Pananagutan ng hotel sa customer na nanakawan

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | November 28, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Noong nakaraang buwan ay nanuluyan ako sa hotel. Noong ikalawang gabi ko sa hotel ay nagulat ako sapagkat may biglang pumasok sa aking kuwarto, tinutukan ako ng baril, kinuha ang aking laptop at wallet at dali-daling umalis pagkatapos. Kaagad ko itong itinawag sa security at front desk ng hotel. Nalaman kong pinayagan nilang umakyat sa aking kuwarto ang nasabing tao dahil nagpakilala siyang kapatid ko at nagpakita ng ID, kung saan kami ay may parehong apelyido. May telepono ako sa kuwarto at maaari naman nilang iberipika sa akin kung totoong kilala ko ang nagpanggap na bisita. Gusto kong malaman kung maaari ko bang panagutin ang hotel sa nasabing pangyayari? - Chris

Dear Chris,

Ang batas na sasaklaw patungkol sa iyong katanungan ay ang Republic Act No. 386 o mas kilala bilang “New Civil Code of the Philippines”. Nakasaad sa Articles 2000, 2001 at 2002 ng nasabing batas na:

“Article 2000. The responsibility referred to in the two preceding articles shall include the loss of, or injury to the personal property of the guests caused by the servants or employees of the keepers of hotels or inns as well as strangers; but not that which may proceed from any force majeure. The fact that travellers are constrained to rely on the vigilance of the keeper of the hotels or inns shall be considered in determining the degree of care required of him.

Article 2001. The act of a thief or robber, who has entered the hotel is not deemed force majeure, unless it is done with the use of arms or through an irresistible force. (n)

Article 2002. The hotel-keeper is not liable for compensation if the loss is due to the acts of the guest, his family, servants or visitors, or if the loss arises from the character of the things brought into the hotel.”

Kaugnay nito, inilahad ng Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Makati Shangri-la Hotel and Resort, Inc. v. Ellen Johanne Harper, et al. (G.R. No. 189998, 29 August 2012, Ponente: Retired Honorable Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin), 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)

Alinsunod sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas at desisyon ng Korte Suprema, ang hotel na iyong tinuluyan ay maaaring mapanagot kung mapatutunayang sila ay naging pabaya sa kanilang tungkulin na pangalagaan ang iyong seguridad. Ang hindi awtorisadong pagpapapasok ng bisita sa iyong kuwarto ay maituturing na kapabayaan sa pagtupad ng tungkulin ng mga nangangasiwa ng hotel. Kaugnay nito, marapat na kayo ay magsampa na karampatang kaso sa korte upang masiyasat ang buong pangyayari, at matukoy ang pananagutan ng hotel at ng pamunuan nito.

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

Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.