G.R. No. 187879
July 5, 2010
DALISAY DALISAY E. OCAMPO, VINCE E. OCAMPO, MELINDA CARLA E. OCAMPO, OC AMPO, and LEONARDO E. OCAMPO, JR., Petitioners, vs. RENATO M. OCAMPO and ERLINDA M. OCAMPO, Respondents. NACHURA, J.:
Facts:
Petiti Petition oner ers s Dalis Dalisay ay E. O Oa!p a!po o "Dali "Dalisay say#, #, $in $ine e E. O Oa!p a!po o "$in "$ine e#, #, %elinda &arla E. Oa!po "%elinda#, and 'eonardo E. Oa!po, Jr. "'eonardo, Jr.# are t(e sur)i)in* +ie and t(e (ildren o 'eonardo Oa!po "'eonardo#, +(o died on January 2-, 200. 'eonardo and (is si/lin*s, respondents Renato %. Oa!po "Renato# and Erlinda %. Oa!po "Erlinda# are t(e le*iti!ate (ildren and only (eirs o t(e spouses $iente and %ai!a Oa!po, +(o died intestate on Dee!/er 19, 1972 and e/ruary 19, 199, respeti)ely. $iente and %ai!a let se)eral properties, !ostly situated in 3i4an, 'a*una. $iente and %ai!a let no +ill and no de/ts. On June 2, 200, i)e "5# !ont(s ater t(e deat( o 'eonardo, petitioners initiated a petition or intestate proeedin*s, entitled n Re6 ntestate Proeedin*s o t(e t(e Esta Estate te o ps. ps. $ie $iente nte O Oa!p a!po o and and %ai!a %ai!a %era %erado do O Oa!p a!po, o, and and 'eonardo %. Oa!po, in t(e R&, 3ran( 2, 3i4an, 'a*una, doeted as pe. Pro. Pro. No. No. 3:-0 3:-089. 89. (e (e petit petitio ion n alle* alle*ed ed t(at, t(at, upon upon t(e t(e deat( deat( o $ien $iente te and and %ai!a, respondents and t(eir /rot(er 'eonardo ;ointly ontrolled, !ana*ed, and ad!inistered t(e estate o t(eir parents. o+e)er >o+e)er,, +(en +(en 'eonard 'eonardo o died, died, respondents too possession, ontrol and !ana*e!ent o t(e properties to t(e elusion o petitioners. (e petition prayed or t(e settle!ent o t(e estate o $iente and %ai!a and t(e estate o 'eonardo. t, lie+ise, prayed or t(e appoint!ent o an ad!inistrator to apportion, di)ide, and a+ard t(e t+o estates a!on* t(e la+ul (eirs o t(e deedents. ?ter lon* side /y side ilin* o !otions, petitions and oppositions, oppositions, Renato and Erlinda +ere appointed as speial ad!inistrators /ut reused to *i)e an in)entory o properties as petitioned /y (erein petitioners until ater t(e ourt ruled in t(eir t(eir petition or ee!ption ee!ption in postin* postin* a /ond. %ean+(ile, %ean+(ile, petitioners petitioners su/se su/se@u @uent ently ly learn learned ed t(at t(at resp respon onde dents nts (as dispo dispose sed d o real real prope properti rties es or P2,700,000.00 sayin* it +as only or P1,500,000.00 t(en !o)e t(e ourt t(rou*( a petiti petition on in re!o) re!o)in in* * t(e t(e respo respond nden ents ts as ad!in ad!inist istra rator tors s and and proe proeed ed to partitionin* t(e estate. (e R& ruled in t(e air!ati)e and appointed %elinda as re*ular ad!inistrator ad!inistrator onditioned +it( t(e postin* o P200,000.00 as /ond +(i( t(e later o!plied. (e respondents appealed in t(e &? and t(ey reei)ed a a)ora/le deision re)ersin* and settin* aside t(e deision o t(e R&. Issu:
A(et(er t(e ourt s(ould (a)e ated +it( *ra)e a/use o disretion in re)oin* and ter!inatin* t(e appoint!ent o Renato and Erlinda as ;oint speial
ad!inistrators, on aount o t(eir ailure to o!ply +it( its Order, partiularly t(e postin* o t(e re@uired /ond, and to enter t(eir duties and responsi/ilities as speial ad!inistrators and in appointin* %elinda as re*ular ad!inistratri, su/;et to t(e postin* o a /ond in t(e a!ount o P200,000.00.
Ru!"n#:
(e ourt ruled t(at t(e trial ourt did not at +it( *ra)e a/use o disretion in re)oin* t(e appoint!ent o t(e respondents as speial ad!inistrators and ot(er+ise in appointin* %elinda as re*ular ad!inistrator opinin* and orderin* t(at s(e s(ould instead /e appointed as speial ad!inistration as aordin* to t(e rules. ? speial ad!inistrator is an oier o t(e ourt +(o is su/;et to its super)ision and ontrol, epeted to +or or t(e /est interest o t(e entire estate, +it( a )ie+ to its s!oot( ad!inistration and speedy settle!ent. A(en appointed, (e or s(e is not re*arded as an a*ent or representati)e o t(e parties su**estin* t(e appoint!ent. (e prinipal o/;et o t(e appoint!ent o a te!porary ad!inistrator is to preser)e t(e estate until it an pass to t(e (ands o a person ully aut(oriBed to ad!inister it or t(e /eneit o reditors and (eirs, pursuant to etion 2 o Rule 80 o t(e Rules o &ourt. A(ile t(e R& onsidered t(at respondents +ere t(e nearest o in to t(eir deeased parents in t(eir appoint!ent as ;oint speial ad!inistrators, t(is is not a !andatory re@uire!ent or t(e appoint!ent. t (as lon* /een settled t(at t(e seletion or re!o)al o speial ad!inistrators is not *o)erned /y t(e rules re*ardin* t(e seletion or re!o)al o re*ular ad!inistrators. (e pro/ate ourt !ay appoint or re!o)e speial ad!inistrators /ased on *rounds ot(er t(an t(ose enu!erated in t(e Rules at its disretion, su( t(at t(e need to irst pass upon and resol)e t(e issues o itness or unitness and t(e appliation o t(e order o preerene under etion o Rule 78, as +ould /e proper in t(e ase o a re*ular ad!inistrator, do not o/tain. ?s lon* as t(e disretion is eerised +it(out *ra)e a/use, and is /ased on reason, e@uity, ;ustie, and le*al priniples, intererene /y (i*(er ourts is un+arranted. (e appoint!ent or re!o)al o speial ad!inistrators, /ein* disretionary, is t(us interloutory and !ay /e assailed t(rou*( a petition or ertiorari under Rule 5 o t(e Rules o &ourt. Pursuant to etion 1 o Rule 81, t(e /ond seures t(e peror!ane o t(e duties and o/li*ations o an ad!inistrator na!ely6 "1# to ad!inister t(e estate and pay t(e de/tsC "2# to peror! all ;udiial ordersC "-# to aount +it(in one "1# year and at any ot(er ti!e +(en re@uired /y t(e pro/ate ourtC and "# to !ae an in)entory +it(in t(ree "-# !ont(s. %ore speiially, per etion o t(e sa!e Rule, t(e /ond is onditioned on t(e ait(ul eeution o t(e ad!inistration o t(e deedents estate re@uirin* t(e speial ad!inistrator to "1# !ae and return a true in)entory o t(e *oods, (attels, ri*(ts, redits, and estate o t(e deeased +(i( o!e to (is possession or no+led*eC "2# truly aount or su( as reei)ed /y (i! +(en re@uired /y t(e ourtC and "-# deli)er t(e sa!e to t(e person appointed as eeutor or re*ular ad!inistrator, or to su( ot(er person as !ay /e aut(oriBed to reei)e t(e!. $erily, t(e ad!inistration /ond is or t(e /eneit o t(e reditors and t(e (eirs, as it o!pels t(e ad!inistrator, +(et(er re*ular or speial, to peror! t(e trust reposed in, and dis(ar*e t(e o/li*ations inu!/ent upon, (i!. ts o/;et
and purpose is to sae*uard t(e properties o t(e deedent, and, t(ereore, t(e /ond s(ould not /e onsidered as part o t(e neessary epenses (ar*ea/le a*ainst t(e estate, not /ein* inluded a!on* t(e ats onstitutin* t(e are, !ana*e!ent, and settle!ent o t(e estate. %oreo)er, t(e a/ility to post t(e /ond is in t(e nature o a @ualiiation or t(e oie o ad!inistration.