CAGAYAN II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC., vs.

ALLAN RAPANAN and MARY

GINE
TANGONAN_____________________________________________________________________
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Facts: On October 31, 1998, around 9:00 p.m., a motorcycle driven by its owner Camilo
Tangonan together with Allan Rapanan and one Erwin Coloma figured in a mishap along the
National Highway of Maddalero, Buguey, Cagayan. As a result thereof, Camilo Tangonan died
from the accident, while his companions respondent Rapanan and Coloma suffered injuries._____
Rapanan and Camilo’s common law wife, respondent Mary Gine Tangonan, filed a
complaint for damages against petitioner. They alleged that while the victims were traversing the
highway, they were struck and electrocuted by a live tension wire from one of the electric posts
owned by petitioner. They contended that the mishap was due to petitioner’s negligence when it
failed to fix and change said live tension wire._________________
Petitioner alleged that the dangling of electric wires were due to typhoons and it also alleged
that it was able to clear the said areas of fallen electric poles and dangling immediately after the
typhoons by placing the wires at the shoulder of the road which is meters away. It likewise
contended that the proximate cause of the mishap was the victims’ negligence and imprudence in
operating and driving the motorcycle they were riding on. The RTC rendered a decision9 in
favor of petitioner and dismissed the complaint for damages of respondents. It held that the
proximate cause of the incident is the negligence and imprudence of Camilo in driving the
motorcycle. On appeal, the CA reversed the RTC and held petitioner liable for quasi-delict.
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Issue: WON petitioner is liable to the respondent. ________________________________________
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Held: No. There is no negligence on the part of petitioner that was allegedly the proximate cause of
Camilo’s death and Rapanan’s injuries.1a\^/phi1 From the testimonies of petitioner’s employees
and the excerpt from the police blotter, this Court can reasonably conclude that, at the time of that
fatal mishap, said wires were quietly sitting on the shoulder of the road, far enough from the
concrete portion so as not to pose any threat to passing motor vehicles and even pedestrians. Hence,
if the victims of the mishap were strangled by said wires, it can only mean that either the motorcycle
careened towards the shoulder or even more likely, since the police found the motorcycle not on the
shoulder butstill on the road, that the three passengers were thrown off from the motorcycle to the
shoulder of the road and caught up with the wires. As to how that happened cannot be blamed on
petitioner but should be attributed to Camilo’s over speeding as concluded by the police after it
investigated the mishap. ___________
The motorcycle was probably running too fast that it lost control and started tilting and sliding
eventually which made its foot rest cause the skid mark on the road. Therefore, the mishap already
occurred even while they were on the road and away from petitioner's electric wires and was not
caused by the latter as alleged by respondents. _________________________
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