RepublicofthePhilippines

SUPREMECOURTOFTHEPHILIPPINES
Manila

ALEX
Plaintiff
G.R.No.12345679
versus

JULIO
Defendant.
x.x
PLAINTIFFSMEMORANDUM
Defendant,bycounsel,respectfullysubmitsitsmemoranduminthiscase:
StatementoftheFacts

Inorderthatthecourtmaybeenlightenedandguidedinthesequentialfacts,cited
hereunderarethepertinentdetails.
1. PlaintiffisthefatherofAndy10yearsoldagrade4studentwhosufferedand
injurythroughthefaultofJames
2. DefendantisthefatherofJames10yearsoldclassmateofAndyalsoagrade4
studentwhohasbeenconsideredtobeatfaultonAndysinjury
3. OnJuly7,Andyjumpedfromanadobefenceatthebackoftheirbarangayhall
andfracturedhisleftleg
4. ThatAmonthagoafterschoolJamesandAndyclimbedonafencebehindtheir
barangayhallandwalkedontopofittryingtobalancethemselvesastheywent.
5. WhileJamesandAndywerewalkinginthefence,JamesremarkedtoAndythat
hesawapolicemancomingtowardsthem.
6. TerrifiedsinceasAndyhadbeentoldthatapolicemancouldputmisbehaving
childrentojailhejumpedfromthefencetotheground.
7. Inrealitynopolicemanhadshownupsinceitwasjustajokeperpetratedby
JamestomakefunatAndysincebothkidsareplayingwitheachother.
8. Andysufferedaninjury,whichhadlefthimhospitalizedfor3daysinwhichhis
legwasputonacastafterwards.

9. ItresultedonAndywalkingwithgreatdifficultyandcouldnotreturntoschool
afteroneweekinwhichaftertheyhaveremovedithestillwalksawkwardlyand
slightpainuptothisday.
StatementoftheIssues

1. WhetherornottheJamesisexemptedfromcriminalliability.
2. WhetherortheJamesisalsoexemptedfromcivilliability.
3. WhethertheJuliodidexercisethenecessarydiligencetobeexemptedfromcivil
liability.
4. WhetherornotJulioiscivillyliableforthedamagecausedbyJamestoAndy.

Arguments

1. Jamesbeing10yearsoldisexemptedfromcriminalliabilityunderthelaw.

RA9344:ANACTESTABLISHINGACOMPREHENSIVEJUVENILEJUSTICE
AND WELFARE SYSTEM, CREATING THE JUVINILE JUSTICE AND
WELFARE COUNSIL UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
APPROPRIATINGFUNDSTHEREFOROTHERPUROSES,SEC.6

Atpresent,theageofabsoluteexemptionfromcriminalliabilityhasbeenincreasedfrom
9to15yearsold

UnderR.A9344itstatesthattheageofabsoluteexemptionfromcriminalliability
hasbeenincreasedfrom9to15yearsold.ThusinthecaseofJamesbeing10yearsold
heiscoveredunderthesaidlawandthusheisnotcriminallyliableforbeingaminor.
ThequestionremainsifJamesisnotcriminallyliableishecivillyliableforthedamage
hecausedtoAndy.
2. Although James is exempted from criminal liability being a minor he is
civillyliablethroughhisparentsbeingaunemancipatedchild.

Under Art.221 of the Civil Code parents and other persons exercising parental
authorityshallbecivillyliablefortheinjuriesanddamagesofcausedbytheactsor
omissions of their unemancipated children living in their company and under their
parentalauthoritysubjecttotheappropriatedefensesprovidedbylaw.

AlthoughJamesiscriminallyliableheisnotexemptedfromcivilliability.Jamesis
stillcivillyliableforthedamagehecausedagainstAndybutbecauseJamesisaminor
hiscivilliabilitywillnowbeshoulderedbyJamesparentsexercisingparentalauthority
overtheunemancipatedchild.

3. Julioas aparentdid notexercisethenecessarydiligencetobeexempted

fromcivilliability
ItwasdecidedinthecaseofLibivsIAC,G.R.No.70890,September181992that
thediligenceofagoodfatherofthefamilyisrequiredbylawinaparentandchild
relationshipconsist,toalargeextent,ofinstructionandsupervisionofthechild.This
includesthedutyofmonitoringandknowingtheactivitiesoftheirchildren.
ClearlyJuliodidnotexercisethediligenceofthegoodfatherofthefamilyrequired
by law when he failed to instruct his child that making fun using jokes that could
endangerhisfriendsarenotproper.Alsohefailedtomonitortheactivitiesofhischild
especiallyafterschoolnotknowingthathischildsometimesplays atthebackofthe
barangayhallwalkingatthetopoftheadobefencewithhisfriends.

4. JulioiscivillyliableforthedamagecausedbyhissontoAndy.

AswasdiscussedinthecaseofTomargov.CA,G.R.No.70890,June3,1992the
civillawassumesthatwhenanunemancipatedchildlivingwithitsparentscommitsa
tortuousact,theparentswerenegligentintheperformanceoftheirlegalandnaturalduty
closelysupervisethechildwhoisintheircustodyandcontrol.
InthecaseatbartheunemancipatedchildisJames sonofJulio. WhenJames
commitsatortuousactitisimpliedunderthelawthattheparentswerenegligentintheir
legalandnaturaldutytosupervisethechildwhoisintheircontrolthusitisimpliedthat
therewasnegligenceonthepartofJulioinsupervisinghischildJameswhocommitted
theact.ThereforeJulioiscivillyliableforthedamagecausedbyhissontoAndysonof
Alex.

Prayer

Wherefore,itisrespectfullyprayedfortheforofthishonorablecourtthatjudgmentbe
renderedinfavorofmyclientandorderingthedefendanttopayforthedamagescaused
byhissontomyclient.