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TanvsNorthwestAirlinesInc:135802:March3,2000:J.Pardo:FirstDivision

FIRSTDIVISION
[G.R.No.135802.March3,2000]

PRISCILLAL.TAN,petitioner,vs.NORTHWESTAIRLINES,INC.,respondent.
DECISION
PARDO,J.:
PetitionerPriscillaL.TanappealsviacertiorarifromthedecisionoftheCourtofAppeals[1]
affirmingwithmodification[2]thedecisionofthetrialcourt,[3]orderingrespondenttopay
petitionerthefollowingamounts:(1)P15,000.00,asactualdamages(2)P100,000.00,asmoral
damages(3)P50,000.00,asexemplarydamages(4)P30,000.00,asandforattorney'sfees
and(6)costs.
ThecasebeforetheCourttracesitsrootsfromanactionfordamagesforbreachofcontractof
aircarrigeforfailuretodeliverpetitioner'sbaggagesonthedateofherarrivalfiledonJune29,
1994withtheRegionalTrialCourt,Makati,Branch150againstrespondentNorthwestAirlines,
Inc.,aforeigncorporationengagedinthebusinessofairtransportation.
Theantecedentfactsareasfollows:
OnMay31,1994,PriscillaL.TanandConnieTanboardedNorthwestAirlinesFlight29in
Chicago,U.S.A.boundforthePhilippines,withastopoveratDetroit,U.S.A.Theyarrivedat
theNinoyAquinoInternationalAirport(NAIA)onJune1,1994atabout10:40intheevening.
Upontheirarrival,petitionerandhercompanionConnieTanfoundthattheirbaggageswere
missing.Theyreturnedtotheairportintheeveningofthefollowingdayandtheywereinformed
thattheirbaggagesmightstillbeinanotherplaneinTokyo,Japan.
OnJune3,1994,theyrecoveredtheirbaggagesanddiscoveredthatsomeofitscontentswere
destroyedandsoiled.
Claimingthatthey"sufferedmentalanguish,sleeplessnightsandgreatdamage"becauseof
Northwest'sfailuretoinformtheminadvancethattheirbaggageswouldnotbeloadedonthe
sameflighttheyboardedandbecauseoftheirdelayedarrival,theydemandedfromNorthwest
Airlinescompensationforthedamagestheysuffered.OnJune15,1994andJune22,1994,
petitionersentdemandlettertoNorthwestAirlines,butthelatterdidnotrespond.Hence,the
filingofthecasewiththeregionaltrialcourt.
Initsanswertothecomplaint,respondentNorthwestAirlinesdidnotdenythatthebaggagesof
petitionerswerenotloadedonNorthwestFlight29.Petitioner'sbaggagescouldnotbecarried
onthesameflightbecauseof"weightandbalancerestrictions."However,thebaggageswere
loadedinanotherNorthwestAirlinesflight,whicharrivedintheeveningofJune2,1994.
Whenpetitionerreceivedherbaggagesindamagedcondition,Northwestofferedtoeither(1)
reimbursethecostorrepairofthebagsor(2)reimbursethecostforthepurchaseofnew
bags,uponsubmissionofreceipts.
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TanvsNorthwestAirlinesInc:135802:March3,2000:J.Pardo:FirstDivision

Afterduetrial,onJune10,1996,thetrialcourtrendereddecisionfindingrespondentNorthwest
Airlines,Inc.liablefordamages,asfollows:
"WHEREFORE,judgementisherebyrenderedorderingthedefendanttopaythe
plaintiffthefollowingamounts:
"1.P15,000.00,asactualdamages
"2.P100,000.00,asmoraldamages
"3.P50,000.00,asexemplarydamages
"4.P30,000.00,asandforattorney'sfeesand
"5.Costs.
"SOORDERED.
"Giventhis10thdayofJune,1996atMakatiCity.
"ERNAFALLORANALIPOSA
"Judge"[4]
RespondentNorthwestAirlines,Inc.appealedfromthetrialcourt'sdecisiontotheCourtof
Appealscontendingthatthecourtaquoerredinfindingitguiltyofbreachofcontractof
carriageandofwillfulmisconductandawardeddamageswhichhadnobasisinfactorwere
otherwiseexcessive.
OnSeptember30,1998,theCourtofAppealspromulgateditsdecisionpartiallygrantingthe
appealbydeletingtheawardofmoralandexemplarydamagesandreducingtheattorney's
fees,specificallyprovidingthat:
"WHEREFORE,PREMISESCONSIDERED,theappealisherebyGRANTED
partially.TheDecisionofthelowercourtdatedJune10,1996isAFFIRMEDwith
themodificationthattheawardofmoralandexemplarydamagesisdeletedand
theamountofattorney'sfeesisreducedtotenthousandpesos(P10,000.00).
"Nopronouncementastocosts.
"SOORDERED."[5]
Hence,thisappeal.[6]
Theissueiswhetherrespondentisliableformoralandexemplarydamagesforwillful
misconductandbreachofthecontractofaircarriage.
Thepetitioniswithoutmerit.
WeagreewiththeCourtofAppealsthatrespondentwasnotguiltyofwillfulmisconduct."For
willfulmisconducttoexisttheremustbeashowingthattheactscomplainedofwereimpelled
byanintentiontoviolatethelaw,orwereinpersistentdisregardofone'srights.Itmustbe
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evidencedbyaflagrantlyorshamefullywrongorimproperconduct."[7]
Contrarytopetitioner'scontention,therewasnothingintheconductofrespondentwhich
showedthattheyweremotivatedbymaliceorbadfaithinloadingherbaggagesonanother
plane.Duetoweightandbalancerestrictions,asasafetymeasure,respondentairlinehadto
transportthebaggagesonadifferentflight,butwiththesameexpecteddateandtimeofarrival
inthePhilippines.Asaptlyexplainedbyrespondent:
"Toensurethesafetyofeachflight,Northwest'spersonneldetermineevery
flight'scompliancewith"weightandbalancerestrictions."Theycheckthefactors
likeweightoftheaircraftusedfortheflightgasinput,passengerandcrewload,
baggageweight,allinrelationtothewindfactoranticipatedontheflight.Ifthere
isanoverload,i.e.,aperceivedsafetyrisk,theaircraft'sloadwillbereducedby
offloadingcargo,whichwillthenbeplacedonthenextavailableflight."[8]
Itisadmittedthatrespondentfailedtodeliverpetitioner'sluggagesontime.However,therewas
noshowingofmaliceinsuchfailure.Byitsconcernforsafety,respondenthadtoshipthe
baggagesinanotherflightwithsamedateofarrival.
Hence,theCourtofAppealscorrectlyheldthatrespondentdidnotactinbadfaith.[9]
"Badfaithdoesnotsimplyconnnotebadjudgmentornegligence,itimportsadishonest
purposeorsomemoralobliquityandconsciousdoingofawrong,abreachofknownduty
throughsomemotiveorinterestorillwillthatpartakesofthenatureoffraud."[10]
"Whereinbreachingthecontractofcarriagethedefendantairlineisnotshowntohaveacted
fraudulentlyorinbadfaith,liabilityfordamagesislimitedtothenaturalandprobable
consequencesofthebreachofobligationwhichthepartieshadforeseenorcouldhave
reasonablyforeseen.Inthatcase,suchliabilitydoesnotincludemoralandexemplary
damages."[11]
Consequently,wehavenoreasontoreversethedecisionoftheCourtofAppeals.
WHEREFORE,theCourtDENIESthepetitionforlackofmerit.TheCourtAFFIRMSthe
decisionoftheCourtofAppealsdeleting,however,theawardofattorney'sfees.
Nocosts.
SOORDERED.
Davide,Jr.,C.J.,(Chairman),Puno,Kapunan,andYnaresSantiago,JJ.,concur.

[1] InCAG.R.CVNo.54438,decisionpromulgatedonSeptember30,1998,JusticeMartinJr.,ponente,andJustices

Callejo,Sr.andUmali,concurring.
[2] TheCourtofAppealsdeletedtheawardofmoralandexemplarydamagesandreducedtheattorney'sfeestoP10,000.00.
[3] InCivilCaseNo.942042,RegionalTrialCourt,Branch150,MakatiCity,JudgeErnaFalloranAliposa,presiding.
[4] TrialCourt'sDecision,Rollo,p.41.
[5] CourtofAppeal'sDecision,Rollo,p.34.
[6] FiledonOctober21,1996,Rollo,pp.520.
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[7] Lunavs.CourtofAppeals,216SCRA107,113[1992].
[8] Respondent'sComment,Rollo,pp.6078,atp.64.
[9] SarkiesToursPhilippines,Inc.vs.CourtofAppeals,280SCRA58[1997].
[10] FordPhilippines,Inc.vs.CourtofAppeals,267SCRA320[1997]Llorente,Jr.vs.Sandiganbayan,287SCRA382

[1998].
[11] CathayPacificAirways,Ltd.vs.CourtofAppeals,219SCRA520,526[1993].

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