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

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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.