Eds vs. HealthCheck

G.R. No. 162802.
EDS
MANUFACTURING,
INC.,
petitioner, vs.
October 9, 2013.*
HEALTHCHECK
INTERNATIONAL,
INC.,
respondent.
Facts: The plaintiff Healthcheck Inc. is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) that provides
prepaid health and medical insurance coverage to its clients. It maintains a network of accredited
hospitals and medical clinics, one of which is the De La Salle University Medical Center located at
Dasmarias, Cavite. The defendant Eds Manufacturing Inc. with about 5,000 employees at Imus,
Cavite saw fit in April 1998 to obtain insurance coverage from it. They entered into a one-year contract
from May 1, 1998 to April 30, 1999 in which HCI was to provide the 4,191 employees of EMI and their
4,592 dependents as host of medical services and benefits. Putting the Agreement into effect, EMI paid
the full premium for the coverage in the staggering amount of P8,826,307.50.
On July 17, HCI notified EMI that its accreditation with DLSUMC was suspended and
advised it to avail of the services of nearby accredited institutions.
In another meeting with EMI on August 3, HCI undertook to settle all its accounts with
DLSUMC in order to maintain its accreditation. Despite this commitment, HCI failed to
preserve its credit standing with DLSUMC prompting the latter to suspend its accreditation for
a second time. A third suspension was still to follow and remained in force until the end of the
contract period.
Complaints from EMI employees and workers were pouring in that their HMO cards were
not being honored by the DLSUMC and other hospitals and physicians. EMI formally notified
HCI that it was rescinding their April 1998 Agreement on account of HCIs serious and repeated
breach of its undertaking including but not limited to the unjustified non-availability of services.
It demanded a return of premium for the unused period.
HCI had to tell EMI on October 12, 1998 that its employees were still utilizing the cards even
beyond the pretermination date set by EMI. It asked for the surrender of the cards so that it
could process the pretermination of the contract and finalize the reconciliation of accounts. Until
we have received the IDs, HCI said, we will consider your account with us ongoing and existing,
thus subject for inclusion to present billing and payment.
EMI sent HCI two letters in January 1999 demanding for the payment HCI pre-empted
EMIs threat of legal action by instituting the present case before the Regional Trial Court of
Pasig. The cause of action it presented was the unlawful pretermination of the contract and
failure of EMI to submit to a joint reconciliation of accounts and deliver such assets as properly
belonged to HCI. EMI responded with an answer alleging that HCI reneged on its duty to
provide adequate medical coverage after EMI paid the premium in full. EMI asked for the
dismissal of the complaint and interposed a counterclaim for damages and unutilized premium
of P5,884,205.
It found that EMIs rescission of the Agreement on September 3, 1998 was not done through
court action or by a notarial act and was based on casual or slight breaches of the contract.
Moreover, despite the announced rescission, the employees of EMI continued to avail of HCIs
services.
Issue: Whether or not there was a valid rescission of the Agreement between the parties.
We rule in the negative.

First, Article 1191 of the Civil Code states:
The power to rescind obligations is implied in reciprocal ones, in case one of the obligors
should not comply with what is incumbent upon him.
The injured party may choose between the fulfillment and the rescission of the obligation,
with the payment of damages in either case. He may also seek rescission, even after he has
chosen fulfillment, if the latter should become impossible.
The general rule is that rescission (more appropriately, resolution) of a contract will not be
permitted for a slight or casual breach, but only for such substantial and fundamental violations as
would defeat the very object of the parties in making the agreement. 6
Thus, the rescission referred to in Article 1191, more appropriately referred to as resolution, is on
the breach of faith by one of the parties which is violative of the reciprocity between them. 11
It is apparent that HCI violated its contract with EMI to provide medical service to its employees in
a substantial way. As aptly found by the CA, the various reports made by the EMI employees from July
to August 1998 are living testaments to the gross denial of services to them at a time when the delivery
was crucial to their health and lives.
However, although a ground exists to validly rescind the contract between the parties, it appears
that EMI failed to judicially rescind the same.
Clearly, a judicial or notarial act is necessary before a valid rescission can take place,
whether or not automatic rescission has been stipulated. It is to be noted that the law uses the
phrase even though emphasizing that when no stipulation is found on automatic rescission,
the judicial or notarial requirement still applies.
Consequently, even if the right to rescind is made available to the injured party, the
obligation is not ipso facto erased by the failure of the other party to comply with what is
incumbent upon him. The party entitled to rescind should apply to the court for a decree of
rescission. The right cannot be exercised solely on a partys own judgment that the other
committed a breach of the obligation.
Since a judicial or notarial act is required by law for a valid rescission to take place, the
letter written by respondent declaring his intention to rescind did not operate to validly rescind
the contract.13
It is evident that EMI had not rescinded the contract at all. As observed by the CA, despite EMIs
pronouncement, it failed to surrender the HMO cards of its employees although this was required by
the Agreement, and allowed them to continue using them beyond the date of the rescission. The
continued use by them of their privileges under the contract, with the apparent consent of EMI, belies
any intention to cancel or rescind it, even as they felt that they ought to have received more than what
they got.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Decision dated November 28, 2003 and Resolution dated
March 16, 2004 of the Court of Appeals, in CA-G.R. CV No. 69420, are hereby AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.

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G.R. No. 162802.

We rule in the negative.

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