577 Phil. 213
AZCUNA, J.:
WHEREFORE, judgment is rendered ordering the defendants, jointly and severally, to pay the plaintiff the Peso equivalent as of February 17, 1994 of HK$55,000.00 or the sum of P228,085.00, whichever is lower, with costs against the defendants.[4]Respondents' motion for reconsideration was denied by the RTC in an Order dated February 19, 1996.
WHEREFORE, the assailed decision is hereby MODIFIED. Appellants Neptune and Overseas are hereby ordered to pay jointly and severally appellee PCIC P228,085.00, representing the amount it paid Fukuyama. Costs against the appellants.[5]Respondents moved for reconsideration of the Decision of the CA arguing, among others, that their liability was only US$1,500 or US$500 per package under the limited liability provision of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act (COGSA).
WHEREFORE, the motion is partly granted in the sense that appellants shall be liable to pay appellee PCIC the value of the three packages lost computed at the rate of US$500 per package or a total of US$1,500.00.[6]Hence, this petition raising this lone issue:
THE COURT OF APPEALS ERRED IN AWARDING RESPONDENTS DAMAGES SUBJECT TO THE US$500 PER PACKAGE LIMITATION.Petitioner contends that the CA erred in awarding damages to respondents subject to the US$500 per package limitation since the vessel committed a "quasi deviation" which is a breach of the contract of carriage when it intentionally threw overboard the container with the subject shipment during the voyage to Manila for its own benefit or preservation based on a Survey Report[7] conducted by Mariner's Adjustment Corporation, which firm was tasked by petitioner to investigate the loss of the subject cargoes. According to petitioner, the breach of contract resulted in the abrogation of respondents' rights under the contract and COGSA including the US$500 per package limitation. Hence, respondents cannot invoke the benefit of the US$500 per package limitation and the CA erred in considering the limitation and modifying its decision accordingly.
Moreover, the same Survey Report cited by petitioner stated:
xxx xxx xxx 2.03 In the course of the maritime voyage from Hongkong to Manila subject shipment fell overboard while in the custody of the defendants and were never recovered; it was part of the LCL cargoes packed by defendants in container IEAU-4592750 that fell overboard during the voyage.[8]
From the investigation conducted, we noted that Capt. S.L. Halloway, Master of MV "BALTIMAR ORION" filed a Note of Protest in the City of Manila, and was notarized on 06 October 1993.The records show that the subject cargoes fell overboard the ship and petitioner should not vary the facts of the case on appeal. This Court is not a trier of facts, and, in this case, the factual finding of the RTC and the CA, which is supported by the evidence on record, is conclusive upon this Court.
Based on Note of Protest, copy attached hereto for your reference, carrier vessel sailed from Hongkong on 1st October 1993 carrying containers bound for Manila.
Apparently, at the time the vessel [was] sailing at about 2400 hours of 2nd October 1993, she encountered winds and seas such as to cause occasional moderate to heavy pitching and rolling deeply at times. At 0154 hours, same day, while in position Lat. 20 degrees, 29 minutes North, Long. 115 degrees, 49 minutes East, four (4) x 40 ft. containers were lost/fell overboard. The numbers of these containers are NUSU-3100789, TPHU -5262138, IEAU-4592750, NUSU-4515404.
xxx xxx xxx
Furthermore, during the course of voyage, high winds and heavy seas were encountered causing the ship to roll and pitch heavily. The course and speed was altered to ease motion of the vessel, causing delay and loss of time on the voyage.
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SURVEYORS REMARKS:
In view of the foregoing incident, we are of the opinion that the shipment of 3 cases of Various Warp Yarn on Returnable Beams which were containerized onto 40 feet LCL (no. IEAU-4592750) and fell overboard the subject vessel during heavy weather is an "Actual Total Loss".[9]
Art. 1753. The law of the country to which the goods are to be transported shall govern the liability of the common carrier for their loss, destruction or deterioration.The rights and obligations of respondent common carrier are thus governed by the provisions of the Civil Code, and the COGSA,[10] which is a special law, applies suppletorily.
Art. 1766. In all matters not regulated by this Code, the rights and obligations of common carriers shall be governed by the Code of Commerce and by special laws.
Art. 1749. A stipulation that the common carrier's liability is limited to the value of the goods appearing in the bill of lading, unless the shipper or owner declares a greater value, is binding.In addition, Sec. 4, paragraph (5) of the COGSA, which is applicable to all contracts for the carriage of goods by sea to and from Philippine ports in foreign trade, provides:
Art. 1750. A contract fixing the sum that may be recovered by the owner or shipper for the loss, destruction, or deterioration of the goods is valid, if it is reasonable and just under the circumstances, and has been fairly and freely agreed upon.
Neither the carrier nor the ship shall in any event be or become liable for any loss or damage to or in connection with the transportation of goods in an amount exceeding $500 per package lawful money of the United States, or in case of goods not shipped in packages, per customary freight unit, or the equivalent of that sum in other currency, unless the nature and value of such goods have been declared by the shipper before shipment and inserted in the bill of lading. This declaration, if embodied in the bill of lading shall be prima facie evidence, but shall be conclusive on the carrier.In this case, Bill of Lading No. 0396180 stipulates:
Neither the Carrier nor the vessel shall in any event become liable for any loss of or damage to or in connection with the transportation of Goods in an amount exceeding US$500 (which is the package or shipping unit limitation under U.S. COGSA) per package or in the case of Goods not shipped in packages per shipping unit or customary freight, unless the nature and value of such Goods have been declared by the Shipper before shipment and inserted in this Bill of Lading and the Shipper has paid additional charges on such declared value. . . .The bill of lading[11] submitted in evidence by petitioner did not show that the shipper in Hong Kong declared the actual value of the goods as insured by Fukuyama before shipment and that the said value was inserted in the Bill of Lading, and so no additional charges were paid. Hence, the stipulation in the bill of lading that the carrier's liability shall not exceed US$500 per package applies.
A stipulation in the bill of lading limiting the common carrier's liability for loss or destruction of a cargo to a certain sum, unless the shipper or owner declares a greater value, is sanctioned by law, particularly Articles 1749 and 1750 of the Civil Code which provide:The CA, therefore, did not err in holding respondents liable for damages to petitioner subject to the US$500 per package limited- liability provision in the bill of lading.
`Art. 1749. A stipulation that the common carrier's liability is limited to the value of the goods appearing in the bill of lading, unless the shipper or owner declares a greater value, is binding.'
`Art. 1750. A contract fixing the sum that may be recovered by the owner or shipper for the loss, destruction, or deterioration of the goods is valid, if it is reasonable and just under the circumstances, and has been fairly and freely agreed upon.'
Such limited-liability clause has also been consistently upheld by this court in a number of cases. Thus, in Sea-Land Service, Inc. vs. Intermediate Appellate Court, we ruled:
`It seems clear that even if said section 4 (5) of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act did not exist, the validity and binding effect of the liability limitation clause in the bill of lading here are nevertheless fully sustainable on the basis alone of the cited Civil Code Provisions. That said stipulation is just and reasonable is arguable from the fact that it echoes Art. 1750 itself in providing a limit to liability only if a greater value is not declared for the shipment in the bill of lading. To hold otherwise would amount to questioning the justness and fairness of the law itself.... But over and above that consideration, the just and reasonable character of such stipulation is implicit in it giving the shipper or owner the option of avoiding accrual of liability limitation by the simple and surely far from onerous expedient of declaring the nature and value of the shipment in the bill of lading.'