Foreseen and avoidable

A LAW EACH DAY (KEEPS TROUBLE AWAY) By Jose C. Sison The Philippine St ! "#$"%$%""&

This is ' se e(pl inin) the *e nin) o+ +o!t,ito,s e-ent n. the e++e't o+ the ins,!e./s )!oss ne)li)en'e on its !i)ht to !e'o-e! ,n.e! n ins,! n'e 'ont! 't. A0CO 1 s p !tne!ship en) )e. in shippin) 2,siness. 3t o1ne. 2 !)e (D$B L,'io) n. t,)2o t M/T Anco. D$B L,'io h . no en)ine o+ its o1n so it 'o,l. not * ne,-e! 2y itsel+ n. h . to 2e to1e. 2y M/T Anco +o! it to *o-e +!o* one pl 'e to nothe!. On Septe*2e! %45 67875 S9C shippe. +!o* 9 n. ,e City5 Ce2,5 on 2o !. the D$B$ L,'io to1e. 2y M/T Anco :"5##" ' ses o+ sso!te. 2ee!s to Est n'i 5 3loilo n. S n Jose5 Anti;,e. %"5""" ' ses o+ the ' !)oes 1e!e ins,!e. 2y <=U 3ns,! n'e Co!p +o! P>#>5#"". The -essels !!i-e. t S n Jose Anti;,e t 2o,t 6 o/'lo'? in the +te!noon o+ Septe*2e! 4"5 6787. The t,)2o t le+t the 2 !)e i**e.i tely +te! !e 'hin) S n Jose5 Anti;,e. At th t ti*e5 the 'lo,.s o-e! the !e 1e!e . !? n. the 1 -es 1e!e l!e .y 2i) 2e' ,se o+ Typhoon Sisang. The !! st!e 1o!?e!s ,nlo .in) the ' !)oes 2e) n to 'o*pl in 2o,t thei! .i++i',lty in ,nlo .in) the ' !)oes so S9C/s s les s,pe!-iso! !e;,este. A0CO/s !ep!esent ti-e to t! ns+e! the 2 !)e to s +e! pl 'e s it * y not 1ithst n. the 2i) 1 -es. A0CO/s !ep!esent ti-e ho1e-e! .i. not hee. the !e;,est 2e' ,se he 1 s 'on+i.ent th t the 2 !)e 'o,l. 1ithst n. the 1 -es .espite the + 't th t t th t ti*e it 1 s the only -essel le+t t the 1h !+ s othe! -essels l!e .y le+t to see? shelte! t 9 l n.on)5 +i-e ?ilo*ete!s 1 y 1hi'h 1 s s +e! pl 'e. At 2o,t 6" to 66 p.*. o+ O'to2e! 65 67875 the '!e1 o+ D$B L,'io 2 n.one. the -essel 2e' ,se the 2 !)e/s !ope tt 'he. to the 1h !+ 1 s ',t o++ 2y the 2i) 1 -es. At 2o,t *i.ni)ht the 2 !)e ! n )!o,n. n. %758&" ' ses o+ 2ee! - l,e. t P654:&5678 1e!e s1ept 1 y n. lost. When S9C +ile. 'o*pl int ) inst A0CO to !e'o-e! s i. *o,nt +o! B!e 'h o+ Cont! 't o+ C !!i )e5 A0CO .enie. li 2ility 2e' ,se the losses 1e!e not .,e to its + ,lt 2,t 2y !e son o+ sto!*5 +o!t,ito,s e-ent. A0CO lso 'l i*e. th t the loss o+ s i. ' !)oes o'',!!e. s !es,lt o+ !is? ins,!e. ) inst in the ins,! n'e poli'y iss,e. 2y <=U n. .,!in) the li+eti*e o+ the poli'y. So A0CO sse!te. th t i+ it 1o,l. 2e hel. li 2le to S9C5 <=U sho,l. !ei*2,!se it o+ s i. *o,nts n. . * )es. W s A0CO 'o!!e't@ 0o. <o!t,ito,s e-ents o! +o!'e * Ae,!e !e e(t! o!.in !y e-ents not +o!esee 2le o! -oi. 2le5 e-ents th t 'o,l. not 2e +o!eseen5 o! 1hi'h tho,)h +o!eseen 1e!e ine-it 2le. 3t is the!e+o!e not eno,)h th t the e-ent sho,l. not h -e 2een +o!eseen o! nti'ip te.5 s is 'o**only 2elie-e. 2,t it *,st 2e one i*possi2le to +o!esee o! -oi.. 3n this ' se5 the ' l *ity 1hi'h ' ,se. the loss o+ the ' !)oes 1 s not ,n+o!eseen no! 1 s it ,n -oi. 2le. 3n + 't the othe! -essels in the po!t * n )e. to t! ns+e! to nothe! pl 'e5 'i!',*st n'e 1hi'h p!o*pte. the S9C s,pe!-iso! to !e;,est th t the 2 !)e 2e li?e1ise t! ns+e!!e.5 2,t to no - il. E-en i+ A0CO/s !ep!esent ti-e 1 nte. to t! ns+e! it5 they no lon)e! h . ny *e ns to .o so s the t,)2o t h . l!e .y .ep !te.5 le -in) the 2 !)e to its o1n .e-i'es. The t,)2o t ' pt in sho,l. h -e h . the +o!esi)ht not to le -e the 2 !)e lone 'onsi.e!in) the pen.in) sto!*. While the loss o+ the ' !)oes 1 s .*itte.ly .,e to Typhoon Sisang5 n t,! l .is ste!5 A0CO 'o,l. not es' pe li 2ility to S9C +o! the + il,!e o+ its !ep!esent ti-e to e(e!'ise the e(t! o!.in !y .e)!ee o+ .ili)en'e * n. te. 2y l 1. To 2e e(e*pt +!o* li 2ility the n t,! l .is ste! sho,l. h -e 2een the p!o(i* te n. only ' ,se o+ the loss. The!e *,st h -e 2een no 'ont!i2,to!y ne)li)en'e on the p !t o+ the 'o**on ' !!ie!. While the ' !elessness n. ne)li)en'e o+ the ins,!e. o! his )ents 'onstit,te no .e+ense on the p !t o+ the ins,!e!5 this !,le p!es,pposes th t s,'h ne)li)en'e o! !e'?lessness *,st not 2e o+ so )!oss s to *o,nt to *is'on.,'t o! 1!on)+,l 'tsB othe!1ise the ins,!e! sh ll 2e !ele se. +!o* li 2ility ,n.e! the ins,! n'e 'ont! 't. 3n this ' se5 the!e 1 s 2l t nt ne)li)en'e on the p !t o+ A0CO s sho1n 2y the + 't th t on O'to2e! 65 67875 the only sin)le -essel le+t t the 1h !+ in S n Jose 1 s its 2 !)e5 the D$B L,'io. This 2l t nt ne)li)en'e o+ A0CO/s e*ployees is o+ s,'h )!oss 'h ! 'te! th t it *o,nts to 1!on)+,l 't 1hi'h *,st e(one! te <=U +!o* li 2ility ,n.e! the ins,! n'e 'ont! 't (FGU Insurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals et. al., G. . !"###$, March "!, %&&$. '$' SC A ""#(