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Pantranco North Express, Inc. vs. Baesa
Pantranco North Express, Inc. vs. Baesa
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_________________
*
THIRD DIVISION.
385
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return the bus to its own lane immediately upon seeing the
jeepney coming from the opposite direction was the sole and
proximate cause of the accident without which the collision would
not have occurred. There was no supervening or intervening
negligence on the part of the jeepney driver which would have
made the prior negligence of petitioners driver a mere remote
cause of the accident.
Same QuasiDelict After negligence of an employee has been
established, burden of proof is on the employer to show that he
exercised due diligence in the selection and supervision of his
employees.The finding of negligence on the part of its driver
Ambrosio Ramirez gave rise to the presumption of negligence on
the part of petitioner and the
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expenses
of
Maricar
Baesa
H) As moral damagesP50,000.00
I) As attorneys feesP20,000.00
II. The plaintiffs in Civil Case No. 589R, the following
damages:
A) As compensatory damages for the death of David Ico
P30,000.00
B) For loss of earning capacity of David IcoP252,000.00
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III
On the question of damages, petitioner claims that the
Court of Appeals erred in fixing the damages for the loss of
earning capacity of the deceased victims. Petitioner assails
respondent courts findings because no documentary
evidence in support thereof, such as income tax returns,
payrolls, pay slips or invoices obtained in the usual course
of business, were presented [Petition, p. 22 Rollo, p. 39].
Petitioner argues that the bare and selfserving
testimonies of the wife of the deceased David Ico and the
mother of the deceased Marilyn Baesa . . . have no
probative value to sustain in law the Court of Appeals
conclusion on the respective earnings of the deceased
victims. [Petition, pp. 2122 Rollo, pp. 3839.] It is
petitioners contention that the evidence presented by the
private respondent does not meet the requirements of clear
and satisfactory evidence to prove actual and compensatory
damages.
The Court finds that the Court of Appeals committed no
reversible error in fixing the amount of damages for the
loss of earning capacity of the deceased victims. While it is
true that private respondents should have presented
documentary evidence to support their claim for damages
for loss of earning capacity of the deceased victims, the
absence thereof does not
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old at the time of his death in 1981 and was driving his
own passenger jeepney. The spouses Ceasar and Marilyn
Baesa were both thirty (30) years old at the time of their
death. Ceasar Baesa was a commerce degree holder and
the proprietor of the Cauayan Press, printer of the
Cauayan Valley Newspaper and the Valley Times at
Cauayan, Isabela. Marilyn Baesa graduated as a nurse in
1976 and at the time of her death, was the company nurse,
personnel manager, treasurer and cashier of the Ilagan
Press at Ilagan, Isabela. Respondent court duly considered
these factors, together with the uncontradicted testimonies
of Fe Ico and Francisca Bascos, in fixing the amount of
damages for the loss of earning capacity of David Ico and
the spouses Baesa.
However, it should be pointed out that the Court of
Appeals committed error in fixing the compensatory
damages for the death of Harold Jim Baesa and Marcelino
Baesa. Respondent court awarded to plaintiff (private
respondent) Maricar Baesa Thirty Thousand Pesos
(P30,000.00) as compensatory damages for the death of
Harold Jim Baesa and Marcelino Baesa. [CA Decision, p.
14 Rollo, 57]. In other words, the Court of Appeals
awarded only Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00) as
indemnity for the death of Harold Jim Baesa and another
Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00) for the death of
Marcelino Baesa. This is clearly erroneous. In the case of
People v. de la Fuente, G.R. Nos. 6325152, December 29,
1983, 126 SCRA 518, the indemnity for the death of a
person was fixed by this Court at Thirty Thousand Pesos
(P30,000.00). Plaintiff Maricar Baesa should therefore be
awarded Sixty Thousand Pesos (P60,000.00) as indemnity
for the death of her brothers, Harold Jim Baesa
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