JD 5 0 2: O B L I GA T IO N S a n d C O N T RA C T S w i t h S A LE S

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H O TE L N I K K O V . RE Y ES
[ GR N o . 15 42 59 , 2 8 F e b ru a ry 2 00 5 ]
P o ne nt e: C H IC O - NA ZA R IO , J .:

FACTS:
Ro b er t o R ey es , po p ul a rl y k n ow n by t h e s c ree n n am e “A m ay Bi s ay a,”
al l eg e d t ha t w h il e h e w a s ha v in g c o ff ee a t t he l o b b y of H ot e l N ik ko , h e w as
s p ot t ed b y D r. V i o le ta F il a rt , h is f r i en d o f s ev era l y e ars , w h o i nv it ed h i m t o
jo in h e r in a pa rt y a t th e ho t e l’ s p en t h o u s e in c el e b rat i on o f th e nat al d ay o f
t h e hot e l ’s ma n a g er , M a s a ka zu T s u ru o k a . Re y es a s k ed i f s h e cou l d vo uc h f o r
h i m f or w ho m s h e r e pl i e d : “ o f c o u rs e. ”
Re ye s t he n w e nt u p w i th t h e p a rt y of D r. F i la rt ca r ry i n g t h e bas k et o f
fr u it s w h i c h w as t h e la tt e r’s p r es e n t f o r t h e c el e b ra nt . A t t h e pe nt h o us e, t h ey
fi rs t h a d t h e i r p ict u re t a k en w it h t h e c el e b ra n t a ft e r w h i c h R ey es s at w i t h th e
pa rt y of D r. F i la rt . A f te r a c o u pl e of h ou rs , w he n t h e bu ff et d i nn e r w as rea d y,
M r. R e yes l i ne d u p a t t h e bu f f et ta b le b u t, t o h is gr ea t s ho c k, s h am e an d
em b a rr a s s me nt , h e w as s t o p p ed b y Ru b y L i m, t he E x ec u t iv e S e cr et a ry of
H ot el Ni kk o .
Re ye s a l l e g ed t h a t R u b y L i m, i n a l ou d v oi ce a n d w i t h in t he p res e nc e
an d h ea r in g of t h e o t h er g u es t s w h o w e r e ma ki n g a q ue ue at t h e bu ff et t a b le,
t o l d h i m t o le a v e t h e p a rt y b e ca u s e h e w a s n ot i nv it ed. Mr. Re ye s t ri e d t o
e xp l a i n t h a t he w as i n v it ed b y D r. F i la rt but t he l a t t er, w ho w as w i t h i n
he a ri n g di s ta n c e, c o m pl et e ly i gn o re d h i m t hus a d d i n g t o hi s s h am e an d
hu m il i at io n . A ft er wa r d, w h i le h e w a s s ti l l r eco v eri ng f ro m t h e tr au mat ic
e xp e ri e nc e, a Ma ka t i p ol i c e ma n a pp ro a c h e d a n d a s k e d h i m t o s t e p o u t of t h e
ho t e l. C l ai m i ng d am ag es , M r. R e yes a s k e d f o r O n e M il l io n P e s os a ct u a l
da m a g es , O n e M il l io n P es o s m o ra l an d / o r ex e m pl a ry d am ag e s , a nd T w o
H un d r ed T h o u s a n d P es os a t t o r ne y’s fe e s .
P et it io n ers L i m a n d H ot el N i kk o c on te n d t h a t a c co r d in g t o t h e doc t ri n e
of vo l e nt i n o n fi t i nj ur ia , t he y c a n n ot b e ma d e l i a b le f o r d a ma ge s as
re s p o n d e nt R ey es a s s u m e d t h e ris k of b ei n g a s k ed t o l ea v e (a n d b ei n g
em b a rr a s s ed a n d hu m il i a te d i n t h e pr oc es s ) a s h e w as a “ ga t e-c r as h e r.”

IS S UE:
W he th e r R u b y L im v io l a te d A rt ic l es 19 a n d 2 1 of t h e N ew C iv i l C o d e an d
he r e m pl o y e r, H o t el N ik ko is s o l id a ri l y li a b l e f o r h e r

H E LD : N O
T h e d oc tr i n e o f vo l e nt i no n f i t i nj u ri a (“ t o w h ic h a p e rs on as s e n ts is not
es t ee m e d i n l aw as i n ju ry” ) r e f e rs to s e lf -i n f l ict e d in ju ry o r t he c o n s e n t t o
i n ju ry w h ic h p rec lu d es t h e r ec o v e ry o f da m a g es by o n e w h o h as kn o w i n gl y
an d vo l unt a ri l y ex p o s e d h i ms e l f t o d a n g er, e ve n i f he is n ot ne g li g en t i n
do i n g s o. I n t he cas e a t ba r, L i m d i d n ot a b us e he r r ig ht t o a s k R ey es t o l ea ve
t h e pa rt y as s h e t a lk e d to h i m p o l it e ly a n d dis cr e et ly, i m p l y i ng n o a b u s e o f
r ig ht w a s co m m i tt e d , a n d c a n no t b e ma d e l i a b l e t o pa y fo r da m ag es u n d er
A rt i c l e s 19 a nd 2 1 o f th e C i v i l C o de. Nec e s s ar i l y, n e it he r ca n he r e m p l oy e r,
H ot el Ni kk o , b e h e l d l ia b le as it s l i a b i l i ty s p r in gs fr o m t h a t o f it s em p l oy ee.
H ad R ey es s i m pl y l e ft t h e pa rty as r e qu e s t e d, t h er e w as n o n ee d f or t h e p o l ic e
t o t ak e hi m out . T he re f or e, R u b y L i m d i d n o t v i o l a t e A rt ic l es 19 a n d 21 of t h e
N ew C iv i l C od e, a n d h e r e m pl oy e r, H ot el Ni k ko is s o l id a ri l y li ab l e fo r he r.

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