9/1/2015

G.R.No.L5156

TodayisTuesday,September01,2015

RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila
ENBANC
G.R.No.L5156March11,1954
CARMENFESTEJO,demandanteapelante,
vs.
ISAIASFERNANDO,DirectordeObrasPublicas,demandadoapelado.
D.EloyB.Belloenrepresentaciondelaapelante.
ElProcuradorGeneralSr.PompeyoDiazyelProcuradorSr.AntonioA.Torresenrepresentaciondelapelado.
DIOKNO,J.:
Carmen Festejo, duea de unos terrenos azucareros, de un total de unas 9 hectareas y media de superfice,
demandoa"IsaiasFernandoDirector,BureauofpublicWorks,quecomotalDirectordeObrasPublicastieneasu
cargolossistemasyproyectosdeirrigacionyeselfuncionarioresponsabledelaconstrucciondelossistemasde
irrigacionenelpais,"alegandoque
Thedefendant,asDirectoroftheBureauofPublicWorks,withoutauthorityobtainedfirstfromtheCourtof
FirstInstanceofIlocosSur,withoutobtainingfirstarightofway,andwithouttheconsentandknowledgeof
theplaintiff,andagainstherexpressobjectionunlawfullytookpossessionofportionsofthethreeparcelsof
landdescribedabove,andcausedanirrigationcanaltobeconstructedontheportionofthethreeparcels
of land on or about the month of February 1951 the aggregate area being 24,179 square meters to the
damageandprejudiceoftheplaintiff.R.onA.,p.3.
causandoaellavariadosdaosyperjuicios.Pidio,ensuconsecuencia,sentenciacondenandoeldemandado:
. . . to return or cause to be returned the possession of the portions of land unlawfully occupied and
appropriatedintheaggregateareaof24,179squaremetersandtoreturnthelandtoitsformercondition
undertheexpensesofthedefendant....
Intheremoteeventthattheportionsoflandunlawfullyoccupiedandappropriatedcannotbereturnedto
the plaintiff, then to order the defendant to pay to the plaintiff the sum of P19,343.20 as value of the
portionstotallinganareaof24,179squaremetersR.onA.,p.5.
yademasapagarP9,756.19dedaosyP5,000dehonorariosdeabogado,conlascostasR.onA.,pp.56.
El demandado, por medio del Procurador General, presento mocion de sobreseimiento de la demanda por el
fundamento de que el Juzgado no tiene jurisdiccion para dictar sentencia valida contra el, toda vez que
judicialmentelareclamacionescontralaRepublicadeFilipinas,yestanohapresentadosuconsentimientoala
demanda.ElJuzgadoinferiorestimolamocionysobreseyolademandasinperjuicioysincostas.
Enapelacion,lademandantesostienequefueunerrorconsiderarlademandacomounacontralaRepublicay
sobreseerensuvirtudlademanda.
Lamocioncontra"IsaiasFernando,DirectordeObrasPublicas,encargadoyresponsabledelaconstruccionde
lossistemasdeirrigacionenFilipinas"esunadirigidapersonalmentecontrael,poractosqueasumioejecutaren
suconceptooficial.Laleynoleeximederesponsabilidadporlasextralimitacionesquecometaohagacometeren
eldesempeodesusfuncionesoficiales.UncasosemejanteeseldeNelsonvs.Bobcock(1933)18minn.584,
NW49,90ALR1472.AllielComisionadodeCarreteras,almejoraruntrozodelacarreteraocupooseapropio
de terrenos contiguos al derecho de paso. El Tribunal Supremo del Estado declaro que es personalmente
responsable al dueo de los daos causados. Declaro ademas que la ratificacion de lo que hicieron sus
subordinadoseraequivalenteaunaordenalosmismos.HeaquilodijoelTribunal.
Wethinktheevidenceandconcededfactspermittedthejuryinfindingthatinthetrespassonplaintiff'sland
defendantcommittedactsoutsidethescopeofhisauthority.Whenhewentoutsidetheboundariesofthe
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rightofwayuponplaintiff'slandanddamageditordestroyeditsformerconditionandusefulness,hemust
beheldtohavedesignedlydepartedfromthedutiesimposedonhimbylaw.Therecanbenoclaimthathe
thusinvadedplaintiff'slandsoutheasterlyoftherightofwayinnocently.Surveysclearlymarkedthelimitsof
thelandappropriatedfortherightofwayofthistrunkhighwaybeforeconstructionbegan....
"Ratification may be equivalent to command, and cooperation may be inferred from acquiescence where
thereispowertorestrain."Itisunnecessarytoconsiderothercasescited,...,forasbeforesuggested,the
jury could find or infer that, in so far as there was actual trespass by appropriation of plaintiff's land as a
dumpingplacefortherocktoberemovedfromtheadditionalappropriatedrightofway,defendantplanned,
approved,andratifiedwhatwasdonebyhissubordinates.Nelsonvs.Bobcock,90A.L.R.,1472,1476,
1477.
Ladoctrinasobrelaresponsabilidadcivildelosfuncionariosencasosparecidosseresumecomosigue:
Ordinarilytheofficeroremployeecommittingthetortispersonallyliabletherefor,andmaybesuedasany
othercitizenandheldanswerableforwhateverinjuryordamageresultsfromhistortiousact.49Am.Jur.
289.
...Ifanofficer,evenwhileactingundercolorofhisoffice,exceedsthepowerconferredonhimbylaw,he
cannotshelterhimselfunderthepleathatheisapublicagent.43Am.Jur.86.
Itisageneralrulethatanofficerexecutive,administrativequasijudicial,ministerial,orotherwisewhoacts
outsidethescopeofhisjurisdictionandwithoutauthorizationoflawmaytherebyrenderhimselfamenableto
personalliabilityinacivilsuit.Ifheexceedthepowerconferredonhimbylaw,hecannotshelterhimselfby
thepleathatheisapublicagentactingunderthecolorofhisoffice,andnotpersonally.Intheeyeofthe
law,hisactsthenarewhollywithoutauthority.43Am.Jur.8990.
Elarticulo32delCodigoCivildiceasuvez:
ART.32.Anypublicofficeroremplyee,oranyprivateindividual,whodirectlyorindirectlyobstructs,defeats,
violatesorinanymannerimpedesorimpairsanyofthefollowingrightsandlibertiesofanotherpersonshall
beliabletothelatterfordamages:
xxxxxxxxx
(6)Therightagainstdeprivationofpropertywithoutdueprocessoflaw
xxxxxxxxx
In any of the cases referred to this article, whether or not the defendant's acts or omission constitutes a
criminaloffense,theaggrievedpartyhasarightotcommenceanentirelyseparateanddistinctcivilaction
fordamages,andforotherrelief.Suchcivilactionshallproceedindependentlyofanycriminalprosecution
(ifthelatterbeinstituted),andmaybeprovedbyapreponderanceofevidence.
TheinmdemnityshallincludemoraldamagesExemplarydamagesmayalsobeadjudicated.
Veanse tambien Lung vs. Aldanese, 45 Phil., 784 Syquia vs. Almeda, No. L1648, Agosto 17, 1947
Marquezvs.Nelson,No.L2412,Septiembre1950.
Serevocalaordenapeladayseordenalacontinuaciondelatramitaciondelademandaconformeproveenlos
reglamentos.Sinespecialpronunciamientoencuantoalascostas.Asiseordena.
Padilla,Reyes,Jugo,BautistaAngeloandLabrador,MM.,estanconformes.

SeparateOpinions
CONCEPCION,J.,dissenting:
Tomymind,theallegationsofthecomplaintleadtonootherconclusionthanthatappelleeIsaiasFernandoisa
partyinthiscase,notinhispersonalcapacity,butasanofficeroftheGovernment.Accordingtosaidpleadingthe
defendant is "Isaias Fernando, Director, Bureau of Public Works." Moreover, in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the
complaint,itisalleged:
4. That the defendant as Director of the Bureau of Public Works, is in charge of irrigation projects and
systems,andtheofficialresponsiblefortheconstructionofirrigationsysteminthePhilippines
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