Kung may pananagutan ang hotel sa biktima ng krimen na nasa kustodiya nito

DR. PERSIDA V. RUEDA-ACOSTA / MAGTANONG KAY ATTORNEY

Dear Chief Acosta, Magandang araw! Nagtagpuang walang buhay ang kaibigan ko noong isang linggo matapos nitong mag-check-in sa hotel. Pinaslang siya ng hindi pa nakikilalang salarin isang gabi ng kanyang pananatili rito. Nais kong malaman kung mayroong pananagutan ang may-ari ng hotel sa kanyang pagkamatay? — Seth

Dear Seth, Para sa inyong kaalaman, ang kasong Makati Shangri-la Hotel and Resort, Inc. vs. Harper et al. (G.R. 189998, 29 August 2012, Ponente: Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin), ang siyang angkop sa inyong katanungan.

Sa kasong ito, sinabi ng Korte Suprema na:

“The hotel business is imbued with public interest. Catering to the public, hotelkeepers are bound to provide not only lodging for their guests but also security to the persons and belongings of their guests. The twin duty constitutes the essence of the business. Applying by analogy Article 2000, Article 2001 and Article 2002 of the Civil Code (all of which concerned the hotelkeepers’ degree of care and responsibility as to the personal effects of their guests), we hold that there is much greater reason to apply the same if not greater degree of care and responsibility when the lives and personal safety of their guests are involved. Otherwise, the hotelkeepers would simply stand idly by as strangers have unrestricted access to all the hotel rooms on the pretense of being visitors of the guests, without being held liable should anything untoward befall the unwary guests. That would be absurd, something that no good law would ever envision.” [Binigyang-diin.]

Sa sitwasyong inyong idinulog, ang hotel kung saan natagpuang patay ang kaibigan ninyo ay maaaring mapanagot ng danyos, kaugnay sa krimen na maaari sanang naagapan kung mayroong wastong pasilidad sa seguridad at kaligtasan ng guests o tenants nito.

Nawa ay nasagot namin ang inyong katanungan. Nais naming ipaalala sa inyo na ang opinyong ito ay nakabase sa inyong mga naisalaysay sa inyong liham at sa pagkakaintindi namin dito. Maaaring maiba ang opinyon kung mayroong karagdagang impormasyong ibibigay. Mas mainam kung personal kayong sasangguni sa abogado.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.