Liability of registered owner of vehicle

Dear PAO,

XY corporation is the registered owner of a vehicle involved in a collision incident where I was injured. The corporation denied liability since the alleged vehicle was issued to its manager and the car was driven by the latter's personal driver at the time of the collision. The corporation further claimed that its liability will arise only if I can prove that the driver is one of its employees. Is this correct?

Lemuel

Dear Lemuel,

The responsibility of the corporation as a registered owner of the vehicle from the damages caused by its employees may find support under the following provisions of the New Civil Code of the Philippines: