Palacio v. Ramirez (1982 ) – Abad Santos, J.
Petitioner-Appellee: Testate Petitioner-Appellee: Testate Estate of Jose Eugenio Ramirez, Maria Luisa Palacios administratri!) Oppositors-Appellants: Marcelle Oppositors-Appellants: Marcelle ". #da. de Ramirez, et al. al. o$$ o$$os osit itor ors) s)%% Jor Jorge and and Rober oberto to Ramir amirez ez legatees) First Heir: &anda Heir: &anda de &robles'i Second Second Heirs: Heirs: Juan Juan Pablo ablo Jan' Jan'o(s o(s'i 'i and and oraci oracio o Ramirez Brief Facts: T*e Facts: T*e testator instituted &anda as +rst *eir, and Juan and oracio as second *eirs in a +deicomm +deicommissa issar r substitu substitution tion.. Juan and oracio oracio are strangers to &anda. Ratio: A +deicommi +deicommissar ssar substitu substitution tion is #oid if +rst *eir is not related in t*e +rst degree to t*e second *eir. FACTS: -. Jose Jose Eugen Eugenio io Ramir Ramirez, ez, a ili$in ili$ino o natio national nal,, died died in S$ain in -/01, (it* onl *is (ido( as com$ulsor *eir. is (ill (as admitted to $robate b t*e 23 of Manila in -/04. Maria Luisa Palacios (as a$$ointed administratri! administratri! of t*e estate. 5. 3n -/00, -/00, Palaci Palacios os submitted submitted a $ro6ect $ro6ect of $artition $artition.. Jose Eugenio7s $ro$ert $ro$ert is to be di#ided into t(o $arts. 8ne 8ne $art $art s*all s*all go to Marce Marcelle lle Jose Jose Eugen Eugenio7 io7s s renc* enc* (ido (ido( ( (*o (*o li#e li#es s in Paris aris)) 9en 9en $len $leno o dominio: in satisf satisfact action ion of *er legitim legitime% e% t*e ot*er $art or :free $ortion: s*all go to Jorge and Roberto Ramirez :en nuda $ro$riedad:. 5 urt*ermore, -;< of t*e free $ortion is c*arged (it* t*e (ido(=s usufruct and t*e remaining 5;< (it* a usufruct in fa#or of &anda de &robles'i Jose Eugenio7s Austrian com$anion (*o li#es in S$ain). <. Jorge Jorge and Robert Roberto o Jose Jose Eugenio7 Eugenio7s s grandne grandne$*e( $*e(s) s) o$$osed o$$osed t*e $ro6ect $ro6ect of $artitio $artition n on t*e follo(ing follo(ing grounds> a)T*e $ro#isions for #ulgar substitution in fa#or of &anda (it* res$ect to t*e (ido(=s usufruct and in fa#or fa#or of Juan Juan Pablo ablo Jan'o Jan'o(s' (s'ii and orac oracio io Ramire Ramirez, z, (it* res$ec res$ectt to &anda=s anda=s usufruc usufructt are in#a in#alid lid becau because se t*e +rst +rst *eirs *eirs Marc Marcell elle e and and &anda) sur#i#ed t*e testator% b)T*e $ro#isions for +deicommissar substitutions are in#alid because t*e +rst *eirs are not related to t*e second *eirs or substitutes (it*in t*e +rst degree, as $ro#ided in Art. ?0<, 22% c) T*e grant of a usufruct o#er real $ro$ert in t*e P*ili$$ines in fa#or of &anda, an alien, #iolates Sec. 4, Art. 333 of t*e P*ili$$ine 2onstitution% and d)T*e $ro$osed $artition of t*e testator=s interest in t*e Santa Santa 2ruz 2ruz Esco Escolta lta)) @uild @uildin ing g bet(e bet(een en Mar Marcell celle e and and t*e t*e a$$e a$$ell llan ants ts #iol #iolat ates es t*e t*e testator testator=s =s e!$res e!$ress s (ill (ill to gi#e t*is $ro$ert $ro$ert to t*em Jorge and Roberto). −
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ree*old. 3n bare o(ners*i$.
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1. Lo(er Lo(er court a$$ro#ed a$$ro#ed t*e $ro6ect $ro6ect of $artitio $artition. n. Jorge and Roberto a$$ealed. ISSUES: -. &*et*e &*et*err t*e -;< usufru usufruct ct o#er t*e free $ortio $ortion n in fa#or of Marcelle is #alid [NO 5. &*et &*et*e *err t*e t*e +dei +deico comm mmis issa sar r subs substi titu tuti tion on in connecti connection on (it* &anda7s &anda7s usufruct usufruct o#er 5;< of t*e estate in fa#or of Juan Pablo and oracio is #alid [NO <. &*et*er &anda7s &anda7s usufruct usufruct is #alid #alid [!ES RATIO: "# 8. 3t a$$ears t*at t*e court a Buo a$$ro#ed t*e usufruct in fa#or of Marcelle because t*e testament $ro#ides for a usufruct of -;< of t*e estate in *er fa#or fa#or.. T*e T*e court court a Buo Buo erre erred d for Marc Marcell elle e (*o is entitled to C of t*e estate 9en $leno dominioD as *er legitime and (*ic* is more t*an (*at s*e is gi#en gi#en under under t*e (ill (ill is not entitle entitled d to *a#e *a#e an an additional s*are in t*e estate. To gi#e Marcelle more t*an *er legitime (ill run counter to t*e testator7s intentio intention, n, seeing seeing as t*e latter7s latter7s dis$osit dis$ositions ions e#en im$aire im$aired d Marcell Marcelle7s e7s legitime legitime and tended tended to fa#or fa#or &anda. A$$ella A$$ellants nts *ere *ere also Buestioned Buestioned t*e legalit legalit of t*e #ulgar substitutio substitution n in fa#or of &anda (it* res$ec res$ectt to Marcell Marcelle7s e7s usufruc usufruct. t. o(e#er, o(e#er, since since Marce Marcelle lle is not entit entitled led to an usufr usufruc uct, t, t*e Buestion *as become moot. −
$# NO% NO% t&e said said 'deico 'deico((is ((issar sar) ) s*+sti s*+stit*t t*tion ion is ,oid# Appellants: T*e Appellants: T*e substitution in its #ulgar as$ect is #oid because &anda sur#i#ed t*e testator. SC: SC: "ing before t*e testator is not t*e onl case for #ulgar substitution for it also includes includes refusal or inca$acit to acce$t t*e in*eritance as $ro#ided in Art. ?4/, 22. ence, t*e #ulgar substitution is #alid. Appellants: T*e substitution in its +deicommissar as$ect is #oid. SC: T*e T*e a$$e a$$ell llan ants ts are are cor correct ect for for t*e t*e follo(ing reasons> a)T*e substitu substitutes tes Juan Juan Pablo Pablo and oracio) oracio) are not related to &anda, t*e *eir originall insti stitut tuted. ed. Art. Art. ?0<, 22 #alid lidates ates a +deic +deicomm ommiss issar ar substi substitut tution ion :$ro :$ro#id #ided ed suc* substitution does not go beond one degree from t*e *eir originall instituted.: T*e +deicommissar +deicommissar can onl be eit*er a c*ild or a $arent of t*e +rst *eir. T*ese are t*e onl relati#es (*o are one generation or degree from t*e +duciar. b)T*e b)T*ere re is no abso absolu lute te dut dut im$o im$ose sed d on &anda anda to tran transm smit it t*e t*e usuf usufru ruct ct to t*e t*e substitu substitutes tes as reBuir reBuired ed b Arts. ?04 and ?0 of t*e 2i#il 2ode. 3n fact, t*e a$$ellee admits admits :t*at :t*at t*e testator testator contrad contradicts icts t*e esta establ blis is* *ment ment of a +dei +deico comm mmis issa sar r substitution (*en *e $ermits t*e −
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$ro$erties sub6ect of t*e usufruct to be sold u$on mutual agreement of t*e usufructuaries and t*e na'ed o(ners.: # !ES% .anda/s *s*fr*ct is ,alid# Sec. 4, Art. F333, -/<4 2onstitution> Sa#e in cases of *ereditar succession, no $ri#ate agricultural land s*all be transferred or assigned e!ce$t to indi#iduals, cor$orations, or associations Buali+ed to acBuire or *old lands of t*e $ublic domain in t*e P*ili$$ines. T*e 2ourt is of t*e o$inion t*at t*e 2onstitutional $ro#ision (*ic* enables aliens to acBuire $ri#ate lands does not e!tend to testamentar succession for ot*er(ise t*e $ro*ibition (ill be for naug*t and meaningless. An alien (ould be able to circum#ent t*e $ro*ibition b $aing mone to a P*ili$$ine lando(ner in e!c*ange for a de#ise of a $iece of land. T*is o$inion not(it*standing, t*e 2ourt u$*eld t*e usufruct in fa#or of &anda because a usufruct, albeit a real rig*t, does not #est title to t*e land in t*e usufructuar and it is t*e #esting of title to land in fa#or of aliens (*ic* is $roscribed b t*e 2onstitution.
c*arges and conditions im$osed u$on t*e instituted *eir, unless t*e testator *as e!$ressl $ro#ided t*e contrar, or t*e c*arges or conditions are $ersonall a$$licable onl to t*e *eir instituted. ?I)
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d# .&en E7tin8*is&ed 9# Testa(entar) 0ispositions a# In eneral Art# 46"# T*e institution of an *eir ma be made conditionall, or for a certain $ur$ose or cause. /Ia) −
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0ISPOSITION: T*e estate of Jose Eugenio Ramirez is *ereb ordered distributed as follo(s> -;5 t*ereof to *is (ido( as *er legitime% -;5 t*ereof (*ic* is t*e free $ortion to Roberto and Jorge Ramirez in na'ed o(ners*i$ and t*e usufruct to &anda de &robles'i (it* a sim$le substitution in fa#or of Juan Pablo Jan'o(s'i and orace G. Ramirez. − −
1"2 Ine3ecti,e S*+stit*tions
Fideico((issar)
Art# 456# T*e follo(ing s*all not ta'e eHect> -) ideicommissar substitutions (*ic* are not made in an e!$ress manner, eit*er b gi#ing t*em t*is name, or im$osing u$on t*e +duciar t*e absolute obligation to deli#er t*e $ro$ert to a second *eir% 5) Pro#isions (*ic* contain a $er$etual $ro*ibition to alienate, and e#en a tem$orar one, beond t*e limit +!ed in article ?0<% <) T*ose (*ic* im$ose u$on t*e *eir t*e c*arge of $aing to #arious $ersons successi#el, beond t*e limit $rescribed in article ?4<, a certain income or $ension% 1) T*ose (*ic* lea#e to a $erson t*e (*ole or $art of t*e *ereditar $ro$ert in order t*at *e ma a$$l or in#est t*e same according to secret instructions communicated to *im b t*e testator. ?4a) Art. ?0?. T*e nullit of t*e +deicommissar substitution does not $re6udice t*e #alidit of t*e institution of t*e *eirs +rst designated% t*e +deicommissar clause s*all sim$l be considered as not (ritten. ?0) c#
E3ect
Art# 45$# T*e substitute s*all be sub6ect to t*e same
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Condition – an future and uncertain fact or e#ent on t*e *a$$ening of (*ic* a 6uridical act is made to de$end. Recognizing t*e testator7s rig*t to *is $ro$ert and t*e free dis$osition t*ereof, insofar as t*e com$ulsor *eirs are not $re6udiced, it is onl logical t*at *e s*ould be em$o(ered to im$ose conditions u$on t*ose (*om *e ma desire to fa#or. 3t is onl t*e legitime of com$ulsor *eirs t*at t*e testator must full res$ect and (*ic* *e cannot sub6ect to conditions. 3n order to ma'e a testamentar $ro#ision conditional, suc* condition must fairl a$$ear from t*e language used in t*e (ill.
Art# 46$# T*e testator cannot im$ose an c*arge, condition, or substitution (*atsoe#er u$on t*e legitimes $rescribed in t*is 2ode. S*ould *e do so, t*e same s*all be considered as not im$osed. ?-
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T*e $rece$t of t*is article is but a necessar conseBuence of t*e #er nature of legitime. T*e legitime goes to t*e com$ulsor *eir b o$eration of la( and not b t*e (ill of t*e testator% *ence it cannot be sub6ect to t*e freedom of t*e latter to im$ose encumbrances, conditions and substitutions. Encumbrances, conditions, or substitutions of an 'ind, im$osed u$on t*e legitime, do not aHect t*e rig*t of t*e com$ulsor *eir. T*e are sim$l disregarded and considered as not (ritten. T*e $ro*ibition im$osed b t*is article u$on t*e testator, *o(e#er, a$$lies onl (it* res$ect to testamentar dis$ositions. 3t *as no a$$lication to acts inter vivos. T*e testator is allo(ed to forbid t*e $artition of t*e estate for a $eriod not e!ceeding 5I ears% and t*is $o(er to $ro*ibit di#ision a$$lies to t*e legitime. Art. -I?<)