %), 1)::, 1: SCRA <2%6 .