CASE # 18 G.R. No. L-41171
cas case to four fourfift fifths hs of the !egi egitime time of an ac4now!edged natura! chi!d. July 23, 1987
INTESTATE ESTATE OF THE LATE VITO ORRO!EO, "ATROCINIO "ATROCINIO ORRO!EOOR RO!EOHERRERA, petitioner, HERRERA, petitioner, vs. FORTNATO ORRO!EO $%& HON. FRANCISCO ". RGOS, Ju&'( o) *+( Cou* o) F* I%*$%/( o) C(0u, $%/+ II, respondents. II, respondents. •
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Vito Borromeo, a widower, died on March 13, 1952, at the age of 88 years, years, witho without ut forced forced heirs heirs ut !eaving e"tensive properties in the province of #eu. $!! his rothers rothers and sisters predeceased predeceased him. %n $pri! 19, 1952, JOSE JOS E JNER JN ERA A fi!ed a petition for the proate of a one page document as the !ast wi!! wi!! and testam testament, ent, devisi devising ng a!! his proper propertie ties s to &omas, mas, 'ort 'ortun unat ato o and and $me!i me!ia a (a!! (a!! surn surnam amed ed Borr Borrom omeo eo), ), in e*ua e*ua!! and and undi undivi vided ded shar shares es and and designating +un*uera as e"ecutor.
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%ppositions to the proate of the wi!! were fi!ed. %n May May 28, 28, 1919-,, the the pro proat ate e cour courtt he!d he!d that that the the document document presented presented as *+( ll o) *+( &(/($(& $ $ )o'(y. )o'(y. &he decisi decision on was affir affirmed med upon upon appea!.
%n $pri! 1-, 199, the tria! court issued an order dec!aring the fo!!owing, to the e"c!usion of a!! others, as the INTESTA INTESTATE HEIRS OF THE 5ECEASE5 5ECEASE5 VITO ORRO!EO ORRO !EO 6 +ose #uenco Borromeo, +udge #rispin #rispin Borromeo, Borromeo, Vita!ian Vita!iana a Borromeo, Borromeo, /atrocini /atrocinio o Borrom Borromeo eo 0errer 0errera, a, a!ud a!ud Borrom Borromeom eom $suncion suncion Borromeo, Marcia! Borromeom $me!inda Borromeo de &a!am, and, &he heirs of #anuto Borromeo. •
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&he court a!so ordered that the assets of the inte intest stat ate e esta estate te of Vito Vito Borr Borrom omeo eo sha! sha!!! e divided into 9 and 59 groups and distriuted in e*ua e*ua!! and and e*ui e*uita ta! !e e shar shares es amon among g the the 9 dec!ared intestate heirs.
%n $ugus ugustt 25, 25, 192 192,, resp respon onde dent nt FORTNATO ORRO!EO fi!ed ORRO!EO fi!ed a motion to e dec!ared as one of the heirs of the deceased, a!!eging that he is an i!!e i!!egi giti tima mate te son son and and that that he was was omit omitte ted d in the the dec!aration of heirs.
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$s an ac4now!edged i!!egitimate chi!d, he stated that he was entit!ed to a !egitime e*ua! in every
'ortunato fi!ed a motion for reconsideration. 6n the memorandum he sumitted, 'ortunato changed the asis for his c!aim to a portion of the estate. 0e asserted and incorporated a AIV AIVER ER OF HERE5ITAR RIGHTS 7:31:19;7<. 7:31:19;7< . 6n the the waiver waiver,, five of the nine heirs re!in*uished to 'ortunato their shares in the disputed estate. "ETITIONER=S "ETITIONER=S CONTENTION6 CONTENTION6 &he tria! tria! court, court, acting as a proate court, had no 7urisdiction to ta4e cogniance of the c!aim 'ortunato is estopped from assert asserting ing the waive waiverr agreem agreement ent that that the waive waiver r agreement is void as it was e"ecuted efore the dec!arati dec!aration on of heirs heirs that the same is void having een e"ecuted efore the distriution of the estate and efore the acceptance of the inheritance and initio and ine"i that that it is void void ab initio ine"iste stent nt for !ac4 !ac4 of su7ect matter.
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T+( *(*$*( o/((&%' $ /o%(*(& %*o $% %*(*$*( o/((&%' o/((&%'. evera! parties came efore the the cour courtt fi!i i!ing c!ai !aims or pet petiti itions ons a!! a!!egi eging themse!ves as heirs of the intestate estate of Vito Borromeo.
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'inding that the motion of 'ortunato Borromeo was a!ready arred y the order of the court dated $pri! $pri! 1-, 199, the court dismissed dismissed the motion.
&he :;aiv :;aiver er of 0eredi 0ereditar tary y
RES"ON5ENT=S RES"ON5ENT=S CONTENTION CONTENTION>> ?nder ?nder $rtic $rtic!e !e 1-3 of the #ivi! #ode there is no need for a person to e first dec!ared as heir efore he can accept or repudiate an inheritance. ;hat is re*uired is that he must first e certain of the death of the person from whom he is to inherit and that he must e certain of his right to the inheritance. 0e points out that at the time of the signing of the waiver document on +u!y 31, 19, the signatories to the waiver document were certain that Vito Borromeo was a!ready dead as we!! as of their rights to the inheritance as shown in the waiver document itse!f. %n @ecemer 2, 19, the tria! court conc!uding that the five dec!ared heirs who signed the waiver agre agreem emen entt assi assign gnin ing g thei theirr here heredi dita tary ry righ rights ts to
'ort 'ortun unat ato o Borr Borrom omeo eo had had !ost !ost the the same same righ rights ts,, dec!ared the !atter as entit!ed to 59 of the estate of Vito Borromeo.
deceased Vito Borromeo, entit!ed to share in the estate. &his shows that the :;aiver of 0ereditary
ISSE> ISSE> ;hether or not the ;aiver of 0ereditary
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dec!ared heirs e"ecuted an $greement on how the estate they inherited sha!! e distriuted. &he $greement of /artition was approved y the tria! court on $ugust 15, 199.
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0owe 0oweve verr, the the purpo purport rted ed :;ai :;aive verr of 0ere 0eredi dita tary ry
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- (2) %n $pri! 21 and 3-, 199, the ma7ority of the
&he heirs cou!d waive their hereditary rights in 19 even if the order to partition the estate was issued on!y in 199. - 6n Ooo . Ooo Ooo and %/+$u* and %/+$u* S*($>+ Co., Co., the #ourt he!d> &he properties inc!uded in an e"isti e"isting ng inheri inheritan tance ce cannot cannot e consid considere ered d as e!ong e!onging ing to third third person persons s with with respec respectt to the hei heirs, rs, who y fict fictio ion n of !aw cont ontinue nue the persona!ity of the former. or do such properties have the character character of future future property property,, ecause ecause the +( $/?u( $ '+* *o u//(o% )o> *+( *+( >o>( >o>(%* %* o) *+( *+( &($* &($*+ + o) *+( *+( &(/( &(/($ $(& (& ($rtic!e 5 and app!ied y $rtic!e 1), *+( +( u//(( u//((& & *+( *+( &(/($ &(/($(& (& 0y *+( *+( >(( >(( )$/* )$/* o) &($*+. &($*+. More or !ess, time may e!apse from the moment of the death of the deceased unti! the heirs heirs enter enter into into posses possessio sion n of the heredi hereditar tary y prop proper erty ty,, 0u* 0u* *+( *+( $//( $//(* *$% $%/( /( % $%y $%y ((% ((%** (*o$/* (*o$/* *o *+( >o>(%* o) *+( &($*+ ($rtic!e 989). T+( '+* (*(&, $l*+ou'+ /o%& /o%&*o *o%(& %(& uo% uo% *+( $&@u& $&@u&/$ /$*o *o% % o) *+( /o(o%&%' +((&*$y o*o%.
'or 'or a waive aiverr to e"is e"ist, t, thre three e e!em e!emen ents ts are are essent essentia! ia!>> (1) the e"iste e"istence nce of a right right (2) the 4now!edge of the e"istence thereof and (3) an intention to re!in*uish such right. &he intention to waive a right or advantage must e shown c!ear!y and convincing!y, and when the on!y proof of intention rests in what a party does, his act shou!d e so manifest!y consistent with, and and indi indica cati tive ve of an inte intent nt to, to, vo!u vo!unt ntar ari! i!y y re!in*uish the particu!ar right or advantage that no other reasona!e reasona!e e"p!anation e"p!anation of his conduct conduct is possi!e.
&he circumstances of this case that the signatories to the waiver document did not have the c!ear and convincing intention to re!in*uish their rights, &hus>
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(1) %n %ctoer 2, 19, 'ortunato, &omas, and $me!ia Borromeo fi!ed a p!eading entit!ed :#omp!iance: wherein they sumitted a proposa! for the amica!e sett!ement of the case. 6n this docu docume ment nt,, the the resp respon onde dent nt reco recogn gni ies es and and conced concedes es that that the petitio petitioner ner is an heir heir of the
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(3) %n +une 29, 198, the petitioner signed a document entit!ed @eed of $ssignment purporting to transfer and assign in favor of the respondent respondent and and &omas mas and and $me!i e!ia Borr orromeo omeo a!! a!! her her (/atroci (/atrocinio nio B. 0erreraCs) 0erreraCs) rights, interests, interests, and participation as an intestate heir in the estate of the deceased Vito Borromeo. () %n +une 29, 198, the respondent respondent &omas, &omas, and $me!ia Borromeo (assignees in the deed of assi assign gnm ment) ent) in turn urn e"ec e"ecut ute ed a @eed eed of
ISSE ISSE OF JRIS5IC JRIS5ICTION TION>> &he &he tria tria!! cour courtt had had 7urisdiction to pass upon the va!idity of the waiver agreement. 6n pecia! /roceedings o. 91< the !ower court disa!!owed the proate of the wi!! and dec!ared it as fa4e. ?pon appea!, the #ourt affirmed the the deci decisi sion on of the the !owe !owerr cour court. t. us use* e*ue uent nt!y !y,, severa! severa! parties parties came efore the !ower !ower court fi!ing fi!ing c!aims or petitions a!!eging themse!ves as heirs of the intestate estate of Vito Borromeo. &here is no impediment to the tria! court in e "ercising 7urisdiction and trying the said c!aims or petitions. Moreover, the 7urisdiction of the tria! court e"tends to matters inci incide dent nta! a! and and co!! co!!at ater era! a! to the the e"er e"erci cise se of its its recognied powers in hand!ing the sett!ement of the estate. CO!!ENT6 CO!!ENT6 Bwis Bwisit it Dtong Dtong case na Dto. Dto. $ng haaEt haaEtapo apos s 4onti !ang !ang ung 4ai!ang 4ai!angan. an. /ero /ero to summar summarie ie the cases cases that that were were conso! conso!ida idated ted>> (1) F.<. F.<. o. 111 111 (2) F.<. o. o. 55---> 55---> 6ssues 6ssues are simi!ar to the issues raised in F.<. o. 111 the suppos supposed ed waive waiverr of heredi hereditar tary y rights rights cannot cannot e va!i va!idat dated ed.. &he &he esse essent ntia ia!! e!em e!emen ents ts of a waiv waiver er,, especi especia!! a!!y y the c!ear c!ear and convi convinci ncing ng intent intention ion to
re!in* re!in*uis uish h heredi hereditar tary y right rights, s, are not found found in this this case (3) F.<. o. 2895> 'or the terminati termination on and c!osure of pecia! /roceedings o. 91< pending motions motions to compe! compe! petition petition as coadmini coadministra strator tor to sumit sumit an inventory inventory () F.<. o. 5995> Matter Matter of attorneyCs attorneyCs fees fees (5) F.<. o. o. 3818> &he petitioners petitioners see4 to restrain restrain the respondent respondents s from further further acting acting on any and a!! incidents in pecia! /roceedings o. 91< during the pendency of this petition and o. 3818.B 3818.B
