7/17/2019 Loadstar Shipping

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Loadstar Shipping Co. v. CA and The Manila Insurance Co., Inc.G.R. No. 131621 September 28, 1999Davide, Jr., C.J.

FACTS:

Loadstar received on board its !" #C$ero%ee& certain 'oods (or s$ipment.

)n its *a+ to ania (rom t$e port o( Nasipit, -'san de Norte, t$e vesse, aon' *it$ itscar'o, san% o(( Limasa*a /sand. -s a rest o( t$e tota oss o( its s$ipment, t$e consi'neemade a caim *it$ L)-DS0-R *$ic$, $o*ever, i'nored t$e same. -s t$e insrer,ania /nsrance Compan+ /C paid 6,45,444 tot$e insred in ( settement o( itscaim, and t$e atter e7ected a sbro'ation receipt t$ere(or.

/C (ied a compaint a'ainst Loadstar and rdentia Garantee -ssrance, /nc. insrero( t$e vesse, ae'in' t$at t$e sin%in' o( t$e vesse *as de to t$e (at and ne'i'enceo( L)-DS0-R and its empo+ees. -ccordin' to said compaint, t$e vesse *as not sea*ort$+becase it *as ndermanned on t$e da+ o( t$e vo+a'e. /( it $ad been sea*ort$+, it cod$ave *it$stood t$e natra and inevitabe action o( t$e sea on 24 November 198, *$en t$econdition o( t$e sea *as moderate.

L)-DS0-R maintains t$at t$e vesse *as sea*ort$+ and t$at it e7ercised t$e dii'ence o( a'ood (at$er o( a (ami+ in ensrin' t$e vesse:s sea*ort$iness.

ISSUES:1. ;)N !" #C$ero%ee& a private or a common carrier< 2. ;)N Loadstar observedde

and!or ordinar+ dii'ence in t$ese premises

HEL:

1. =es. /t is not necessar+ t$at t$e carrier be issed a certi(icate o( pbic and t$is pbic c$aracter is not atered b+ t$e (act t$at t$e carria'e o( t$>estion as periodic, occasiona, episodic or nsc$eded.

See -rt. 1532 and rin' in de G?man v. C-, spra.

 -rt. 1532. Common carriers acorporations, (irms or associations en'a'ed ino( carr+in' or transportin' passen'ers or 'oodand, *ater, or air (or compensation, o((erin' t$t$e pbic.

0$e above artice ma%es no distinction bet*een one *$ose principal  bsiness carr+in' o( persons or 'oods or bot$, and one *$o does sc$ carr+in' on+as ancillary  activit+ in oca idiom, as @a sideine@. -rtice 1532 aso care(+ avan+ distinction bet*een a person or enterprise o((erin' transportation service oscheduled basis and one o((erin' sc$ service on an occasional, episodic or unbasis. Neit$er does -rtice 1532 distin'is$ bet*een a carrier o((erin' its servic@'enera pbic and one *$o o((ers services or soicits bsiness on+ (rom anarro* segment  o( t$e 'enera popation. ;e t$in% t$at -rtice 1533 deiberate(rom ma%in' sc$ distinctions.

2. No. !" #C$ero%ee& *as not sea*ort$+ *$en it embar%ed on its vo+a'e. 0$e*asnot even s ( ( i c ien t + manned a t t $e t ime. Aor a vesse

to be se a* or t$ +, it m st be ade>ate+ e>ipped (or t$e vo+a'e and ms((icient nmber o( competento((icers and cre*. 0$e (aire o( a common carriin sea*ort$+ condition itsvesse invoved in a contract o( carria'e is a cear breprescribed in -rt. 15o( t$e Civi Code.