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Pandiman v Marine Manning G.R. No. 143313. June 21, 2005

J. Garcia

Facts:

Resondent Rosita !ing"id#s deceased "us$and %enito %enito &as "ired $' Fu((&in,t"roug" its (oca( agent, resondent Marine Manning, as c"ie) coo* on $oard t"e

vesse( M+ !un Ric"ie Five )or a term o) t&e(ve 12- mont"s.

"e vesse( and its cre& &ere insured &it" /cean Marine. /cean Marine transacted

$usiness in t"e P"i(iines t"roug" its (oca( corresondent, etitioner Pandiman

P"i(iines, nc.

"i(e t"e vesse( &as on its &a' to !"ang"ai )rom o "i" Min" it', +ietnam %enito

su))ered a "eart attac*. is remains &ere )(o&n $ac* to t"e P"i(iines.

Rosita )i(ed a c(aim )or deat" $ene)its &it" Marine Manning, &"ic", "o&ever,re)erred "er to etitioner Pandiman. Petitioner aroved t"e c(aim and

recommended a'ment in t"e amount o) !67,000.00. %ut Rosita#s deat" c(aims

remained unaid.

ence, Rosita )i(ed &it" t"e 8a$or 9r$iter a com(aint against Pandiman, Marine

Manning, and /cean Marine )or recover' o) deat" $ene)its, mora( and eem(ar'

damages and attorne'#s )ees. "e N8R ru(ed in "er )avor $ut dismissed t"e c(aim

against Pandiman.

/n Marine Manning#s aea( to t"e N8R, t"e (atter set aside t"at o) t"e 8a$or

9r$iter, a$so(ved t"e etitioner )rom an' (ia$i(it' and instead "e(d Pandiman and/cean Marine (ia$(e )or Rosita#s c(aim.

Pandiman &ent to t"e ourt o) 9ea(s on a etition. t dismissed t"e etition and

a))irmed t"e N8R ru(ing.

ssue:

1. "et"er or not etitioner Pandiman ma' $e "e(d (ia$(e )or Rosita#s c(aim )or

deat" $ene)its as %enito#s &ido&

2. "et"er or not resondent MMM and its )oreign rincia( Fu((&in &it" &"om

un;uestiona$(' t"e (ate %enito "ad an em(o'ment contract, s"ou(d $e a$so(ved)rom deat" c(aim (ia$i(ities in t"is case.

e(d: No.

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t"e rovisions o) t"e nsurance ode is t"e governing (a&. n t"e su$=ect insurance

contract, /cean Marine is t"e insurer, t"e s"io&ner !un Ric"ie Five %u(*ers !.9.-

is t"e insured, and Rosita !ing"id as &ido& and "eir o) a cre& on $oard t"e insured

vesse( (i*e %enito, is a $ene)iciar'.

"e ourt o) 9ea(s "e(d Panidman (ia$(e )or Rosita#s deat" c(aims under t"econtract o) insurance, on t"e ostu(ate t"at etitioner is an insurance agent under

!ection 300 o) t"e ode.

Petitioner PP, "o&ever, c(aims t"at it is not an insurance agent $ut a mere (oca(

corresondent o) t"e P> (u$. "us, etitioner maintains t"at even i) /MM98 t"e

P> (u$-, as insurer o) !un Ric"ie Five, is "e(d rincia((' (ia$(e to Rosita )or "er

"us$and#s deat" $ene)its, etitioner cannot $e "e(d so(idari(' (ia$(e toget"er &it"

said insurer.

"ere is not"ing t"erein to s"o& t"at an insurance contract in t"is case &as in )act

negotiated $et&een t"e insured !un Ric"ie Five and t"e insurer /cean Marine,

t"roug" etitioner as insurance agent &"ic" &i(( ma*e etitioner an insurance agent

under !ection 300 o) t"e nsurance ode.

"e N8R, in its decision, mere(' re(ied on etitioner#s re)erence to /cean Marine as

its ?rincia(@ instead o) its ?c(ient@. !uc" ?re)erence@, "o&ever, &i(( not and cannot

var' t"e de)inition o) &"at an insurance agent actua((' is under t"e (a&, nor can it

automatica((' turn etitioner into one.

Pa'ment )or c(aims arising )rom t"e eri( is de)inite(' not one o) t"e (ia$i(ities o) an

insurance agent. "us, t"ere is no (ega( $asis &"atsoever )or "o(ding Pandiman

so(idari(' (ia$(e &it" insurer /cean Marine )or Rosita#s c(aim )or deat" $ene)its.

"e insurance contract $et&een t"e insurer and t"e insured, under 9rtic(e 1311 o)

t"e ivi( ode, is $inding on(' uon t"e arties &"o eecute t"e same. Petitioner PP

is not a art' to t"e insurance contract in ;uestion.

2. 9nent t"e second issue, t"e ourt agrees &it" etitioner#s contention t"at t"e

ae((ate court erred in a))irming t"e N8R#s decision &"ic" a$so(ved Fu((&in and its

manning agent, resondent MMM, o) t"eir =oint and so(idar' (ia$i(it' arising )rom

%enito#s em(o'ment contract &it" Fu((&in.

t is undisuted t"at %enito &as em(o'ed $' Fu((&in t"roug" its manning agenc',

Marine Manning. Fu((&in, %enito#s rincia( em(o'er is, t"ere)ore, (ia$(e under t"esame em(o'ment contract. For its art, MMM is $ound $' its underta*ing

ursuant to t"e Ru(es and Regu(ations Governing /verseas Am(o'ment 1771- t"at

t"e manning a(icants:

3- !"a(( assume =oint and so(idar' (ia$i(it' &it" t"e em(o'er )or a(( c(aims and

(ia$i(ities &"ic" ma' arise in connection &it" t"e im(ementation o) t"e contract,

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inc(uding $ut not (imited to a'ment o) &ages, "ea(t" and disa$i(it' comensation

and reatriationB

%' reason o) t"e )oregoing underta*ing, resondent MMM is =oint(' and so(idari('

(ia$(e &it" its )oreign rincia( Fu((&in, )or &"atever deat" $ene)its %enito#s &ido& is

entit(ed to under %enito#s em(o'ment contract.