Agui l arvs.Si asat G. R.No.200169,Januar y28,2015
Doct r i ne/s: fil fi i at i on may be pr To r epe atwh whatwa was s t at ed i nDe Je sus , l o v ed by an i cdocument pr p i vat e handwr i t t en admi s si o no fl e gi t i mat efil i at i o ni n p apubl ora i ns t r ument gnedbyt hepar entconcer ned,ands andsi uc hduer e c o g ni t i o ni nany aut he nt i cwr wr i t i ngi s ,i ni t s el f ,ac o ns ummat e dac to fac k no wl wl e dg me me nto ft hec hi l d,and nof ur t he rc o ur tac t i o ni sr e q ui r e d.
Facts: Spouse s Al f r edo Agui l ar and Candel ari a Si asat Agui l ar di ed i nt es t at e wi t houtdebt sl eavi ngt wopar cel sofl and.Pe t i t i onerRodol f oAgui l arfil edacasef or mandat oryi nj unct i on wi t h dama magesagai nstr espondentSi asatal l egi ngt hathei s t heonl yson andsol esurvi vi nghei roft heAgui l arspouses.Thus,hewa wasent i t l ed t ot hes ai dpar c e l sofl and. Respondentont heot herhandcl ai medt hatpet i t i oneri snott hesonandsol e surv i vi nghei roft heAgui l arspouses,butamer est r angerwhowasr ai sedbyt he Agui l arspousesoutofgener osi t yand ki ndnessofhear t .Thatpe t i t i oneri snota nat ur al or adopt ed chi l d of t he Agui l ar spouse s and si nce Al f r edo Agui l ar pr e de c e as e d hi swi f e ,Ca nde l ar i a Si a s at Ag ui l a r ,t hel a t t e ri nhe r i t e dt hec o nj ug a l s har eo ft hef o r me me r . RTC r ul e dt ha tpe t i t i o ne ri sno tde e me me dv e s t e dwi t hs uffic i e nti nt e r e s ti nt hi s act i on f or f ai l ur et o supportevi dent i ary evi dence t o show hi s fil i at i on t ot he spouses.Thedeci si onoft heRTC wasaffir ffir medi nt ot owi wi t hst at i ngt hatt heuseofa f ami l ys ur namec e r t a i nl ydo e s no te s t abl i s h pe di g r e e .He nc e ,pl ai nt i ffappe l l ant ’ s e v i de nc ef ai l e dt ohur dl et he“ hi g hs t andar do fpr o of ”r e qui r e df o rt hes uc c e s so fan act i on t o est abl i sh one’ sl egi t i mat e fil i at i on when r el yi ng upon t he pr ovi si ons r eg ar di ng open and co nt i nuous poss es si on orany ot herme means al l owed by t he Rul esofCourtandspeci all aws.
Issue/s: Whe t herornotSSS For m E1( Exhi bi t“ G” )sat i sfies t he r equi r ementf or pr o ofo ffil i at i o n andr e l at i o ns hi punde rAr t i c l e172o ft heFa mi mi l yCo depa r t i c ul a r l y [ par agraph]3 t her eofi n conj unct i on wi t h Sect i on 19 and Sect i on 23,Rul e132 of t heRul esofCour t .
Hel d:
Yes,t heCour tgr ant edt hePe t i t i on.I nDeJe i twashe l d s usv .Es t at eofDi z o n, t hat : “ T hefil i at i o n ofi l l e gi t i mat echi l dr e n,l i kel e gi t i mat echi l dr e n,i ses t a bl i s he d by( 1 ) t her e c o r do fbi r t ha ppe a r i ngi nt hec i v i lr e g i s t e ro rafina lj udg me nt ;o r ( 2)an admi ssi on of l egi t i mat e fil i at i on i n a publ i c document or a pr i vate handwr i t t en i nst r ument and nt hea bs e nc et he r e o f ,fil i a t i o ns ha l lbepr o v e dby( 1)t he si gnedby t heparentconcer ned.I o pe na ndc o nt i nuo uspo s s e s s i o no ft hes t a t uso fal e g i t i ma t ec hi l d;o r( 2)a nyo t h e rme a ns al l owedbyt heRul esofCourtand speci all aws. The due r ecogni t i on ofan i l l egi t i mat e chi l di n ar ecor d ofbi rt h,a wi l l ,a st at ementbef orea courtofr ecor d,ori n any aut hent i c wr i t i ng i s,i ni t sel f ,a consummat ed actofacknowl edgmentoft he chi l d, and nof urt hercourtacti on i sr equi red. I nf act,anyauthenti cwri ti ngi st reat ed not j ustagr ound f orcompul sory r ecogni t i on;i ti si ni t sel favol unt ary r ecogni t i on t hat Wher e,i nst ead,a cl ai m f or does not r equi r e a separat e acti on f or j udi ci alappr oval . r e c o gni t i o ni spr e d i c at e do no t he re v i de nc eme r e l yt e ndi ngt opr o v epa t e r ni t y ,i . e . ,o ut s i deo f ar e c o r do fb i r t h,a wi l l ,a s t a t e me ntb e f o r ea c o ur to fr e c o r do ra na ut he nt i c wr i t i ng , j udi ci alact i on wi t hi nt heappl i cabl es t at ut eofl i mi t at i onsi ses se nt i ali n or dert oe s t abl i s h t hec hi l d’ sa c kno wl e d gme nt . ”
Thus,appl yi ngt hef or egoi ngpr onouncementt ot hei ns t antcase,i tmus tbe concl uded t hat pe t i t i oner – who was bor n on Mar c h 5, 1945,or dur i ng t he marr i age of Al f r edo Agui l ar and Candel ari a Si asat Agui l arand bef or e t hei r r espect i vedeat hs–has suffici ent l y pr oved t hathei st hel egi t i mat ei ssueoft he Agui l arspouses. Aspe t i t i onercor r ect l y ar gues,Al f r edo Agui l ar ’ sSSS For m E1 ( Ex hi bi t“ G” )s at i s fie st her e q ui r e me ntf o rpr o ofo ffil i at i o n and r e l at i o ns hi pt ot he Agui l arspouses underAr t i cl e 172 oft heFami l y Code;by i t sel f ,sai d document c o ns t i t ut e san “ admi s s i o no fl e g i t i mat efil i a t i o ni n apubl i cdo c ume nto rapr i v a t e handwr i t t eni nst r umentandsi gnedbyt hepar entconcer ned. ” Pet i t i onerhas shown t hathecannotpr oducehi s Cer t i ficat e ofLi veBi r t h s i nc eal lt her e c o r dsc ov e r i ngt hepe r i o d 19451946 o ft heLo c alCi v i lRe g i s t r yof Bacol od Ci t y wer e des t r oye d, whi ch nece ssi t at ed t he i nt r oduct i on of ot her document aryevi dence–part i cul arl yAl f r edoAgui l ar’ sSSSForm E1( Exhi bi t“ G” )– t opr ovefil i at i on.I twaserr oneousf ort heCAt ot r eatsai ddocumentasmer epr oof ofopen and cont i nuouspossess i on oft hest at usofa l egi t i mat echi l d undert he s e c o ndpar ag r a pho fAr t i c l e172o ft heFami l yCo de ;i ti se v i de nc eo ffil i at i o n unde r t he fir stpar agr aph t her eof ,t he same bei ng an expr essre cogni t i on i n a publ i c i nst r ument .
