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DE LA CRUZ V NORTHERN THEATRIAL ENTERPRISES (security guard shot a a! "ho

"as #itera##y a gate crasher$

- Obligations Arising from Law

- Obligations Arising from Quasi-delicts/Torts - Doctrine of Proximate Cause

%ACTS&

' The Norther! Theatrica# E!terrises) a doestic cororatio! oearated a o*ie house i! Laoag)I#ocos Norte a!d ao!g the erso!s e#oyed +y it "as #ai!ti,, De La Cru-) hired as secia#

guard "hose duties "ere to guard the ai! e!tra!ce o, the ci!e) to ai!tai! eace a!d order a!d

to reort the coissio! o, disorder "ithi! the reises

' .e!/ai! 0arti! "a!ted to crash the gate or e!tra!ce o, the o*ie house1 De#a Cru- re,used to

#et hi i! "ithout ,irst ro*idi!g hise#, "ith a tic2et1 I!,uriated) 0arti! attac2ed hi "ith a

 +o#o

' De#a Cru- de,e!ded hise#, a!d i! the idst o, +ei!g cor!ered) shot 0arti! dead1

' De#a Cru- "as charged "ith hoicide +ut "as ac3uitted o, charge a,ter tria#1 I! +oth crii!a#

cases agai!st hi) he e#oyed a #a"yer to de,e!d hi

' He the! dea!ded ,ro his e#oyer) Norther! Theatrica# E!terrises (NTE$) rei+ursee!t o, 

e4e!ses he +egot ,ro e#oyi!g a #a"yer +ut "as re,used thus ,i#ed rese!t actio! agai!st the

coa!y to reco*er !ot o!#y the aou!ts he had aid his #a"yers +ut a#so ora# daages said toha*e +ee! su,,ered due to his "orry) !eg#ect o, his i!terests a!d his ,ai#y as "e## i! the

suer*isio! o, the cu#ti*atio! o, his #a!d) a tota# o, P 56)7771

ISSUE&89N a! e#oyee "ho i! #i!e o, duty a!d "hi#e i! the er,ora!ce o, the tas2 assig!ed to hi)

 er,ors a! act "hich e*e!tua##y resu#ts i! his i!curri!g i! e4e!ses caused !ot direct#y +y his

e#oyer or +y reaso! o, his er,ora!ce o, his duty) +ut rather +y a : rd arty or stra!ger !ot i!

the e#oy o, his e#oyer ay reco*er said daages agai!st his e#oyer;

HELD&

 No1

DOCTRINE&

Obligations Arising from Law

' A#though the e#oyer has a ora# o+#igatio! to gi*e e#oyee #ega# assista!ce to aid the #atter

i! his case) he has !o #ega# o+#igatio! to do so1

' The court adits that it is !ot a"are o, a!y #a" or /udicia# authority that is direct#y a#ica+#e tothe rese!t case1

' A case i!*o#*i!g daages caused to a! e#oyee +y a stra!ger or outsider "hi#e said e#oyee

"as i! the er,ora!ce o, his duties) rese!ts a !o*e# 3uestio! "hich u!der rese!t #egis#atio!

"e are !either a+#e !or reared to decide i! ,a*or o, the e#oyee1' I, the e#oyer is !ot #ega##y o+#iged to gi*e #ega# assista!ce to e#oyee a!d ro*ide hi "ith

a #a"yer) !atura##y said e#oyee ay !ot reco*er the aou!t he ay ha*e aid a #a"yer hired +y hi1

Obligations Arising from Quasi-Delicts/Torts - Doctrine of Proximate Cause

' P#ai!ti,, su,,ered daages +y reaso! o, the e4e!ses i!curred +y hi i! reu!erati!g his #a"yer 

"hich "as caused +y the ,i#i!g o, the charge o, hoicide agai!st hi "hich ade it !ecessary ,or 

hi to de,e!d hise#, "ith the aid o, cou!se# at the i!sta!ce o, the heirs o, the deceased gate

crasher a!d +y the State through the %isca#1

' Had !o crii!a# charge +ee! ,i#ed agai!st hi) there "ou#d ha*e +ee! !o e4e!ses i!curred or

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daages su,,ered1

' P#ai!ti,,<s ac3uitta# co!siders hi to +e i!!oce!t a!d +#ae#ess1 I, desite his i!!oce!ce a!d

desite the a+se!ce o, a!y crii!a# reso!si+i#ity o! his art he "as accused o, hoicide) the!

the reso!si+i#ity ,or the iroer accusatio! ay +e #aid at the door o, the heirs o, the deceased

a!d the State) a!d so theoretica##y) they are the arties that ay +e he#d reso!si+#e ci*i##y ,ordaages a!d i, this is so) the court ,ai#s to see !o" this reso!si+i#ity ca! +e tra!s,erred to the

e#oyer "ho i! !o "ay i!ter*e!ed) uch #ess i!itiated the crii!a# roceedi!gs1' There,ore) the daages su,,ered +y the #ai!ti,, (e4e!ses i! ac3uiri!g a #a"yer) ora# daages

said to ha*e +ee! su,,ered due to his "orry) !eg#ect o, his i!terests a!d his ,ai#y as "e## i! the

suer*isio! o, the cu#ti*atio! o, his #a!d) a tota# o, P 56)777$ "ere due to the crii!a# actio! ,i#ed

agai!st hi +y the heirs o, the de,e!da!t (heirs o, 0arti! "ho died +ecause o, a gu! shot ,ro

the #ai!ti,,$ he!ce the reso!si+i#ity o, ayi!g ,or the daages su,,ered +y the #ai!ti,, "ou#d

 +e,a## the heirs) !ot the #ai!ti,,<s e#oyer (NTE$ si!ce said e#oyer did !ot actua##y ,i#e the

crii!a# charges agai!st the #ai!ti,,1

E4a#e&

A "as e#oyed +y . as a sur,i!g i!structor at .<s resort1

C) "ho "as a stude!t o, A) dro"!ed duri!g a sur,i!g #esso! co!ducted +y .1

Crii!a# charges "ere ,i#ed agai!st A +y the heirs or re#ati*es o, C1A ac3uired the ser*ices o, a #a"yer i! his de,e!se1 A "as ac3uitted1

A c#ais he su,,ered daages ,ro the e4e!ses o, ac3uiri!g the ser*ices o, a #a"yer a!d ora#

daages ,ro the stress o, dea#i!g "ith a crii!a# case a!d dea!ded these daages ,ro his

e#oyer) .1. ca!!ot +e #ia+#e ,or these daages si!ce . "as !ot the ro4iate cause o, the daages

su,,ered +y A1 . "as !ot the o!e "ho ,i#ed the crii!a# charges agai!st A) +ut the heirs a!d

re#ati*es o, C a!d as such) the heirs are the o!e "ho A shou#d dea!d daages ,ro1

The heirs a!d re#ati*es o, C are the ro4iate cause o, the that roduced the daages su,,ered +y

A1