GR 87434 FACTS: A maritime maritime suit 1 was commenced on May 12, 178 !y "erein #etitioner #"i$i%%ine American American Genera$ &nsurance Co', &nc' (#"i$am)en* and Ta)um #$astics, #$astics, &nc' (T#&* a)ainst %ri+ate res%ondents Sweet ines, &nc' (S&* and -a+ao .eterans .eterans Arrastre and #ort Ser+ices, &nc' (-.A#S&*, (-.A#S&*, a$on) wit" S'C'&' ine (T"e S"i%%in) Cor%oration o/ &ndia imited* and F'0' ue$$i), &nc', as code/endants in t"e court a quo, seein) reco+ery o/ t"e cost o/ $ost or dama)ed s"i%ment %$us eem%$ary dama)es, attorney5s /ees and costs a$$e)ed$y due to de/endants5 ne)$i)ence' &n or a!out Marc" 177, a +esse$ !e$on)in) to or o%erated !y t"e /orei)n common carrier, too on !oard at 6aton Rou)e, A, two (2* consi)nments o/ car)oes /or s"i%ment to Mani$a and $ater /or trans"i%ment to -a+ao City, consistin) o/ !a)s ow -ensity #o$yet"y$ene 31 and anot"er ,4 !a)s ow -ensity #o$yet"y$ene 47, !ot" consi)ned to t"e order o/ Far 0ast 6an and Trust Com%any o/ Mani$a, wit" arri+a$ notice to Ta)um #$astics, &nc', Madaum, Ta)um, Ta)um, -a+ao City' Said car)oes were co+ered, res%ecti+e$y, !y 6i$$s o/ adin) 9os' and 7 issued !y t"e /orei)n common carrier (0"s' 0 and F*' T"e necessary %acin) or ei)"t ist (0"s' A and 6*, as we$$ as t"e Commercia$ &n+oices (0"s' C and -* accom%anied t"e s"i%ment' T"e car)oes were $iewise insured !y t"e Ta)um #$astics &nc' wit" %$ainti// #"i$i%%ine American Genera$ &nsurance Co', &nc', (0"' G*' &n t"e course o/ time, t"e said +esse$ arri+ed at Mani$a and disc"ar)ed its car)oes in t"e #ort o/ Mani$a /or trans"i%ment to -a+ao City' For t"is %ur%ose, t"e /orei)n carrier awaited and made use o/ t"e ser+ices o/ t"e +esse$ ca$$ed M;. , 177, t"e s"i%ment(s* were disc"ar)ed /rom t"e interis$and carrier into t"e custody o/ t"e consi)nee' A $ater sur+ey conducted on ?u$y 8, 177 u%on t"e instance o/ t"e %$ainti//' T"e sur+ey s"ows unreasona!$e s"orta)es, dama)es and $osses durin) t"e disc"ar)e /rom t"e +esse$' =/ said s"i%ment tota$$in) 7, !a)s, ori)ina$$y contained in 17> %a$$ets, on$y a tota$ o/ >,82 !a)s were de$i+ered to t"e consi)nee in )ood order condition, $ea+in) a !a$ance o/ 1,8 !a)s' Suc" $oss /rom t"is %articu$ar s"i%ment is w"at any or a$$ de/endants may !e answera!$e to' 6e/ore tria$, a com%romise a)reement was entered into !etween %etitioners, as %$ainti//s, and de/endants S'C'&' ine and F'0' ue$$i), u%on t"e $atter5s %ayment o/ #>32'> in sett$ement o/ t"e c$aim a)ainst t"em' "ereu%on, t"e tria$ court in its order o/ Au)ust 12, 181 3 )ranted %$ainti//s5 motion to dismiss )rounded on said amica!$e sett$ement and t"e case as to S'C'&' ine and F'0' ue$$i) was conse@uent$y >, wit" $e)a$ interest t"ereon /rom A%ri$ 28, 178 unti$ /u$$y %aid' Res%ondents t"en a%%ea$ed t"e tria$ courtBs decision wit" t"e Court o/ A%%ea$s' T"e res%ondent court "as re+ersed t"e tria$ courtBs decision on t"e )round o/ %rescri%tion, in e//ect dismissin) t"e com%$aint o/ "erein %etitioners, and t"e denia$ o/ t"eir motion /or reconsideration' ence t"is %etition'
&SSD0: "et"er or not t"e CA erred in re+ersin) t"e tria$ courtBs decision 0-: =n t"e said issue, %etitioners contend t"at it was error /or t"e Court o/ A%%ea$s to re+erse t"e a%%ea$ed decision on t"e su%%osed )round o/ %rescri%tion w"en S& /ai$ed to adduce any e+idence in su%%ort t"ereo/ and t"at t"e !i$$s o/ $adin) said to contain t"e s"ortened %eriods /or /i$in) a c$aim and /or institutin) a court action a)ainst t"e carrier were ne+er o//ered in e+idence' Considerin) t"at t"e eistence and tenor o/ t"is sti%u$ation on t"e a/oresaid %eriods "a+e a$$e)ed$y not !een esta!$is"ed, %etitioners maintain t"at it is inconcei+a!$e "ow t"ey can %ossi!$y com%$y t"erewit"' 12 &n re/utation, S& a+ers t"at it is standard %ractice in its o%erations to issue !i$$s o/ $adin) /or s"i%ments entrusted to it /or carria)e and t"at it in /act issued !i$$s o/ $adin) num!ered M-2> and M-2 t"ere/or wit" %roo/ o/
t"eir eistence mani/est in t"e records o/ t"e case' 13 For its %art, -.A#S& -.A#S& insists on t"e %ro%riety o/ t"e dismissa$ o/ t"e com%$aint as to it due to %etitioners5 /ai$ure to %ro+e its direct res%onsi!i$ity /or t"e $oss o/ and;or dama)e to t"e car)o' Res%ondent court correct$y %assed u%on t"e matter o/ %rescri%tion, since t"at de/ense was so considered and contro+erted !y t"e %arties' T"is issue may accordin)$y !e taen co)niEance o/ !y t"e court e+en i/ not ince%ti+e$y raised as a de/ense so $on) as its eistence is %$ain$y a%%arent on t"e /ace o/ re$e+ant %$eadin)s' 16 &n t"e case at !ar, %rescri%tion as an a//irmati+e de/ense was seasona!$y raised !y S& in its answer, 17 ece%t t"at t"e !i$$s o/ $adin) em!odyin) t"e same were not /orma$$y o//ered in e+idence, t"us reducin) t"e !one o/ contention to w"et"er or not %rescri%tion can !e maintained as suc" de/ense and, as in t"is case, conse@uent$y u%"e$d on t"e stren)t" o/ mere re/erences t"ereto' As %etitioners are suin) u%on S&5s S&5s contractua$ o!$i)ation o!$i)ation under t"e contract contract o/ carria)e as contained in t"e !i$$s !i$$s o/ $adin), suc" !i$$s o/ $adin) can !e cate)oriEed as actiona!$e documents w"ic" under t"e Ru$es must !e %ro%er$y %$eaded eit"er as causes o/ action or de/enses, 18 and t"e )enuineness and due eecution o/ w"ic" are deemed admitted un$ess s%eci/ica$$y denied under oat" !y t"e ad+erse %arty' 19 T"e ru$es on actiona!$e documents co+er and a%%$y to !ot" a cause o/ action or de/ense !ased on said documents' #etitioners5 /ai$ure to s%eci/ica$$y deny t"e eistence, muc" $ess t"e )enuineness and due eecution, o/ t"e instruments in @uestion amounts to an admission' ?udicia$ admissions, +er!a$ or written, made ! y t"e %arties in t"e %$eadin)s or in t"e course o/ t"e tria$ or ot"er %roceedin)s in t"e same case are conc$usi+e, no e+idence !ein) re@uired to %ro+e t"e same, and cannot !e contradicted un$ess s"own to "a+e !een made t"rou)" %a$%a!$e mistae or t"at no suc" admission was made' 23 Moreo+er, w"en t"e due eecution and )enuineness o/ an instrument are deemed admitted !ecause o/ t"e ad+erse %arty5s /ai$ure to mae a s%eci/ic +eri/ied denia$ t"ereo/, t"e instrument need not !e %resented /orma$$y in e+idence /or it may !e considered an admitted /act' 9eit"er did nor cou$d t"e tria$ court, muc" $ess t"e Court o/ A%%ea$s, %recise$y esta!$is" t"e sta)e in t"e course o/ t"e s"i%ment w"en t"e )oods were $ost, destroyed or dama)ed' "at can on$y !e in/erred /rom t"e /actua$ /indin)s o/ t"e tria$ court is t"at !y t"e time t"e car)o was disc"ar)ed to -.A#S&, -.A#S&, $oss or dama)e "ad a$ready occurred and t"at t"e same cou$d not "a+e %ossi!$y occurred w"i$e t"e same was in t"e custody o/ -.A#S&, as demonstrated !y t"e o!ser+ations o/ t"e tria$ court @uoted at t"e start o/ t"is o%inion' ACC=R-&9G, on t"e /ore)oin) %remises, t"e instant %etition is -09&0- and t"e dismissa$ o/ t"e com%$aint in t"e court a quo as decreed ! y res%ondent Court o/ A%%ea$s in its c"a$$en)ed ud)ment is "ere!y AFF&RM0-' AFF&RM0-'
