Bawal na ipagamit ang prangkisa sa iba

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | March 18, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ipinahiram ko ang prangkisa ng aking tricycle sa aking kapitbahay at siya ay nangako na magbabayad ng halagang sampung libong piso (P10,000) ngunit hindi niya ito tinupad. Nais ko pong malaman kung may bisa po ba ang aming naging kasunduan.

Joey

Dear Joey,

Para sa inyong kaalaman, ipinagbabawal ng ating batas ang kumabit sa prangkisa ng ibang tao. Ito ay illegal at ang anumang ibinayad at tinanggap sa ganitong kasunduan ay hindi maaaring mabawi ng nagbigay at hindi siya maaaring lumapit sa korte upang ipatupad ang kanilang kasunduan. Idinineklara ng Kagalang-galang na Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Lita Enterprises, Inc. vs. Intermediate Appellate Court Et Al. (G.R. No. L-64693, April 27, 1984), sa panulat ni Kagalang-galang na dating Kasamang Mahistrado Venicio T. Escolin, na:

”Unquestionably, the parties herein operated under an arrangement, commonly known as the ‘kabit system’, whereby a person who has been granted a certificate of convenience allows another person who owns motors vehicles to operate under such franchise for a fee. A certificate of public convenience is a special privilege conferred by the government. Abuse of this privilege by the grantees thereof cannot be countenanced. The ‘kabit system’ has been identified as one of the root causes of the prevalence of graft and corruption in the government transportation offices. In the words of Chief Justice Makalintal, ‘this is a pernicious system that cannot be too severely condemned. It constitutes an imposition upon the good faith of the government.

Although not outrightly penalized as a criminal offense, the ‘kabit system’ is invariably recognized as being contrary to public policy and, therefore, void and inexistent under Article 1409 of the Civil Code. It is a fundamental principle that the court will not aid either party to enforce an illegal contract, but will leave them both where it finds them. Article 1412 of the Civil Code denies them such aid. It provides:

ART. 1412. If the act in which the unlawful or forbidden cause consists does not constitute a criminal offense, the following rules shall be observed;

(1) when the fault, is on the part of both contracting parties, neither may recover what he has given by virtue of the contract, or demand the performance of the other's undertaking.”

Samakatuwid, labag sa batas ang pagpapagamit ng prangkisa sa iba. Kaya naman ang ganitong uri ng kasunduan ay itinuturing na walang bisa at hindi maaaring ipilit o hilingin sa hukuman na ipatupad ito.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang inyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na inyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng inyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.