Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURTManilaEN BANCG.R. No. L-!"#No$e%be& '"( "!"#T)E ROMAN CAT)OL*C B*S)OP O+ ,ARO( plaintiff-appellee( $s.GREGOR*O -E LA PE.A( a/%inist&ato& of the estate of +athe& A0ustin /e la Pe1a( /efen/ant-appellant.,. Lope2 3ito( fo& appellant.A&&o4o an/ )o&&illeno( fo& appellee. MORELAN-( ,.5This is an appeal b4 the /efen/ant f&o% a 6u/0%ent of the Cou&t of +i&st *nstance of *loilo( a7a&/in0 to the plaintiff the su% of P(8"( 7ith inte&est at the le0al &ate f&o% the be0innin0 of the action.*t is establishe/ in this case that the plaintiff is the t&ustee of a cha&itable be9uest %a/e fo&the const&uction of a lepe& hospital an/ that fathe& A0ustin /e la Pe1a 7as the /ul4 autho&i2e/ &ep&esentati$e of the plaintiff to &ecei$e the le0ac4. The /efen/ant is the a/%inist&ato& of the estate of +athe& -e la Pe1a.*n the 4ea& ":!: the boo;s +athe& -e la Pe1a( as t&ustee( sho7e/ that he ha/ on han/ as such t&ustee the su% of P(8"( collecte/ b4 hi% fo& the cha&itable pu&poses afo&esai/. *n the sa%e 4ea& he /eposite/ in his pe&sonal account P"!(in0 it 7ith his pe&sonal fun/s -e la Pe1a /i/ not the&eb4 assu%e an obli0ation /iffe&ent f&o% that un/e& 7hich he 7oul/ ha$e lain if such /eposit ha/ not been %a/e( no& /i/ he the&eb4 %a;e hi%self liable to &epa4 the %one4 at all ha2a&/s. *f the ha/ been fo&cibl4 ta;en f&o% his poc;et o& f&o% his house b4 the %ilita&4 fo&ces of one of the co%batants /u&in0 a state of 7a&( it is clea& that un/e& thep&o$isions of the Ci$il Co/e he 7oul/ ha$e been e>e%pt f&o% &esponsibilit4. The fact that he place/ the t&ust fun/ in the ban; in his pe&sonal account /oes not a// to his &esponsibilit4. Such /eposit /i/ not %a;e hi% a /ebto& 7ho %ust &espon/ at all ha2a&/s.=e /o not ente& into a /iscussion fo& the pu&pose of /ete&%inin0 7hethe& he acte/ %o&e o& less ne0li0entl4 b4 /epositin0 the %one4 in the ban; than he 7oul/ if he ha/ left it in his ho%eD o& 7hethe& he 7as %o&e o& less ne0li0ent b4 /epositin0 the %one4 in his pe&sonal account than he 7oul/ ha$e been if he ha/ /eposite/ it in a sepa&ate account as t&ustee. =e &e0a&/ such /iscussion as substantiall4 f&uitless( inas%uch as the p&ecise 9uestion is not one of ne0li0ence. The&e 7as no la7 p&ohibitin0 hi% f&o% /epositin0 it as he /i/ an/ the&e 7as no la7 7hich chan0e/ his &esponsibilit4 be &eason of the /eposit. =hile it %a4 be t&ue that one 7ho is un/e& obli0ation to /o o& 0i$e a thin0 is in /ut4 boun/( 7hen he sees e$ents app&oachin0 the &esults of 7hich 7ill be /an0e&ous to his t&ust( to ta;e all &easonable %eans an/ %easu&es to escape o&( if una$oi/able( to te%pe& the effects of those e$ents( 7e /o not feel const&aine/ to hol/ that( in choosin0 bet7een t7o %eans e9uall4 le0al( he is culpabl4 ne0li0ent in selectin0 one 7he&eas he 7oul/ not ha$e been if he ha/ selecte/ the othe&.The cou&t( the&efo&e( fin/s an/ /ecla&es that the %one4 7hich is the sub6ect %atte& of this action 7as /eposite/ b4 +athe& -e la Pe1a in the )on0;on0 an/ Shan0hai Ban;in0 Co&po&ation of *loiloD that sai/ %one4 7as fo&cibl4 ta;en f&o% the ban; b4 the a&%e/ fo&ces of the Unite/ States /u&in0 the 7a& of the insu&&ectionD an/ that sai/ +athe& -e la Pe1a 7as not &esponsible fo& its loss.The 6u/0%ent is the&efo&e &e$e&se/( an/ it is /ec&ee/ that the plaintiff shall ta;e nothin0 b4 his co%plaint.A&ellano( C.,.( To&&es an/ Ca&son( ,,.( concu&. Sepa&ate OpinionsTRENT( ,.( /issentin05* /issent. Technicall4 spea;in0( 7hethe& +athe& -e la Pe1a 7as a t&ustee o& an a0ent of the plaintiff his boo;s sho7e/ that in ":!: he ha/ in his possession as t&ustee o& a0ent thesu% of P(8" belon0in0 to the plaintiff as the hea/ of the chu&ch. This %one4 7as then clothe/ 7ith all the i%%unities an/ p&otection 7ith 7hich the la7 see;s to in$est t&ust fun/s. But 7hen -e la Pe1a %i>e/ this t&ust fun/ 7ith his o7n an/ /eposite/ the 7hole in the ban; to his pe&sonal account o& c&e/it( he b4 this act sta%pe/ on the sai/ fun/ his o7n p&i$ate %a&;s an/ unclothe/ it of all the p&otection it ha/. *f this %one4 ha/ been /eposite/ in the na%e of -e la Pe1a as t&ustee o& a0ent of the plaintiff( * thin; that it %a4 be p&esu%e/ that the %ilita&4 autho&ities 7oul/ not ha$e confiscate/ it fo& the &eason that the4 7e&e loo;in0 fo& insu&0ent fun/s onl4. A0ain( the plaintiff ha/ no &eason to suppose that -e la Pe1a 7oul/ atte%pt to st&ip the fun/ of its i/entit4( no& ha/ he sai/ o& /one an4thin0 7hich ten/e/ to &elie$e -e la Pe1a f&o% the le0al &eponsibilit4 7hich pe&tains tothe ca&e an/ custo/4 of t&ust fun/s.The Sup&e%e Cou&t of the Unite/ States in the Unite/ State $s. Tho%as @:' U. S.( ##EA( at pa0e #8#( sai/5 BT&ustees a&e onl4 boun/ to e>e&cise the sa%e ca&e an/ solicitu/e 7ith &e0a&/ to the t&ust p&ope&t4 7hich the4 7oul/ e>e&cise 7ith &e0a&/ to thei& o7n. E9uit4 7ill not e>act %o&e of the%. The4 a&e not liable fo& a loss b4 theft 7ithout thei& fault. But this e>e%ption ceases 7hen the4 %i> the t&ust-%one4 7ith thei& o7n( 7he&eb4 it loses its i/entit4( an/ the4 beco%e %e&e /ebto&s.B*f this p&oposition is soun/ an/ is applicable to cases a&isin0 in this 6u&is/iction( an/ * ente&tain no /oubt on this point( the liabilit4 of the estate of -e la Pe1a cannot be /oubte/. But this cou&t in the %a6o&it4 opinion sa4s5 BThe fact that he @A0ustin /e la Pe1aA place/ the t&ust fun/ in the ban; in his pe&sonal account /oes not a// to his &esponsibilit4. Such /eposit /i/ not %a;e hi% a /ebto& 7ho %ust &espon/ at all ha2a&/s. . . . The&e 7as no la7 p&ohibitin0 hi% f&o% /epositin0 it as he /i/( an/ the&e 7asno la7 7hich chan0e/ his &esponsibilit4( b4 &eason of the /eposit.B* assu%e that the cou&t in usin0 the lan0ua0e 7hich appea&s in the latte& pa&t of the abo$e 9uotation %eant to sa4 that the&e 7as no statuto&4 la7 &e0ulatin0 the 9uestion. Fuestions of this cha&acte& a&e not usuall4 0o$e&ne/ b4 statuto&4 la7. The la7 is to be foun/ in the $e&4 natu&e of the t&ust itself( an/( as a 0ene&al &ule( the cou&ts sa4 7hat facts a&e necessa&4 to hol/ the t&ustee as a /ebto&.*f -e la Pe1a( afte& /epositin0 the t&ust fun/ in his pe&sonal account( ha/ use/ this %one4 fo& speculati$e pu&poses( such as the bu4in0 an/ sellin0 of su0a& o& othe& p&o/ucts of the count&4( the&eb4 beco%in0 a /ebto&( the&e 7oul/ ha$e been no /oubt as to the liabilit4 of his estate. =hethe& he use/ this %one4 fo& that pu&pose the &eco&/ is silent( but it 7ill be note/ that a consi/e&able len0th of ti%e inte&$ene/ f&o% the ti%e of the /eposit until the fun/s 7e&e confiscate/ b4 the %ilita&4 autho&ities. *n fact the &eco&/ sho7s that -e la Pe1a /eposite/ on ,une 'E( ":!:( PC('C!( on ,une ': of that 4ea& P#(':