- Petitioner
- Filipinas Synthetic Fiber Corporation
- Respondent
- Wilfredo de Los Santos
- Citation
- G.R. No. 152033
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- Second Division
- Ponente
- Peralta, J.
- Decided
- March 16, 2011
Summary
This Supreme Court case involved a vehicular accident where a company shuttle bus collided with a private car, killing four persons including the spouses of two respondents. The families filed civil cases for damages against Filipinas Synthetic Fiber Corporation and its driver Alfredo Mejia. The RTC and CA found both defendants liable, with the SC affirming the decisions. Key issues included the driver's negligence due to excessive speed (70 km/h vs. 50 km/h legal limit), the company's vicarious liability under Article 2180 of the Civil Code, and the failure to establish the due diligence defense in employee selection and supervision. The SC upheld the liability but reduced moral damages from P100,000 to P50,000 per case, emphasizing that employers must provide concrete proof of diligence to avoid vicarious liability for employee negligence.