JD 5 0 2: O B L I GA T IO N S a n d C O N T RA C T S w i t h S A LE S

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PS B A V. C O UR T S O F A PP E A L S
[ GR N O . 8 46 9 8 , 0 4 F E BRU A RY 19 9 2]
P o ne nt e: P A D IL L A , J .

FACTS:
A s ta b bi n g in c i d e nt s o m et i me i n A ug us t 19 8 5 c aus e d t h e d e ath o f
C a rl it o s B a ut is t a w h i le o n t he s e co n d- fl o o r p r e mis es o f t h e P h il i p p i n e Sc ho o l
of B us i nes s A d m i ni s t ra t i o n (P S B A ) p r o m pt e d t h e p a re n ts o f t h e de c e as e d t o
fi l e s u it i n t h e Re g i o na l T r ia l C o urt o f Ma n il a f o r d a m ag es ag ai ns t t h e s a id
P SB A an d i ts co r p o ra t e o ff ic e rs .
A t t h e t i m e o f h is de a t h, C a r l it os w as en ro l l e d in th e t h i rd -y e ar
C o mm e rc e C ou rs e a t t h e P SB A . It w as d et er m i ne d t h at t h e as s a i la nt s w ere
no t s t u d e nt s o f th e s a m e s ch oo l. Su b s t a nt ia l ly, th e pa r e n ts of B au t is t a s o u g ht
t o a d j u dg e t h em l i a b le f o r t h e v ic t im 's unt i m el y de a t h d u e to t h ei r al l eg e d
ne g li g en ce, r ec kl es s n e s s , a n d la c k of s ec ur it y p rec a ut i o n s , m ea ns , an d
me t h o ds b ef or e, d u ri ng, a n d a f te r t h e a t ta c k o n t h e v ic t i m.
P SB A , a qu o s ou g ht to h a ve t h e s u it di s m is s e d b ut t h e t ri a l co u rt
d en i e d t he i r mot i o n to d is mis s . S a i d d ec is i o n of t h e C ou rt o f A p p ea ls w as
p ri m ar i l y a nc ho re d o n t h e l a w o f q ua s i- d el ic t s , a s e nu nc i at e d i n A rt i c l es 21 7 6
an d 21 8 0 o f t he C iv i l C o d e.

IS S UE:
W he th e r P SB A i s i n b re a c h o f co nt ra c t

H E LD : N O
Un d er t h e l a w , w he n a n a c a d e m i c i ns t it ut i o n a cc ep t s s t u d e nt s fo r
en r o ll m en t , t he re is es ta b l i s he d a c o n tr a ct b et w ee n t h em, r e s u lt i n g i n
b i l at er a l o b l i g a t io ns w hi c h b ot h pa rt i es ar e b ou n d t o c o m p l y w it h. F o r i t s
pa rt, t h e s ch oo l u nd ert a kes to p ro v i d e t he s t u d e nt w it h a n e duc at i o n t h at
w o u l d p r es u ma b ly s uf fi ce t o e qu i p h im w i t h th e n ec es s a ry t o o l s an d s k il ls t o
pu rs ue h ig h e r e d uc at i o n or a p ro f es s i o n w hi c h i nc lu d es p ro vi d i ng t h e ir
s t u d e nt s w it h a n at mo s p h er e t h a t p ro mo t es o r a s s is ts in a t ta in i n g i t s pr i ma r y
un d er t a ki n g o f i mp a rt in g kn ow l e dg e. O n th e s t ud e nt ’s p ar t, h e is o b l ig at e d to
ab i d e by t h e s c h oo l' s a c a d e m ic re q ui re me nt s a n d o bs e rv e i t s r ul es a nd
re gu l at io ns . F o r t he c a s e a t b a r, t he c ir c u ms t a nc es s ho w t ha t a c o n t ract ua l
re l at io ns h ip e x is t s b et w e e n P S B A a n d C a r l it o s B a ut is t a w h ic h t h e ru les o n
qu as i- de l i ct d o not ap p ly. Wit h out p r oo f t h at P SB A w as n e g l ig en t i n p ro v i d i n g
p ro p er s e c u r it y m ea s u res , i t ca n not b e h el d t h at t h e re is a b reac h o f c o nt r ac t
b et w e en t h e p ar ti es .

© 2020, TOMAS CLAUDIO COLLEGES, COLLEGE OF LAW; TAGHANGIN MORONG, RIZAL