86 REYES

Keng Hua Paper Products vs. CA

FACTS: Keng Hua Paper Products purchased from Ho Kee Waste Paper 50 tons of
waste paper, with partial shipment permitted. The Sea-Land Service received at its
Hong Kong terminal a sealed container containing 67 bales of unsorted waste paper for
shipment to Keng Hua in Manila. A bill of lading to cover the shipment was issued by
Sea-Land. However, the shipment was 10 tons more than the remaining balance of the
purchase/order, as manifested under the letter of credit. The shipment was discharged
at the Manila International Container Port. Notices of arrival were transmitted to Keng
Hua but it failed to discharge the shipment from the container during the “free time” or
grace period. The waste paper remained inside Sea-Land’s container from the expiration
of the free time period until the shipment was unloaded on November 22, 1983 (481
days). During the 481-day period, demurrage charges accrued. There were numerous
demands for Keng Hua to pay but it refused to settle its obligation. Sea-Land sued Keng
Hua for collection and damages. The RTC of Manila rendered judgment in favor of Sea-
Land and ordered Keng Hua to pay P67,340.00 as demurrage charges with interest at
the legal rate from the date of the extrajudicial demand.

ISSUE: Whether interest may be allowed to run from the date of Sea-Land’s
extrajudicial demands on March 8, 1983 for P50,260.00 or on April 24, 1983 for
P37,800.00, considering that, in both cases, there was no demand for interest.

RULING: No. When an obligation, not constituting a loan or forbearance of money, is

breached, an interest on the amount of damages awarded may be imposed at the
discretion of the court at the rate of 6% per annum. No interest, however, shall be
adjudged on unliquidated claims or damages except when or until the demand can be
established with reasonable certainty. Accordingly, where the demand is established
with reasonable certainty, the interest shall begin to run from the time the claim is made
judicially or extrajudicially (Art. 1169, Civil Code) but when such certainty cannot be so
reasonably established at the time the demand is made, the interest shall begin to run
only from the date the judgment of the court is made (at which time the quantification of
damages may be deemed to have been reasonably ascertained).

Since the bill of lading did not specify the amount of demurrage, and the sum claimed
by private respondent increased as the days went by, the total amount demanded
cannot be deemed to have been established with reasonable certainty until the trial
court rendered its judgment. Consequently, the legal interest rate is 6%, to be computed
from September 28, 1990, the date of the trial court’s decision.

MAIN POINT: Where the demand is established with reasonable certainty, the interest
shall begin to run from the claim is made judicially or extrajudicially in accordance with
Article 1169 of the Civil Code, but when such certainty cannot be so reasonably
established at the time the demand is made, the interest shall begin to run only from the
date the judgment of the court is made.