344 Sesbreno v CA 2

344 Sesbreno v CA A"T#OR : G.R. No. 160689, March 26, 2014  NOTES: (if applicable applicable TOPC: Human Relations PON!NT!: VELASCO, JR., J. $ACTS% &chrono'o()ca' or*er+ VECO !as a public utilit" co#po#ation o#$ani%e& an& e'istin$ un&e# te la!s of te )ilippines. VECO en$a$e& in te sale an& &ist#ibution of elect#icit" !itin *et#opolitan Cebu. Sesb#e+o !as one of VECOs custome#s un&e# te mete#e& se#-ice cont#act te" a& ente#e& into on *a#c , /01.

Te onl" impo#tant facts tat nee&s to be &iscusse& as to &o !it an inci&ent tat occu##e& at a#oun& 2:33 ocloc4 in te afte#noon of *a" //, /010. On tat &a", te Violation of Cont#acts (VOC Team #espon&etns con&ucte& a #outine inspection of te ouses at La )aloma Villa$e, Laban$on, Cebu Cit", inclu&in$ tat of plaintiff5appellant Sesb#e+o, fo#  ille$al connections, mete# tampe#in$, seals, con&uit pipes, 6umpe#s, !i#in$ connections, an& mete# installations. installations. Afte# 7ebe 7ale&io, plaintiff5appellant plaintiff5appellant Sesb#e+os mai&, unloc4e& te $ate, te" inspecte& te elect#ic mete# an& foun& tat it a& been tu#ne& upsi&e &o!n. 8efen&ant5appellant A#cilla too4 poto$#aps of te uptu#ne& elect#ic mete#. 9it Cucie a#cia, )ete# Sesb#e+o an& one of te mai&s p#esent, te" #emo-e& sai& mete# an& #eplace& it !it a ne! one. At tat time,  plaintiff5appellant  plaintiff5appellant Sesb#e+o !as in is office office an& no one calle& to info#m im of of te inspection. Te Te VOC Team Team ten as4e& fo# an& #ecei-e& Cucie a#cias pe#mission to ente# te ouse itself to e'amine te 4in& an& numbe# of appliances an& li$t fi'tu#es in te ouseol& an& &ete#mine its elect#ical loa&. Afte#!a#&s, Cucie a#cia si$ne& te ;nspection 8i-ision Repo#t, !ic so!e& te con&ition of te elect#ic mete# on *a" //, /010 !en te VOC Team inspecte& it, !it notice tat it !oul& be sub6ecte& to a labo#ato#" test. Se also si$ne& a Loa& Su#-e" Seet tat so!e& te elect#ical loa& of   plaintiff5appellant  plaintiff5appellant Sesb#e+o. Sesb#e+os no! no! conten& tat te inspection of is #esi&ence b" te VOC team !as an un#easonable sea#c fo# bein$ ca##ie& out !itout a !a##ant an& fo# bein$ alle$e&l" &one !it malice o# ba& fait. SS"!&S+: 9ete# o# not Sesb#e+o entitle& to #eco-e# &ama$es fo# abuse of #i$ts< #!-: No. Sesb#e+o &i& not establis is claim fo# &ama$es if te #espon&ents #espon&ents !e#e not $uilt" of abuse of #i$ts. To st#ess, te concept of abuse of #i$ts p#esc#ibes tat a pe#son soul& not use is #i$t un6ustl" o# in ba& fait= ote#!ise, e ma" be liable to anote# !o suffe#s in6u#". Te #ationale fo# te concept is to p#esent some basic p#inciples to be follo!e& fo# te #i$tf #i$tful ul #elati #elations onsip ip bet!ee bet!een n uman uman bein$s bein$s an& te te stabil stabilit" it" of social social o#&e# o#&e#.. / *o#eo*o#eo-e# e#,, acco#& acco#&in$ in$ to a  commentato#,  >te e'e#cise of #i$t en&s !en te #i$t &isappea#s, an& it &isappea#s !en it is abuse&, especiall" to te  p#e6u&ice of ote#s?=@ ?i@t cannot be sai& tat a pe#son e'e#cises a #i$t !en e unnecessa#il" p#e6u&ices anote#.> anote#.> A#ticle  /0 of te Ci-il Co&e  sets te stan&a#&s to be obse#-e& in te e'e#cise of ones #i$ts an& in te pe#fo#mance of ones &uties, namel": (a to act !it 6ustice= (b to $i-e e-e#"one is &ue= an& (c to obse#-e onest" an& $oo& fait. Te la! te#eb" #eco$ni%es te p#imo#&ial limitation on all #i$ts B tat in te e'e#cise of te #i$ts, te stan&a#&s un&e# A#ticle /0 must be obse#-e&. 2 RATO: Te constitutional $ua#ant" a$ainst unla!ful unla!ful sea#ces an& sei%u#es is inten&e& as a #est#aint a$ainst te o-e#nment an& its a$ents tas4e& !it la! enfo#cement. ;t is to be in-o4e& onl" to ensu#e f#ee&om f#om a#bit#a#" an& un#easonable e'e#cise of  State po!e#. Te Cou#t as ma&e tis clea# in its p#onouncements, inclu&in$ tat ma&e in )eople -. *a#ti, / -i%: ;f te sea#c is ma&e upon te #eDuest of la! enfo#ce#s, a !a##ant must $ene#all" be fi#st secu#e& if it is to pass te test of constitutionalit". Ho!e-e#, if te sea#c is ma&e at te beest o# initiati-e of te p#op#ieto# of a p#i-ate establisment fo# its o!n an& p#i-ate pu#poses, as in te case at ba#, an& !itout te inte#-ention of police auto#ities, te #i$t a$ainst un#easonable sea#c an& sei%u#e cannot be in-o4e& fo# onl" te act of p#i-ate in&i-i&ual, not te la! enfo#ce#s, is in-ol-e&. ;n sum, te p#otection a$ainst un#easonable sea#ces an& sei%u#es cannot be e'ten&e& to acts committe& b" p#i-ate in&i-i&uals so as to b#in$ it !itin te ambit of alle$e& unla!ful int#usion b" te $o-e#nment. /1 ;t is !o#t notin$ tat te VOC inspecto#s &eci&e& to ente# te main p#emises onl" afte# fin&in$ te mete# of Sesb#e+o tu#ne& upsi&e &o!n, an$in$ an& its &isc not #otatin$. Tei# &oin$ so !oul& enable tem to &ete#mine te unbille& elect#icit" elect#icit" consume& consume& b" is ouseol&. ouseol&. Te ci#cumsta ci#cumstances nces 6ustifie& 6ustifie& tei# tei# &ecision, &ecision, an& tei# inspection inspection of te main  p#emises !as a continuation of te auto#i%e& ent#". ent#". Te#e !as no Duestion ten tat tei# abilit" to &ete#mine te unbille& elect#icit" calle& fo# tem to see fo# temsel-es te usa$e of elect#icit" insi&e. Not bein$ a$ents of te State, te" &i& not a-e to fi#st obtain a sea#c !a##ant to &o so. 7alicas p#esence pa#ticipation in te ent#" &i& not ma4e te inspection a sea#c b" an a$ent of te State !itin te ambit of te $ua#ant". As As al#ea&" mentione&, 7alica !as pa#t of te team b" b " -i#tue of is mission o#&e# auto#i%in$ im to assist

an& esco#t te team &u#in$ its #outine inspection. /0 ConseDuentl", te ent#" into te main p#emises of te ouse b" te VOC team &i& not constitute a -iolation of te $ua#ant". Ou# ol&in$ coul& be &iffe#ent a& Sesb#e+o pe#suasi-el" &emonst#ate& te inte#-ention of malice o# ba& fait on te pa#t of Constantino an& A#cilla &u#in$ tei# inspection of te main p#emises, o# an" e'cessi-eness committe& b" tem in te cou#se of te inspection. 7ut Sesb#e+o &i& not. On te ote# an&, te CA co##ectl" obse#-e& tat te inspection &i& not %e#o in on Sesb#e+os #esi&ence because te ote# ouses !itin te a#ea !e#e simila#l" sub6ecte& to te #outine inspection.3 Tis, !e tin4, eliminate& an" notion of malice o# ba& fait. Clea#l", Sesb#e+o &i& not establis is claim fo# &ama$es if te #espon&ents !e#e not $uilt" of abuse of #i$ts. To st#ess, te concept of abuse of #i$ts p#esc#ibes tat a pe#son soul& not use is #i$t un6ustl" o# in ba& fait= ote#!ise, e ma"  be liable to anote# !o suffe#s in6u#". Te #ationale fo# te concept is to p#esent some basic p#inciples to be follo!e& fo#  te #i$tful #elationsip bet!een uman bein$s an& te stabilit" of social o#&e#. / *o#eo-e#, acco#&in$ to a commentato#, >te e'e#cise of #i$t en&s !en te #i$t &isappea#s, an& it &isappea#s !en it is abuse&, especiall" to te p#e6u&ice of  ote#s?=@ ?i@t cannot be sai& tat a pe#son e'e#cises a #i$t !en e unnecessa#il" p#e6u&ices anote#.> A#ticle /0 of te Ci-il Co&e  sets te stan&a#&s to be obse#-e& in te e'e#cise of ones #i$ts an& in te pe#fo#mance of ones &uties, namel": (a to act !it 6ustice= (b to $i-e e-e#"one is &ue= an& (c to obse#-e onest" an& $oo& fait. Te la! te#eb" #eco$ni%es te p#imo#&ial limitation on all #i$ts B tat in te e'e#cise of te #i$ts, te stan&a#&s un&e# A#ticle /0 must be obse#-e&.2 Altou$ te act is not ille$al, liabilit" fo# &ama$es ma" a#ise soul& te#e be an abuse of #i$ts, li4e !en te act is  pe#fo#me& !itout p#u&ence o# in ba& fait. ;n o#&e# tat liabilit" ma" attac un&e# te concept of abuse of #i$ts, te follo!in$ elements must be p#esent, to !it: (a te e'istence of a le$al #i$t o# &ut", (b !ic is e'e#cise& in ba& fait, an& (c fo# te sole intent of p#e6u&icin$ o# in6u#in$ anote#.  Te#e is no a#& an& fast #ule tat can be applie& to asce#tain !ete# o# not te p#inciple of abuse of #i$ts is to be in-o4e&. Te #esolution of te issue &epen&s on te ci#cumstances of  eac case.