RODOLFO G.CRUZandESPERANZAI BI AS, A N GRUSPE v s . TTY.DELFI G. R.No.191431,Mar ch13,2013 Fa c t s :
Thec l ai m ar os ef r om anac ci de ntwhent hemi nibusownedandoper at ed byCr uzanddr i v enbyoneAr t ur oDavi ncol l i de dwi t ht heToyot aCor ol l acarof Gr uspe;Gr uspe’ scarwas a t ot alwr ec k. .T Thenextday , Cr uz ,al ongwi wi t h Leon ardoQ.I bi aswentt oGr uspe’ soffice,apol ogi zedf ort hei nci dent ,andexecut ed aJoi ntAffidavi tofUnder t aki ngpr om mi i si ngj oi nt l yand sev er al l yt or epl acet he Gr uspe’ sdama mage d cari n 20 days,orunt i lNov emb mber15,1999,oft hesame me mo de lando fatl e as tt hes amequal i t y ;o r ,al t e r nat i v e l y ,t he ywo ul dpa yt hec os t ofGr uspe’ scaram mo ount i ngt oP350, 000. 00,wi t hi nt er es tat12% permont hf or anydel aye dpayme mentaf t erNov em mb ber15,1999,unt i lf ul l ypai d.W Wh henCr uzand Leonardof ai l edt ocomp mpl ywi wi t ht hei runder t aki ng,Gr uspefil edacomp mpl ai ntf or col l ect i onofsum ofmoneyagai nstt hem m. . Cr uzand Leonar do deni ed Gr uspe’ sal l egat i on,cl ai mi ngt hatGr uspe,a l awye r ,pr epar ed t he Joi ntAffid ffi davi tofUnder t aki ng and f or ce dt hem t o affix ffix t hei r si gnat ur es t her eon, wi t hout expl ai ni ng and i nf or mi ng t hem of i t s cont ent s. W Wh het herornott heJoi ntAffidavi tofUnder t aki ngi sacont r actt hatcan I s s ue : bet hebas i sofanobl i g at i ont opayasum ofmo ne y . Hel d:
A si mpl er e adi ngoft het er msoft heJoi ntAffidavi tofUnde r t aki ngr eadi l y di s c l os e st hati tc o nt ai ns s t i pul at i ons c har a c t e r i s t i co fa c ont r a c t .Cont r ac t s ar e obl i gat ory no mat t er what t hei rf or ms may be,whenev er t he es se nt i al r e qui s i t e sf o rt he i rv a l i di t yar epr e s e nt .I n de t e r mi mi ni ngwhe t he rado c ume nti s an affid ffi davi toracont r act ,t heCour tl ooksbey ond t het i t l eoft hedocument , si ncet hedenom mi i nat i on ort i t l egi ven byt hepart i esi nt hei rdocumenti snot c onc l us i v eoft henat ur eofi t sco nt e nt s .I nt heco ns t r uc t i o no ri nt e r pr e t at i o no f an i nst rument ,t hei nt ent i on oft hepart i esi spri mordi alandi st obepur sued. I ft het er msoft hedocumentar ecl earandl eav enodoubton t hei nt ent i on of t hec ont r a ct i ngpar t i e s,t hel i t e r alme ani ngofi t ss t i pul at i onss hal lc ont r o l .I f t he words appeart o be cont r ary t ot he part i es’evi denti nt ent i on,t he l at t er s hal lpr e v a i lo v ert hef or me me r . TheJoi ntAffidav i tofUnder t aki ngcont ai nedas t i pul at i onwher eCr uzand Leonar do pr om mi i se dt or epl ace t he dama mage d car ofGr uspe ,20 days f r om
Oct ober25,1999 orup t oNov ember15,1999,oft hesamemodeland ofat l eastt hesamequal i t y .I nt heeventt hatt heycannotr epl acet hecarwi t hi nt he same per i od,t he y woul d pay t he cos tofGr uspe’ s cari nt he t ot alamount ofP350, 000. 00,wi t hi nt er es tat12% permont hf oranydel ayedpaymentaf t er Nove mber15,1999,unt i lf ul l ypai d.These ,ar eve rysi mpl et er mst hatbot h Cruzand Leonardo coul d easi l yunder st and.An al l egat i on ofvi t i at ed consent mus tbe pr ov en by pr eponder anceofe vi dence ;Cr uzand Leonar do f ai l ed t o s uppo r tt he i ral l e g at i o n.
