Pedro De Guzman v.

Court of Appeals (CA)

G.R. No. L-47882
Dec. 22, 1988
FACTS:
Ernesto Cendaa, a !"n# dea$er, %as en&a&ed 'n (")'n& "* "sed (ott$es and scra* +eta$s 'n
,an&as'nan. -*on &at.er'n& s"//'c'ent 0"ant't'es o/ s"c. scra* +ater'a$, Cendaa %o"$d (r'n&
s"c. +ater'a$ to 1an'$a /or resa$e. 2e "t'$'3ed t%o s'4-%.ee$er tr"c#s %.'c. .e o%ned /or .a"$'n&
t.e +ater'a$ to 1an'$a. 5n t.e ret"rn tr'* to ,an&as'nan, Cendaa %o"$d $oad .'s 6e.'c$es %'t.
car&o %.'c. 6ar'o"s +erc.ants %anted de$'6ered to d'//erent esta($'s.+ents 'n ,an&as'nan. For
t.at ser6'ce, .e c.ar&ed /re'&.t rates %.'c. %ere co++on$) $o%er t.an re&"$ar co++erc'a$
rates.
7SS-E:
8.et.er or not Cendaa +a) (e *ro*er$) c.aracter'3ed as a co++on carr'er.
2ELD:
9es. Art'c$e 17:2 o/ t.e C'6'$ Code, de/'n'n& co++on carr'ers, +a#es no d'st'nct'on (et%een
one %.ose principal business act'6't) 's t.e carr)'n& o/ *ersons or &oods or (ot., and one %.o
does s"c. carr)'n& on$) as an ancillary activity ;'n $oca$ 'd'o+, as a <s'de$'ne=>. 7t a6o'ds
+a#'n& an) d'st'nct'on (et%een a *erson or enter*r'se o//er'n& trans*ortat'on ser6'ce on a
regular or scheduled basis and one o//er'n& s"c. ser6'ce on an occasional, episodic, or
unscheduled basis. Ne't.er does Art'c$e 17:2 d'st'n&"'s. (et%een a carr'er o//er'n& 'ts ser6'ce
to t.e general public and one %.o o//ers ser6'ces or so$'c'ts ("s'ness on$) /ro+ a narro
segment of the general population.
Cendaa 's *ro*er$) c.aracter'3ed as a co++on carr'er e6en t.o"&. .e +ere$) <(ac#-.a"$ed=
&oods /or ot.er +erc.ants /ro+ 1an'$a to ,an&as'nan on a *er'od'c or occas'ona$ rat.er t.an a
re&"$ar or sc.ed"$ed +anner, and e6en t.o"&. .'s *r'nc'*a$ occ"*at'on %as not t.e carr'a&e o/
&oods /or ot.ers. T.ere 's no d's*"te t.at Cendaa c.ar&ed .'s c"sto+ers a /ee /or .a"$'n&
t.e'r &oods.