7/23/2019 KRAMER v CA, G.R. No. L-83524, October 13, 1989
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KRAMER v CA,
G.R. No. L-83524, October
13, 1989
FACTS A!r"# 8, 19$%- F/B Marjolea, a fishing
boat owned by the petitioners Ernesto Kramer, Jr. and
Marta Kramer, was navigating its way from
Marind!e to Manila. "omewhere near Mari#abon
$sland and %ape "antiago, the boat figred in a
#ollision with an inter-island vessel, the M/& 'sia
(hilippines owned by the private respondent )rans-
'sia "hipping *ines, $n#. 's a #onse!en#e of the
#ollision, the F/B Marjolea san+, ta+ing with it its
fish #at#h.
'fter the mishap, the #aptains of both vessels filedtheir respe#tive marine protests with the &o'r( o)
M'r"*e +*"r o) t/e 0/"#"!!"*e Co't G'r(.
)he Board #ond#ted an investigation for the prpose
of determining the proimate #ase of the maritime
#ollision.
T/e &o'r( co*c#(e( t/'t t/e #o o) t/e F&
M'ro#e' '*( "t )"/ c'tc/ ' 'ttr"bt'b#e to t/e
*e#"e*ce o) t/e e6!#oee o) t/e !r"v'te
re!o*(e*t /o ere o* bo'r( t/e M7 A"'
0/"#"!!"*e (r"* t/e co##""o*.
M' 3, 1985 9 e'r ')ter t/e "*c"(e*t: - )he
petitioners institted a %omplaint for damages
against the private respondent the egional )rial
%ort
RES0O0N;ENTS 0ET+T+ONERS
e arged that nder
Art"c#e 114% o) t/e C"v"#
%ontended that maritime
#ollisions have
Co(e, t/e !recr"!t"ve
!er"o( )or "*t"tt"* '
Co6!#'"*t )or ('6'e
'r""* )ro6 ' '"-
(e#"ct #"<e ' 6'r"t"6e
co##""o* " )or e'r.
e maintained that the petitioners shold have
filed their %omplaint
within for years from
the date when their #ase
of a#tion a##red, i.e.,
from 'pril , 0123 when
the maritime #ollision
too+ pla#e,
the %omplaint filed on
May 45, 016 was
institted beyond thefor-year pres#riptive
period.
pe#liarities and
#hara#teristi#s whi#h
only persons with spe#ial
s+ill, training and
eperien#e l i+e the
members of the Board of
Marine $n!iry #an properly analy7e and
resolve. )he petitioners
arged that t/e r**"*
o) t/e !recr"!t"ve
!er"o( ' to##e( b t/e
)"#"* o) t/e 6'r"*e
!rotet '*( t/'t t/e"r
c'e o) 'ct"o* 'ccre(
o*# o* A!r"# 29, 1982,
t/e ('te /e* t/e
;ec""o* 'cert'"*"*
t/e *e#"e*ce o) t/ecre o) t/e M7 A"'
0/"#"!!"*e /'( beco6e
)"*'#, and that the for-
year pres#riptive period
nder 'rti#le 0083 of the
%ivil %ode shold be
#ompted from the said
date.
+SS=E 9hether or not the pres#riptive period for
filing the #omplaint has been pres#ribed
RTC CA
)he trial #ort observed
that in as#ertaining
negligen#e relating to amaritime #ollision, there
(rivate respondents
shold have immediately
institted a #omplaint for damages based on a
is a need to rely on
highly te#hni#al aspe#ts
attendant to s#h
#ollision, and that the
Board of Marine $n!iry
was #onstitted prsant
to the (hilippineMer#hant Marine les
and eglations
)he trial #ort went on to
say that the for-year
pres#riptive period
provided in 'rti#le 0083
of the %ivil %ode shold
begin to rn only from
'pril :1, 01:, the date
when the negligen#e of
the #rew of the M/& 'sia(hilippines had been
finally as#ertained.
!asi-deli#t within for
years from the said
marine in#ident be#ase
its #ase of a#tion had
already definitely
ripened at the onset of
the #ollision.
>EL; T/e !et"t"o* " (evo"( o) 6er"t. ;nder
Art"c#e 114% o) t/e C"v"# Co(e , an a#tion based pon
a !asi-deli#t mst be institted within for <8= years.
)he pres#riptive period begins from the day the
!asi-deli#t is #ommitted.
RAT+O $n Espanol vs. %hairman, (hilippine
&eterans 'dministration, 02 this %ort held as
follows-
)he right of a#tion a##res when there eists
a #ase of a#tion, whi#h #onsists of 4
elements, namely> ': ' r"/t "* )'vor o) t/e
!#'"*t")) b /'tever 6e'* '*( *(er
/'tever #' "t 'r"e or " cre'te(? b: '*
ob#"'t"o* o* t/e !'rt o) (e)e*('*t to
re!ect c/ r"/t? '*( c: '* 'ct or
o6""o* o* t/e !'rt o) c/ (e)e*('*tv"o#'t"ve o) t/e r"/t o) t/e !#'"*t")) ... $t is
7/23/2019 KRAMER v CA, G.R. No. L-83524, October 13, 1989
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only when the last element o##rs or ta+es
pla#e that it #an be said in law that a #ase
of a#tion has arisen ...
From the foregoing rling, it is #lear that the
!recr"!t"ve !er"o( 6t be co*te( /e* t/e #'t
e#e6e*t occr or t'<e !#'ce, t/'t ", t/e t"6e o)
t/e co66""o* o) '* 'ct or o6""o* v"o#'t"ve o)
t/e r"/t o) t/e !#'"*t")), whi#h is the time when the
#ase of a#tion arises.
)he aggrieved party *ee( *ot '"t )or '
(eter6"*'t"o* b '* '(6"*"tr't"ve body li+e a
Board of Marine $n!iry, that the #ollision was
#ased by the falt or negligen#e of the other party
before he #an file an a#tion for damages.
