Reynaldo Pasco v. Court of First Instance of Bulacan

Summary

This case addresses whether universities can be held liable under Article 2180 of the Civil Code for student-on-student violence occurring on campus. Reynaldo Pasco, a student at Araneta University, was mauled and stabbed by fellow students and sued the university for damages. The Court of First Instance dismissed the case, ruling that the Civil Code provision applies only to vocational schools and that no demand was made. The Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal but on different grounds, holding that Article 2180's liability provision applies only to 'teachers or heads' individually, not to educational institutions as entities. The decision clarifies the scope of institutional liability under tort law, emphasizing that the Civil Code provision creates personal liability for educators, not vicarious liability for educational institutions themselves.