- Petitioner
- Gloria Padillo
- Respondent
- Christopher Magnaye
- Citation
- G.R. No. 195692
- Court
- Supreme Court
- Division
- Third Division
- Decided
- March 6, 2019
Summary
This case arose from a chain collision vehicular accident on December 10, 2002, where Gloria Padillo's Hino Bus rear-ended Jesus Fernandez's jeepney, which then hit Christopher Magnaye's parked car. Both Magnaye and Fernandez sued Padillo for damages. The key legal issue was whether Padillo could be held liable despite claiming she was not the registered owner of the bus. All three court levels found Padillo liable based on her judicial admissions in her pleadings that she owned the bus, and her failure to prove diligence in driver selection and supervision. The Supreme Court affirmed this as a question of fact that cannot be reviewed in a certiorari petition. The case establishes the principle that judicial admissions are binding unless shown to be palpable mistakes, and that employers are presumptively liable for their drivers' negligence unless they prove proper diligence. The final award was P217,765.00 to Magnaye and P35,000.00 to Fernandez for actual damages, with attorney's fees deleted for lack of legal basis.