G.R. Nos. 103442-45 May 21, 1993NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, ET AL., petitioners, vs.THE COURT OF APPEAL, GAU!ENCIO C. RA"O, ET AL., respondents.The Solicitor General for plaintiff-appellee.Ponciano G. Hernandez for private respondents. !A#I!E, $R., J.:This is a petition for review on certiorari under Rule 45 of the Revised Rules of Court urging this Court to set aside the 19 August 1991 consolidated Decision of the Court of Appeals in CA.-.R. C! "os. #$#9%-9& 1 which reversed the Decision of 'ranch 5 of the then Court of (irst )nstance *now Regional Trial Court+ of 'ulacan, and held petitioners "ational ,ower Corporation *",C+ and 'en-a.in Chave/ -ointl0 and severall0 lia1le to the private respondents for actual and .oral da.ages, litigation e2penses and attorne03s fees.This present controvers0 traces its 1eginnings to four *4+ separate co.plaints 2 for da.ages filed against the ",C and 'en-a.in Chave/ 1efore the trial court. The plaintiffs therein, now private respondents, sought to recover actual and other da.ages for the loss of lives and the destruction to propert0 caused 10 the inundation of the town of "or/agara0, 'ulacan on #4-#$ 5cto1er 19$6. The flooding was purportedl0 caused 10 the negligent release 10 the defendants of water through the spillwa0s of the Angat Da. *70droelectric ,lant+. )n said co.plaints, the plaintiffs alleged, inter alia, that8 1+ defendant ",C operated and .aintained a .ulti-purpose h0droelectric plant in the Angat River at 7illtop, "or/agara0, 'ulacan9 #+ defendant 'en-a.in Chave/ was the plant supervisor at theti.e of the incident in :uestion9 &+ despite the defendants3 ;nowledge, as earl0 as #4 5cto1er 19$6, of the i.pending entr0 of t0phoon