17. Larry V. Caminos Jr. vs. People of the Philippines G.R. No. 147437, May , !""# $o%trine& Re%'less impr()en%e *enerally )efine) +y o(r penal la %onsists in vol(ntarily +(t itho(t mali%e, )oin* or failin* to )o an a%t from hi%h material )ama*e res(lts +y reason of ine-%(sa+le la%' of pre%a(tion on the part of the person performin* or failin* to perform perform s(%h a%t, ta'in* into %onsi)eration %onsi)eration his employment employment or o%%(pation o%%(pation,, )e*ree of intelli*en%e, physi%al %on)ition an) other %ir%(mstan%es re*ar)in* persons, time an) pla%e. a%ts& / vehi%(lar %ollision happene) on the ni*ht of !1 J(ne 1# at the interse%tion of 0rti*as /ven(e an) Col(m+ia treet in Man)al(yon* City, ri*ht in front of Gate 2 of ast Greenhills Greenhills (+)ivision (+)ivision.. he vehi%les involve) involve) ere a Mits(+ishi Mits(+ishi (per aloon aloon )riven +y petitioner an) a Vol'sa*en Vol'sa*en 5armann Ghia )riven +y /rnol) Liton6(a. he mishap o%%(rre) at appro-imately 7&4 in the evenin*. hat ni*ht, the roa) as et. /rnol), ho ha) earlier passe) +y 8a%' 8a%' (+)ivision, as traversin* 0rti*as /ven(e /ven(e toar) the )ire%tion )ire %tion of pifanio $elos antos /ven(e. /ven(e. 9e prepare) to ma'e a left t(rn as he rea%he) the interse%tion of 0rti*as /ven(e an) Col(m+ia treet, an) as soon as he ha) mane(vere) the t(rn thro(*h the +rea' in the traffi% islan) the Mits(+ishi %ar )riven +y petitioner s())enly %ame rammin* into his %ar from his ri*ht:han) ri*ht:han) si)e. Petitioner, Petitioner, ho as also traversin* traversin* 0rti*as /ven(e, /ven(e, as hea)e) hea)e) toar)s the )ire%tion of an J(an an) he approa%he) the same interse%tion from the opposite )ire%tion. he for%e e-erte) +y petitioner;s petitioner;s %ar heave) /rnol); /rnol);ss %ar several feet aay from the +rea' in the islan), sent se nt it t(rnin* 1" )e*rees (ntil it finally settle) on the o(ter lane of 0rti*a 0rti*ass /ven(e. en(e. /rnol /rnol) ) imme)i imme)iatel ately y s(mmon s(mmone) e) to the s%ene s%ene of the %ollisi %ollision on Patrolman rnesto antos a traffi% investi*ator of the Man)al(yon* Poli%e or%e ho at the time as mannin* the poli%e o(tpost in front of the Philippine 0verseas mployment /)ministration <(il)in*. he report reveale) that at the time of the %ollision, /rnol);s %ar, hi%h ha) =no ri*ht of ay,= as =t(rnin* left= hereas petitioner;s %ar as =*oin* strai*ht= an) as =e-%ee)in* laf(l spee).= >t also in)i%ate) that the ?%enter islan) floer +e)@ o+str(%te) the vision of the )rivers. Petitioner as s(+seA(ently %har*e) +efore the Re*ional rial Co(rt of Pasi* City ith re%'less impr()en%e res(ltin* in )ama*e to property. 9e entere) a ne*ative plea on arrai*nment. /t the ens(in* trial, Patrolman antos a)mitte) havin* e-e%(te) the s'et%h, hi%h )epi%ts the post:%ollision positions of the to vehi%les. he trial %o(rt fo(n) petitioner *(ilty as %har*e). he trial %o(rt relie) prin%ipally on the s'et%h ma)e +y Patrolman Patrolman antos )epi%tin* the post:%ollisio post:%ollision n positions positions of the to vehi%les vehi%les that pie%e of evi)en%e hi%h neither of the parties assaile) at the trial an) fo(n) that of the to %onfli%tin* a%%o(nts of ho the %ollision happene) it as /rnol);s version that is %onsistent ith the evi)en%e. >t %on%l()e) that petitioner, +y reason of his on a)mission that he )i) not noti%e /rnol);s /rnol);s %ar at the interse%tion, interse %tion, is solely to +e +lame) for the in%i)ent espe%ially a+sent any shoin* that there as any o+str(%tion to his line of si*ht. Petitioner, a%%or)in* to the trial %o(rt, o(l) have in fa%t noti%e) on: %omin %omin* * vehi vehi%le %less %omi %omin* n* a%ro a%ross ss his his path path ha) ha) he empl employ oye) e) prop proper er pre% pre%a( a(ti tion on.. /%%or)in*ly, the trial %o(rt or)ere) petitioner to pay %ivil in)emnity in the amo(nt of P13#, !#4."" as ell as a fine in the same amo(nt. he Co(rt of /ppeals a*ree) ith
the fa%t(al fin)in*s of the trial %o(rt. he appellate %o(rt affirme) the 6()*ment of %onvi%tion ren)ere) +y the trial %o(rt a*ainst petitioner. 9oever, it miti*ate) the aar) of %ivil in)emnity on its fin)in* that /rnol) himself as li'eise re%'less in mane(verin* a left t(rn inasm(%h as he ha) ne*le%te) to loo' o(t, +efore enterin* the other lane of the roa), for vehi%les that %o(l) li'eise +e possi+ly enterin* the interse%tion from his ri*ht si)e. his notithstan)in*, petitioner as still (nsatisfie) ith the r(lin* of the appellate %o(rt. >ss(e& 8hether or not the petitioner sho(l) +e a%A(itte) +e%a(se the ne*li*en%e of /rnol), hi%h a%%or)in* to the Co(rt of /ppeals as in%ipient in %hara%ter, as a%t(ally the prin%ipal )eterminin* fa%tor, hi%h %a(se) the mishap, an) the fa%t that the />R in)i%ate) that /rnol) ha) no ri*ht of ay, th(s it is he ho ha) the stat(s of a favore) )riverB 9el)& Re%'less impr()en%e *enerally )efine) +y o(r penal la %onsists in vol(ntarily +(t itho(t mali%e, )oin* or failin* to )o an a%t from hi%h material )ama*e res(lts +y reason of ine-%(sa+le la%' of pre%a(tion on the part of the person performin* or failin* to perform s(%h a%t, ta'in* into %onsi)eration his employment or o%%(pation, )e*ree of intelli*en%e, physi%al %on)ition an) other %ir%(mstan%es re*ar)in* persons, time an) pla%e. >mpr()en%e %onnotes a )efi%ien%y of a%tion. >t implies a fail(re in pre%a(tion or a fail(re to ta'e the ne%essary pre%a(tion on%e the )an*er or peril +e%omes foreseen. h(s, somethin* more than mere ne*li*en%e in the operation of a motor vehi%le is ne%essary to %onstit(te the offense of re%'less )rivin*, an) a illf(l an) anton )isre*ar) of the %onseA(en%es is reA(ire). 8illf(l, anton or re%'less )isre*ar) for the safety of others ithin the meanin* of re%'less )rivin* stat(tes has +een hel) to involve a %ons%io(s %hoi%e of a %o(rse of a%tion hi%h in6(res another, either ith 'nole)*e of serio(s )an*er to others involve), or ith 'nole)*e of fa%ts hi%h o(l) )is%lose the )an*er to any reasona+le person. >n traffi% la parlan%e, the term =ri*ht of ay= is (n)erstoo) as the ri*ht of one vehi%le to pro%ee) in a laf(l manner in preferen%e to another approa%hin* vehi%le (n)er s(%h %ir%(mstan%es of )ire%tion, spee) an) pro-imity as to *ive rise to a )an*er of %ollision (nless one of the vehi%les *rants pre%e)en%e to the other. /ltho(*h there is a(thority to the effe%t that the ri*ht of ay is merely of stat(tory %reation an) e-ists only a%%or)in* to e-press stat(tory provision, it is *enerally re%o*nie), here no stat(te or or)inan%e *overns the matter, that the vehi%le first enterin* an interse%tion is entitle) to the ri*ht of ay, an) it +e%omes the )(ty of the other vehi%le li'eise approa%hin* the interse%tion to pro%ee) ith s(ffi%ient %are to permit the e-er%ise of s(%h ri*ht itho(t )an*er of %ollisions. /ll tol), it m(st +e nee)lessly emphasie) that the meas(re of a motorist;s )(ty is s(%h %are as is, (n)er the fa%ts an) %ir%(mstan%es of the parti%(lar %ase, %ommens(rate ith the )an*ers hi%h are to +e anti%ipate) an) the in6(ries hi%h are li'ely to res(lt from the (se of the vehi%le, an) in proportion to or %ommens(rate ith the pe%(liar ris' atten)ant on the %ir%(mstan%es an) %on)itions in the parti%(lar %ase,1 the )river +ein* (n)er the )(ty to 'no an) to ta'e into %onsi)eration those %ir%(mstan%es an) fa%tors affe%tin* the safe operation of the vehi%le hi%h o(l) +e open to or)inary o+servation.
