Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
FELIX, J.:
In the early part of 1938, Quintin de Borja died and Crisanto de Borja,
son of Francisco de Borja, was appointed and took over as
administrator of the Estate. Francisco de Borja, on the other hand,
assumed his duties as executor of the will of Quintin de Borja, but
upon petition of the heirs of said deceased on the ground that his
interests were conflicting with that of his brother's estate he was later
required by the Court to resign as such executor and was succeeded
by Rogelio Limaco, a son-in-law of Quintin de Borja.
It also appears that on February 16, 1940, at the hearing set for the
approval of the statement of accounts of the late administrator of the
Intestate Estate of Marcelo de Borja, then being opposed by Francisco
de Borja, the parties submitted an agreement, which was approved by
the Court (Exh. A). Said agreement, translated into English, reads as
follows:
On August 22, 1949, Juan de Borja and sisters, heirs of the deceased
Quintin de Borja, filed their opposition to the statement of accounts
filed by the administrator on the ground that same was not detailed
enough to enable the interested parties to verify the same; that they
cannot understand why the Intestate could suffer any loss considering
that during the administration of the same by Quintin de Borja, the
Estate accumulated gains of more than P100,000 in the form of
advances to the heirs as well as cash balance; that they desired to
examine the accounts of Dr. Crisanto de Borja to verify the loss and
therefore prayed that the administrator be ordered to deposit with the
Clerk of Court all books, receipts, accounts and other papers
pertaining to the Estate of Marcelo de Borja. This motion was
answered by the administrator contending that the Report referred to
was already clear and enough, the income as well as the expenditures
being specified therein; that he had to spend for the repairs of the
properties of the Estate damaged during the Japanese occupation;
that the allegation that during the administration of Quintin de Boria
the Estate realized a profit of P100,000 was not true, because instead
of gain there was even a shortage in the funds although said
administrator had collected all his fees (honorarios) and commissions
corresponding to the entire period of his incumbency; that the
obligations mentioned in said in the report will be liquidated before the
termination of the proceedings same manner as it is done in any other
intestate case; that he was willing to submit all the receipts of the
accounts for the examination of the interested parties before the Clerk
or before the Court itself; that this Intestate could be terminated, the
project of partition having been allowed and confirmed by the
Supreme Court and that the Administrator was also desirous of
terminating it definitely for the benefit of all the parties.
The heirs of Quintin de Borja, Juan de Borja and his sisters, registered
their opposition said statement of accounts and prayed the Court to
disapprove the same and to appoint an account to go over the books
of the administrator and to submit a report thereon as soon as
possible. The heir Juliana de Borja also formally offered her objection
to the approval of the accounts submitted by the administrator and
prayed further that said administrator be required to submit a complete
accounting of his administration of the Estate from 1937 to 1949. On
the other hand, Francisco de Borja and Miguel B. Dayco, as the only
heir of the deceased Crisanta de Borja, submitted to the Court an
agreement to relieve the administrator from accounting for the period
of the Japanese occupation; that as to the accounting from 1937 to
1941, they affirmed their conformity with the agreement entered into
by all the heirs appearing in the Bill of Exceptions of Juliana de Borja;
and they have no objection to the approval of the statement of
accounts submitted by the administrator covering of the years 1945 to
1949.
On July 28, 1950, the heirs of Quintin de Borja also filed their
opposition to the said motion of Francisco de Borja and Miguel B.
Dayco on the ground that the petition was superfluous because the
present proceeding was only for the approval of the statement of
accounts filed by the administrator; that said motion was improper
because it was asking the Court to order the administrator to perform
what he was duty bound to do; and that said heirs were already barred
or stopped from raising that question in view of their absolute
ratification of and assent to the statement of accounts submitted by
the administrator.
The oppositors, the heirs of Quintin de Borja, then filed their answer to
the counterclaim denying the charges therein, but later served
interrogatories on the administrator relative to the averments of said
counterclaim. Upon receipt of the answer to said interrogatories
specifying the acts upon which the claim for moral damages was
based, the oppositors filed an amended answer contending that
inasmuch as the acts, manifestations and pleadings referred to therein
were admittedly committed and prepared by their lawyer, Atty. Amador
E. Gomez, same cannot be made the basis of a counterclaim, said
lawyer not being a party to the action, and furthermore, as the acts
upon which the claim for moral damages were based had been
committed prior to the effectivity of the new Civil Code, the provisions
of said Code on moral damages could not be invoked. On January 15,
1952, the administrator filed an amended counterclaim including the
counsel for the oppositors as defendant.
III. and IV. — This appeal arose from the opposition of the heirs of
Quintin de Borja to the approval of the statements of accounts
rendered by the administrator of the Intestate Estate of Marcelo de
Borja, on the ground that certain fruits which should have been
accrued to the estate were unaccounted for, which charge the
administrator denied. After a protracted and extensive hearing on the
matter, the Court, finding the administrator, Dr. Crisanto de Borja,
guilty of certain acts of maladministration, held him liable for the
payment to the oppositors, the heirs of Quintin de Borja, of 1/4 of the
unreported income which the estate should have received. The
evidence presented in the court below bear out the following facts:
(a) The estate owns a 6-door building, Nos. 1541, 1543, 1545, 1547,
1549 and 1551 in Azcarraga Street, Manila, situated in front of the
Arranque market. Of this property, the administrator reported to have
received for the estate the following rentals:
Annual
Total
Period of time monthly
rentals
rental
March to P3,085.00 P51.42
December,
1945
January to 4,980.00 69.17
December,
1946
January to 8,330.00 115.70
December,
1947
January to 9,000.00 125.00
December,
1948
January to 8,840.00 122.77
December,
1949
January to 6,060.00 184.16
December,
1950
Total P40,295.00
1945
Door No. 1541
(basement)
February P20.00 Door No. 1543
March 20.00 For 7
months at
P300
April 60.00 a month P2,100.00
May- 800.00
December
Total P900.00
1946
January- P1,200.00 January- P4,080.00
December December
1947
January P100.00 January P380.00
February 100.00 February 380.00
March 180.00 March 1- 190.00
15
April- 1,140.00 March 16- 4,085.00
December December
P1,820.00 P5,035.00
1948
January- P1,920.00 January- P5,150.00
December December
1949
January- P1,680.00 January- P4,315.00
November December
15
The record also shows that in July, 1950, the administrator delivered
to the other heirs Doors Nos. 1545, 1547, 1549 and 1551 although
Doors Nos. 1541 and 1543 adjudicated to the oppositors remained
under his administration. For the period from January to June, 1950,
that the entire property was still administered by him, the administrator
reported to have received for the 2 oppositors' apartments for said
period of six months at P168.33 a month, the sum of P1,010 which
belongs to the oppositors and should be taken from the amount
reported by the administrator.
(c) The Hacienda Jalajala located in said town of Rizal, was divided
into 3 parts: the Punta section belonged to Marcelo de Borja, the
Bagombong pertained to Bernardo de Borja and Francisco de Borja
got the Jalajala proper. For the purpose of this case, we will just deal
with that part called Junta. This property has an area of 1,345,
hectares, 29 ares and 2 centares (Exh. 36) of which, according to the
surveyor who measured the same, 200 hectares were of cultivated
rice fields and 100 hectares dedicated to the planting of upland rice. It
has also timberland and forest which produce considerable amount of
trees and firewoods. From the said property which has an assessed
value of P115,000 and for which the estates pay real estate tax of
P1,500 annually, the administrator reported the following:
Expenditure
(not including
administration's
Year Income fees
1945........... P625.00 P1,310.42
1946............. 1,800.00 3,471.00
1947............. 2,550.00 2,912.91
1948............. 1,828.00 3,311.88
1949............. 3,204.50 4,792.09
1950............. 2,082.00 2,940.91
P12,089.50 P18,739.21
It was also proved during the hearing that the forest land of this
property yields considerable amount of marketable firewoods. Taking
into consideration the testimonies of witnesses for both parties, the
Court arrived at the conclusion that the administrator sold to Gregorio
Santos firewoods worth P600 in 1941, P3,500 in 1945 and P4,200 in
1946 or a total of P8,300. As the report included only the amount of
P625, there was a balance of P7,675 in favor of the estate. The
oppositors were not able to present any proof of sales made after
these years, if there were any and the administrator was held
accountable to the oppositors for only P1,918.75.
(d) The estate also, owned ricefields in Cainta, Rizal, with a total area
of 22 hectares, 76 ares and 66 centares. Of this particular item, the
administrator reported an income of P12,104 from 1945 to 1951. The
oppositors protested against this report and presented witnesses to
disprove the same.
(e) The records show that the administrator paid surcharges and
penalties with a total of P988.75 for his failure to pay on time the taxes
imposed on the properties under his administration. He advanced the
reason that he lagged in the payment of those tax obligations because
of lack of cash balance for the estate. The oppositors, however,
presented evidence that on October 29, 1939, the administrator
received from Juliana de Borja the sum of P20,475.17 together with
certain papers pertaining to the intestate (Exh. 4),aside from the
checks in the name of Quintin de Borja. Likewise, for his failure to pay
the taxes on the building at Azcarraga for 1947, 1948 and 1949, said
property was sold at public auction and the administrator had to
redeem the same at P3,295.48, although the amount that should have
been paid was only P2,917.26. The estate therefore suffered a loss of
P378.22. Attributing these surcharges and penalties to the negligence
of the administrator, the lower Court adjudged him liable to pay the
oppositors ¼ of P1,366.97, the total loss suffered by the Intestate, or
P341.74.
4. From the year 1942 when his house was burned, the administrator
and his family took shelter at the house belonging to the Intestate
known as "casa solariega" which, in the Project of Partition was
adjudicated to his father, Francisco de Borja. This property, however,
remained under his administration and for its repairs he spent from
1945-1950, P1465,14, duly receipted.
yet considering that during his occupancy of the said "casa solariega"
he was not paying any rental at all, it is but reasonable that he should
take care of the expenses for the ordinary repair of said house.
Appellant asserted that had he and his family not occupied the same,
they would have to pay someone to watch and take care of said
house. But this will not excuse him from this responsibility for the
disbursements he made in connection with the aforementioned repairs
because even if he stayed in another house, he would have had to
pay rentals or else take charge also of expenses for the repairs of his
residence. The administrator should be held liable to the oppositors in
the amount of P366.28.
will give a total of P3,479 1/4 of which is P869.92 that belongs to the
oppositors.
1950
Gastos de viaje del
administrador From Pateros
To Pasig 50 x
................ P4.00 = P200.00
To Manila 50 x
............... P10.00 = P500.00
To Cainta 8 x
................ P8.00 = P64.00
To Jalajala 5 x
............... P35.00 = P175.00
= P399.00
(Exhibit W-54).
8. Other expenses:
The records reveal that for the service of summons to the defendants
in Civil Case No. 84 of the Court of First Instance of Rizal, P104 was
paid to the Provincial Sheriff of the same province (Exhibit H-7).
However, an item for P40 appeared to have been paid to the Chief of
Police on Jalajala allegedly for the service of the same summons.
Appellant claimed that as the defendants in said civil case lived in
remote barrios, the services of the Chief of Police as delegate or
agent of the Provincial Sheriff were necessary. He forgot probably the
fact that the local chiefs of police are deputy sheriffs ex-officio. The
administrator was therefore ordered by the lower Court to pay ¼ of
said amount or P10 to the oppositors.
The administrator included in his Report the sum of P550 paid to Atty.
Filamor for his professional services rendered for the defense of the
administrator in G.R. No. L-4179, which was decided against him, with
costs. The lower Court disallowed this disbursement on the ground
that this Court provided that the costs of that litigation should not be
borne by the estate but by the administrator himself, personally.
(e) The lower Court in its decision required appellant to pay the
oppositors the sum of P1,395 out of the funds still in the possession of
the administrator.
But We must not forget that in his order of December 11, 1945, Judge
Peña required the administrator to render an accounting of his
administration only from March 1, 1945, to December of the same
year without ordering said administrator to include therein the
occupation period. Although the Court below mentioned the condition
then prevailing during the war-years, We cannot simply presume, in
the absence of proof to that effect, that the administrator received
such valuables or properties for the use or in exchange of any asset or
produce of the Intestate, and in view of the aforementioned order of
Judge Peña, which We find no reason to disturb, We see no practical
reason for requiring appellant to account for those occupation years
when everything was affected by the abnormal conditions created by
the war. The records of the Philippine National Bank show that there
was a current account jointly in the names of Crisanto de Borja and
Juanita V. Jarencio, his wife, with a balance of P36,750.35 in
Japanese military notes and admittedly belonging to the Intestate and
We do not believe that the oppositors or any of the heirs would be
interested in an accounting for the purpose of dividing or distributing
this deposit.
It is not disputed that the administrator set aside for himself and
collected from the estate the sum of P13,294 as his fees from 1945 to
1951 at the rate of P2,400 a year. There is no controversy as to the
fact that this appropriated amount was taken without the order or
previous approval by the probate Court. Neither is there any doubt
that the administration of the Intestate estate by Crisanto de Borja is
far from satisfactory.
(a) P7,084.27
...............................................................................
(b) 12,175.00
...............................................................................
(c) 16,113.95
...............................................................................
(d) 3,352.75
...............................................................................
(e) 341.74
...............................................................................
(f) 3,750.00
................................................................................
(g) 1 ..................................................................... 532.50
2 ..................................................................... 377.25
3 ..................................................................... 366.28
4 ..................................................................... 869.92
5 ..................................................................... 505.87
6 ..................................................................... 500.00
7-a
b .................................................................. 93.75
c .................................................................. 10.00
d 137.50
...................................................................
P46,210.00
EN BANC
BENGZON, J.:
In July 1957, this Supreme Court in G.R. No. L-6622 affirmed the
decision of the Rizal Court of First Instance that ordered Crisanto de
Borja to pay Juan, Marcela, Saturnina, Eufracia Jacoba and Olimpia,
all surnamed Borja but reducing the amount to P46,210.78 plus legal
in interest. This decision having become final, the clerk of court, at the
request of the judgment-creditors, issued a writ of execution. The
sheriff, complying therewith, levied in April 1958 on the rights, interest
or participation of Crisanto de Borja as prospective heir of the
decedents Josefa Tangco and Francisco de Borja in certain specified
real estate in the province of Rizal.
Thereafter, Jose de Borja as administrator of the estate of Josefa
Tangco filed with the sheriff a third party claim asserting that the
properties belonged to the estate of the deceased Josefa Tangco
under liquidation in special proceedings No. 7866 of the Court, and
that, consequently, they were in custodia legis. Acting upon this
opposition, the sheriff required the judgment creditors to post a bond
of P2,500,000.00. The latter resorted to the Court contending it was
unnecessary to do so. On the other hand, the administrator contended
that the levy was improper. The issues thus raised were, after
argument, decided as follows: the levy was proper, and as the
oppositors did not submit to the court a copy of their third party claim,
the sheriff went beyond his powers in requiring submission of a bond.
Therefore, it ordered the sheriff to proceed with the execution even
without a bond.
EN BANC
L-28040
L-28568
L-28611
AGREEMENT
AND
WITNESSETH
THAT with this end in view, the parties herein have agreed
voluntarily and without any reservations to enter into and
execute this agreement under the following terms and
conditions:
This provision evidences beyond doubt that the ruling in the Guevara
case is not applicable to the cases at bar. There was here no attempt
to settle or distribute the estate of Francisco de Borja among the heirs
thereto before the probate of his will. The clear object of the contract
was merely the conveyance by Tasiana Ongsingco of any and all her
individual share and interest, actual or eventual in the estate of
Francisco de Borja and Josefa Tangco. There is no stipulation as to
any other claimant, creditor or legatee. And as a hereditary share in a
decedent's estate is transmitted or vested immediately from the
moment of the death of such causante or predecessor in interest (Civil
Code of the Philippines, Art. 777)3 there is no legal bar to a successor
(with requisite contracting capacity) disposing of her or his hereditary
share immediately after such death, even if the actual extent of such
share is not determined until the subsequent liquidation of the estate. 4
Of course, the effect of such alienation is to be deemed limited to what
is ultimately adjudicated to the vendor heir. However, the aleatory
character of the contract does not affect the validity of the transaction;
neither does the coetaneous agreement that the numerous litigations
between the parties (the approving order of the Rizal Court
enumerates fourteen of them, Rec. App. pp. 79-82) are to be
considered settled and should be dismissed, although such
stipulation, as noted by the Rizal Court, gives the contract the
character of a compromise that the law favors, for obvious reasons, if
only because it serves to avoid a multiplicity of suits.
III. That this agreement shall take effect only upon the
consummation of the sale of the property mentioned herein
and upon receipt of the total and full payment of the
proceeds of the sale by the herein owner heirs-children of
Francisco de Borja, namely, Crisanto, Cayetano and
Matilde, all surnamed de Borja; Provided that if no sale of
the said property mentioned herein is consummated, or the
non-receipt of the purchase price thereof by the said
owners within the period of sixty (60) days from the date
hereof, this agreement will become null and void and of no
further effect.
This brings us to the plea that the Court of First Instance of Rizal had
no jurisdiction to approve the compromise with Jose de Borja (Annex
A) because Tasiana Ongsingco was not an heir in the estate of Josefa
Tangco pending settlement in the Rizal Court, but she was an heir of
Francisco de Borja, whose estate was the object of Special
Proceeding No. 832 of the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija. This
circumstance is irrelevant, since what was sold by Tasiana Ongsingco
was only her eventual share in the estate of her late husband, not the
estate itself; and as already shown, that eventual share she owned
from the time of Francisco's death and the Court of Nueva Ecija could
not bar her selling it. As owner of her undivided hereditary share,
Tasiana could dispose of it in favor of whomsoever she chose. Such
alienation is expressly recognized and provided for by article 1088 of
the present Civil Code:
Art. 1088. Should any of the heirs sell his hereditary rights
to a stranger before the partition, any or all of the co-heirs
may be subrogated to the rights of the purchaser by
reimbursing him for the price of the sale, provided they do
so within the period of one month from the time they were
notified in writing of the sale of the vendor.
If a sale of a hereditary right can be made to a stranger, then a fortiori
sale thereof to a coheir could not be forbidden.
Tasiana Ongsingco further argues that her contract with Jose de Borja
(Annex "A") is void because it amounts to a compromise as to her
status and marriage with the late Francisco de Borja. The point is
without merit, for the very opening paragraph of the agreement with
Jose de Borja (Annex "A") describes her as "the heir and surviving
spouse of Francisco de Borja by his second marriage, Tasiana
Ongsingco Vda. de de Borja", which is in itself definite admission of
her civil status. There is nothing in the text of the agreement that
would show that this recognition of Ongsingco's status as the
surviving spouse of Francisco de Borja was only made in
consideration of the cession of her hereditary rights.
In her brief, Tasiana Ongsingco also pleads that the time elapsed in
the appeal has affected her unfavorably, in that while the purchasing
power of the agreed price of P800,000 has diminished, the value of
the Jalajala property has increased. But the fact is that her delay in
receiving the payment of the agreed price for her hereditary interest
was primarily due to her attempts to nullify the agreement (Annex "A")
she had formally entered into with the advice of her counsel, Attorney
Panaguiton. And as to the devaluation de facto of our currency, what
We said in Dizon Rivera vs. Dizon, L-24561, 30 June 1970, 33 SCRA
554, that "estates would never be settled if there were to be a
revaluation with every subsequent fluctuation in the values of currency
and properties of the estate", is particularly opposite in the present
case.
Coming now to Case G.R. No. L-28611, the issue is whether the
Hacienda de Jalajala (Poblacion), concededly acquired by Francisco
de Borja during his marriage to his first wife, Josefa Tangco, is the
husband's private property (as contended by his second spouse,
Tasiana Ongsingco), or whether it forms part of the conjugal
(ganancial) partnership with Josefa Tangco. The Court of First
Instance of Rizal (Judge Herminio Mariano, presiding) declared that
there was adequate evidence to overcome the presumption in favor of
its conjugal character established by Article 160 of the Civil Code.
After trial, the Court of First Instance of Rizal, per Judge Herminio
Mariano, held that the plaintiff had adduced sufficient evidence to
rebut the presumption, and declared the Hacienda de Jalajala
(Poblacion) to be the exclusive private property of the late Francisco
de Borja, and his Administratrix, Tasiana Ongsingco Vda. de Borja, to
be entitled to its possession. Defendant Jose de Borja then appealed
to this Court.
The evidence reveals, and the appealed order admits, that the
character of the Hacienda in question as owned by the conjugal
partnership De Borja-Tangco was solemnly admitted by the late
Francisco de Borja no less than two times: first, in the Reamended
Inventory that, as executor of the estate of his deceased wife Josefa
Tangco, he filed in the Special Proceedings No. 7866 of the Court of
First Instance of Rizal on 23 July 1953 (Exhibit "2"); and again, in the
Reamended Accounting of the same date, also filed in the
proceedings aforesaid (Exhibit "7"). Similarly, the plaintiff Tasiana O.
Vda. de Borja, herself, as oppositor in the Estate of Josefa Tangco,
submitted therein an inventory dated 7 September 1954 (Exhibit "3")
listing the Jalajala property among the "Conjugal Properties of the
Spouses Francisco de Borja and Josefa Tangco". And once more,
Tasiana Ongsingco, as administratrix of the Estate of Francisco de
Borja, in Special Proceedings No. 832 of the Court of First Instance of
Nueva Ecija, submitted therein in December, 1955, an inventory
wherein she listed the Jalajala Hacienda under the heading "Conjugal
Property of the Deceased Spouses Francisco de Borja and Josefa
Tangco, which are in the possession of the Administrator of the
Testate Estate of the Deceased Josefa Tangco in Special
Proceedings No. 7866 of the Court of First Instance of Rizal" (Exhibit
"4").
Notwithstanding the four statements aforesaid, and the fact that they
are plain admissions against interest made by both Francisco de Borja
and the Administratrix of his estate, in the course of judicial
proceedings in the Rizal and Nueva Ecija Courts, supporting the legal
presumption in favor of the conjugal community, the Court below
declared that the Hacienda de Jalajala (Poblacion) was not conjugal
property, but the private exclusive property of the late Francisco de
Borja. It did so on the strength of the following evidences: (a) the
sworn statement by Francis de Borja on 6 August 1951 (Exhibit "F")
that —
The Court below, reasoning that not only Francisco's sworn statement
overweighed the admissions in the inventories relied upon by
defendant-appellant Jose de Borja since probate courts can not finally
determine questions of ownership of inventoried property, but that the
testimony of Gregorio de Borja showed that Francisco de Borja
acquired his share of the original Hacienda with his private funds, for
which reason that share can not be regarded as conjugal partnership
property, but as exclusive property of the buyer, pursuant to Article
1396(4) of Civil Code of 1889 and Article 148(4) of the Civil Code of
the Philippines.
No error having been assigned against the ruling of the lower court
that claims for damages should be ventilated in the corresponding
special proceedings for the settlement of the estates of the deceased,
the same requires no pro announcement from this Court.
Borja v. Borja
46 SCRA 577
FACTS:
Francisco de Borja filed a petition for probate of the will of his wife
who died, Josefa Tangco, with the CFI of Rizal. He was appointed
executor and administrator, until he died; his son Jose became the
sole administrator. Francisco had taken a 2nd wife Tasiana before he
died; she instituted testate proceedings with the CFI of Nueva Ecija
upon his death and was appointed special administatrix. Jose and
Tasiana entered upon a compromise agreement, but Tasiana opposed
the approval of the compromise agreement. She argues that it was no
valid, because the heirs cannot enter into such kind of agreement
without first probating the will of Francisco, and at the time the
agreement was made, the will was still being probated with the CFI of
Nueva Ecija.
ISSUE:
HELD:
G. R. No. 39547
DECISION
HULL, J.:
This is an appeal from a decision of the Court of First Instance of
Camarines Sur providing for the distribution of the estate of one
Francisco Tordilla, who died intestate in Naga, Camarines Sur, on
December 18, 1925, leaving as his only heirs his widow, a legitimate
son, the defendant and appellant, and a recognized natural daughter,
petitioner and appellee.
It might be said by way of introduction that the record is voluminous
and that many questions of fact could have been clearly established by
direct means rather than to leave the question in doubt by presenting
only circumstantial evidence. This is especially true as to the first and
second assignments of error which read:
"I. In including in the partition that residential lot containing 3352
square meters and more fully described as parcel (2) in the decision
(69-70 R. A.).
"II. In including ten (10) carabaos and six (6) cattle (Items 8 and 9 in
Dec. at pp. 70-71 R. A.) among the properties partitioned and in not
holding that said animals do. not exist and never came to the
possession of the estate."
In a prior proceeding between the deceased and a third party, the third
party was given a right to repurchase the land there in question. But
that fact, standing alone, does not" remove the lot from the properties
left by the deceased. The fact is whether or not the third party had
exercised his option to repurchase. That fact was well known to
appellant and was easily susceptible of definite and accurate proof. He
has seen fit to leave the record in doubt and, therefore, the finding of
the trial court will not be disturbed.
The same remarks are true as to the number of carabaos and cattle
that the deceased had at the time of his death.
The contention of appellant in the third assignment of error is that,
where a certain value is stated in a deed of donation, that value cannot
be questioned when the properties are brought into collation. This is
incorrect, as article 1045 of the Civil Code provides for the assessment
of the property at its actual valuation at the time of donation. The
recital in the deed cannot therefore be controlling. The actual value at
the time of the donation is a question of fact which must be
established by proof the same as any other fact.
The fourth assignment of error is not well taken. The original
testimony was taken by a commissioner, and the report of the
commissioner with the evidence was stricken from the files on motion
of appellant. Thereafter the parties agreed to submit the case for the
decision of the trial court on the evidence taken by the commissioner.
Such a procedure waived the erroneous ruling on evidence by the
commissioner. The appellant should have reserved the right to
introduce additional evidence and should have tendered the proper
evidence in the trial court. The trial court, with much experience, and
after study of the evidence produced, held that the actual value of one
of the properties was greater than that recited in the deed of donation,
and also fixed the fruits and income from the donated properties at a
higher figure than appellant thought just. The fruits and interest
produced by property subject to collation must be ascertained under
article 1049 of the Civil .Code. (See Guinguing vs. Abuton and Abuton,
48 Phil., 144.) There is some doubt in our mind as to the real value of
the parcel in question and the amount of the income from the donated
properties. But we cannot state from the fragmentary evidence which
has been brought to our attention that the opinion of the trial court is
contrary to the weight of the evidence, and, in case those figures are
incorrect, what are the correct figures.
On the questions of fact dealt with in the fifth and sixth assignments of
error, after due consideration, we have determined to be guided by the
judgment of the trial court.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth assignments of error refer to the
validity of Exhibit H, a contract entered into between the appellee and
the appellant in another case and signed shortly before the death of
their father. The contract is in the nature of a compromise and covered
two items, namely, first, the support of the natural daughter which the
brother agreed to assume for one year and, second, a proposed
division of their future inheritance upon the death of their father. It is
assumed that appellant has complied with his terms of the contract,
and the father died before the obligation of the brother terminated.
The second portion of the contract Exhibit H clearly relates to the
anticipated future inheritance and, therefore, is null and void under
the provisions of article 1271 of the Civil Code which reads:
"ART. 1271. All things, even future ones, which are not out of the
commerce of man, may be the subject-matter of contracts.
"Nevertheless, no contract may be entered into with respect to future
inheritances, except those the object of which is to make a division
intervivos of the estate, in accordance with article 1056.
"Any services not contrary to law or to good morals may also be the
subject-matter of a contract."
The action of the trial court in holding Exhibit H to be uncontroverted
and predicating its final action on the terms of that document was
erroneous and contrary to law.
The tenth assignment of error reads: "In adjudicating to the natural
daughter the same share or amount of properties as that adjudicated
to the legitimate son." This assignment of error is based on article 840
of the Civil Code which provides:
"Art. 840. When the testator leaves legitimate children or
descendants, and also natural children, legally acknowledged, each of
the latter shall be entitled to one-half of the portion pertaining to each
of the legitimate children who have not received any betterment,
provided that a sufficient amount remains of the disposable portion,
from which it must be taken, after the burial and funeral expenses
have been paid.
"The legitimate children may pay the portion pertaining to the natural
ones in cash, or in other property of the estate, at a fair valuation."
Appellee contends that article 840 of the Civil Code has been repealed
by the Code of Civil Procedure, based on the statement of this court in
Concepcion vs. Jose (46 Phil., 809). It is true that in the majority
decision in that case it speaks of article 840 being repealed. While,
with the question there considered, namely, from where the funeral
expenses should be taken, the Code of Civil Procedure changed the
rule as to those items from what had formerly been in the Civil Code,
by reading the whole decision we have no hesitancy in saying that
what the court then had in mind was not a repeal of the article but in
fact merely a modification thereof. In the case of In re Intestate Estate
of Tad-Y, found in the same volume (46 Phil., 557), this court,
speaking through the Chief Justice, applied article 840 of the Civil
Code in the following language:
"To determine the share that pertains to the natural child which is but
one-half of the portion that in quality and quantity belongs to the
legitimate child not bettered, the latter's portion must first be
ascertained. If a widow shares in the inheritance, together with only
one legitimate child, as in the instant case, the child gets, according to
the law, the third constituting the legitime in full ownership, and the
third available for betterment in naked ownership, the usufruct of
which goes to the widow. Then the natural child must get one-half of
the free third in full ownership and the other half of this third in naked
ownership, from which third his portion must be taken, so far as
possible, after deducting the funeral and burial expenses. * * *."
Our attention has not been called to any case in which this court has
treated article 840 as entirely and completely repealed.
We are therefore of the opinion that this case must be disposed of
according to the above quotation from the case of Tad-Y.
The eleventh assignment of error relates to a matter of accountancy
which the court ordered to take place after its original decision had
become in force and needs no further discussion at this time.
The decision and orders of the trial court must therefore be reversed
and the case remanded for further proceedings consonant with this
opinion. Costs against appellee. So ordered.
Malcolm, Villa-Real, Imperial, and Goddard, JJ., concur.
FACTS:
Facts re: probate proceedings in blue. Facts re: criminal case for
forgery/falsification in red.
[May 28, 1931] Petitioner Antilano Mercado filed a petition for the probate
of the will of his deceased wife, Ines Basa, with the Pampanga CFI.
[June 31, 1931] The will was admitted to probate.
[October 27, 1932] Intervenor Rosario Basa de Leon filed with the justice
of the peace court of San Fernando, Pampanga, a complaint against
Mercado for falsification/forgery of the will probated. Mercado was
arrested. The complaint was subsequently dismissed at the instance of de
Leon herself.
[March 2, 1933] Same intervenor charged Mercado with the same offense,
this time in the justice of the peace court of Mexico, Pampanga. Mercado
was arrested again. The complaint was likewise dismissed, again at de
Leon’s instance.
[February 2, 1934] Same banana as on March 2, 1933. Upon due
investigation, the case was dismissed on the ground that the will alleged to
have been falsified has already been probated and that there was no
evidence that Mercado had forged the signature of the testatrix but that, on
the contrary, satisfactory evidence was presented that established the
authenticity of said signature.
[April 11, 1934] Rosario Basa de Leon and other intervenors moved ex
parte to reopen the probate proceedings, alleging lack of jurisdiction to
probate the will and to close the proceedings. This motion was denied,
having been filed ex parte.
[May 9, 1934] The provincial fiscal moved for reinvestigation of the
criminal case for forgery before the Pampanga CFI. The motion was
granted, and for the fourth time, Mercado was arrested. The reinvestigation
dragged on for almost a year…
[May 24, 1934] A second motion to reopen and close probate proceedings
was filed, this time with notice to the adverse party. Same was denied.
[February 18, 1935] … until the CFI ordered the forgery case to be tried
on the merits.
[July 26, 1935] Intervenors’ motion was appealed to the Supreme Court,
which affirmed the probate court’s order of denial.
[c. 1936~37] Mercado moved to dismiss the case, claiming again that the
will alleged to have been forged had already been probated and, further,
that the order probating the will is conclusive as to the authenticity and due
execution thereof. The CFI overruled the motion. Mercado thus filed a
petition for certiorari with preliminary injunction with the Court of
Appeals, which promptly denied same.
HENCE, THIS PETITION.
ISSUE:
EN BANC
LAUREL, J.:
On May 28, 1931, the petitioner herein filed in the Court of First
Instance of Pampanga a petition for the probate of the will of his
deceased wife, Ines Basa. Without any opposition, and upon the
testimony of Benigno F. Gabino, one of the attesting witnesses, the
probate court, on June 27,1931, admitted the will to probate. Almost
three years later, on April 11, 1934, the five intervenors herein moved
ex parte to reopen the proceedings, alleging lack of jurisdiction of the
court to probate the will and to close the proceedings. Because filed
ex parte, the motion was denied. The same motion was filed a second
time, but with notice to the adverse party. The motion was
nevertheless denied by the probate court on May 24, 1934. On appeal
to this court, the order of denial was affirmed on July 26, 1935. (Basa
vs. Mercado, 33 Off. Gaz., 2521.)
It appears that on October 27, 1932, i. e., sixteen months after the
probate of the will of Ines Basa, intervenor Rosario Basa de Leon filed
with the justice of the peace court of San Fernando, Pampanga, a
complaint against the petitioner herein, for falsification or forgery of the
will probated as above indicated. The petitioner was arrested. He put
up a bond in the sum of P4,000 and engaged the services of an
attorney to undertake his defense. Preliminary investigation of the
case was continued twice upon petition of the complainant. The
complaint was finally dismissed, at the instance of the complainant
herself, in an order dated December 8, 1932. Three months later, or
on March 2, 1933, the same intervenor charged the petitioner for the
second time with the same offense, presenting the complaint this time
in the justice of the peace court of Mexico, Pampanga. The petitioner
was again arrested, again put up a bond in the sum of P4,000, and
engaged the services of counsel to defend him. This second
complaint, after investigation, was also dismissed, again at the
instance of the complainant herself who alleged that the petitioner was
in poor health. That was on April 27, 1933. Some nine months later,
on February 2, 1934, to be exact, the same intervenor accused the
same petitioner for the third time of the same offense. The information
was filed by the provincial fiscal of Pampanga in the justice of the
peace court of Mexico. The petitioner was again arrested, again put
up a bond of P4,000, and engaged the services of defense counsel.
The case was dismissed on April 24, 1934, after due investigation, on
the ground that the will alleged to have been falsified had already
been probated and there was no evidence that the petitioner had
forged the signature of the testatrix appearing thereon, but that, on the
contrary, the evidence satisfactorily established the authenticity of the
signature aforesaid. Dissatisfied with the result, the provincial fiscal,
on May 9, 1934, moved in the Court of First Instance of Pampanga for
reinvestigation of the case. The motion was granted on May 23, 1934,
and, for the fourth time, the petitioner was arrested, filed a bond and
engaged the services of counsel to handle his defense. The
reinvestigation dragged on for almost a year until February 18, 1934,
when the Court of First Instance ordered that the case be tried on the
merits. The petitioner interposed a demurrer on November 25, 1935,
on the ground that the will alleged to have been forged had already
been probated. This demurrer was overruled on December 24, 1935,
whereupon an exception was taken and a motion for reconsideration
and notice of appeal were filed. The motion for reconsideration and
the proposed appeal were denied on January 14, 1936. The case
proceeded to trial, and forthwith petitioner moved to dismiss the case
claiming again that the will alleged to have been forged had already
been probated and, further, that the order probating the will is
conclusive as to the authenticity and due execution thereof. The
motion was overruled and the petitioner filed with the Court of Appeals
a petition for certiorari with preliminary injunction to enjoin the trial
court from further proceedings in the matter. The injunction was
issued and thereafter, on June 19, 1937, the Court of Appeals denied
the petition for certiorari, and dissolved the writ of preliminary
injunction. Three justices dissented in a separate opinion. The case is
now before this court for review on certiorari.
Petitioner contends (1) that the probate of the will of his deceased wife
is a bar to his criminal prosecution for the alleged forgery of the said
will; and, (2) that he has been denied the constitutional right to a
speedy trial.
(Emphasis ours.)
In Everrett vs. Wing (103 Vt., 488, 492), the Supreme Court of
Vermont held.
It was the case of Rex vs. Buttery, supra, which induced the Supreme
Court of Massachussetts in the case of Waters vs. Stickney (12 Allen
1; 90 Am. Dec., 122) also cited by the majority opinion, to hold that
"according to later and sounder decisions, the probate, though
conclusive until set aside of the disposition of the property, does not
protect the forger from punishment." This was reproduced in 28
R.C.L., p. 376, and quoted in Barry vs. Walker (103 Fla., 533; 137 So.,
711, 715), and Thompson vs. Freeman (149 So., 740, 742), also cited
in support of the majority opinion of the Court of Appeals. The
dissenting opinion of the Court of Appeals in the instant case under
review makes a cursory study of the statutes obtaining in England,
Massachussetts and Florida, and comes to the conclusion that the
decisions cited in the majority opinion do not appear to "have been
promulgated in the face of statutes similar to ours." The dissenting
opinion cites Whartons Criminal Evidence (11th ed., sec. 831), to
show that the probate of a will in England is only prima facie proof of
the validity of the will (Op. Cit. quoting Marriot vs. Marriot, 93 English
Reprint, 770); and 21 L.R.A. (pp. 686689 and note), to show that in
Massachussetts there is no statute making the probate of a will
conclusive, and that in Florida the statute(sec. 1810, Revised
Statutes) makes the probate conclusive evidence as to the validity of
the will with regard to personal, and prima facie as to real estate. The
cases decided by the Supreme Court of Florida cited by the majority
opinion, supra, refer to wills of both personal and real estate.
The petitioner cites the case of State vs. McGlynn (20 Cal., 233,
decided in 1862), in which Justice Norton of the Supreme Court of
California, makes the following review of the nature of probate
proceedings in England with respect to wills personal and real
property.
The intervenors, on the other hand, attempt to show that the English
law on wills is different from that stated in the case of State vs.
McGlynn, supra, citing the following statutes.
The Wills Act of 1837 provides that probate may be granted of "every
instrumental purporting to be testamentary and executed in
accordance with the statutory requirements . . . if it disposes of
property, whether personal or real." The Ecclesiastical Courts which
took charge of testamentary causes (Ewells Blackstone [1910], p.
460), were determined by the Court of Probate Act of 1857, and the
Court of Probate in turn was, together with other courts, incorporated
into the Supreme Court of Judicature, and transformed into the
Probate Division thereof, by the Judicature Act of 1873. (Lord
Halsbury, The Laws of England[1910], pp. 151156.) The intervenors
overlook the fact, however, that the case of Rex vs. Buttery and
Macnamarra, supra, upon which they rely in support of their theory
that the probate of a forged will does not protect the forger from
punishment, was decided long before the foregoing amendatory
statutes to the English law on wills were enacted. The case of State
vs. McGlynn may be considered, therefore, as more or less
authoritative on the law of England at the time of the promulgation of
the decision in the case of Rex vs. Buttery and Macnamarra.
Although in the foregoing case the information filed by the State was
to set aside the decree of probate on the ground that the will was
forged, we see no difference in principle between that case and the
case at bar. A subtle distinction could perhaps be drawn between
setting aside a decree of probate, and declaring a probated will to be a
forgery. It is clear, however, that a duly probated will cannot be
declared to be a forgery without disturbing in a way the decree
allowing said will to probate. It is at least anomalous that a will should
be regarded as genuine for one purpose and spurious for another.
In Conde vs. Rivera and Unson, supra, decided before the adoption of
our Constitution, we said.
In People vs. Castañeda and Fernandez, supra, this court found that
the accused had not been given a fair and impartial trial. The case
was to have been remanded to the court a quo for a new trial before
an impartial judge. This step, however, was found unnecessary. A
review of the evidence convinced this court that a judgment of
conviction for theft, as charged, could not be sustained and, having in
view the right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Constitution to every
person accused of crime, entered a judgment acquitting the accused,
with costs de oficio. We said.
In Kalaw vs. Apostol, supra, the petitioner invoked and this court
applied and gave effect to the doctrines stated in the second Conde
case, supra. In granting the writs prayed for, this court, after referring
to the constitutional and statutory provisions guaranteeing to persons
accused of crime the right to a speedy trial, said:
It is true that the provincial fiscal did not intervene in the case until
February 2, 1934, when he presented an information charging the
petitioner, for the third time, of the offense of falsification. This,
however, does not matter. The prosecution of offenses is a matter of
public interest and it is the duty of the government or those acting in
its behalf to prosecute all cases to their termination without
oppressive, capricious and vexatious delay. The Constitution does not
say that the right to a speedy trial may be availed of only where the
prosecution for crime is commenced and undertaken by the fiscal. It
does not exclude from its operation cases commenced by private
individuals. Where once a person is prosecuted criminally, he is
entitled to a speedy trial, irrespective of the nature of the offense or
the manner in which it is authorized to be commenced. In any event,
even the actuations of the fiscal himself in this case is not entirely free
from criticism. From October 27, 1932, when the first complaint was
filed in the justice of the peace court of San Fernando, to February 2,
1934, when the provincial fiscal filed his information with the justice of
the peace of Mexico, one year, three months and six days transpired;
and from April 27, 1933, when the second criminal complaint was
dismissed by the justice of the peace of Mexico, to February 2, 1934,
nine months and six days elapsed. The investigation following the
fourth arrest, made after the fiscal had secured a reinvestigation of the
case, appears also to have dragged on for about a year. There
obviously has been a delay, and considering the antecedent facts and
circumstances within the knowledge of the fiscal, the delay may not at
all be regarded as permissible. In Kalaw vs. Apostol, supra, we
observed that the prosecuting officer all prosecutions for public
offenses (secs. 1681 and 2465 of the Rev. Adm. Code), and that it is
his duty to see that criminal cases are heard without vexatious,
capricious and oppressive delays so that the courts of justice may
dispose of them on the merits and determine whether the accused is
guilty or not. This is as clear an admonition as could be made. An
accused person is entitled to a trial at the earliest opportunity.
(Sutherland on the Constitution, p. 664; United States vs. Fox, 3
Mont., 512.) He cannot be oppressed by delaying he commencement
of trial for an unreasonable length of time. If the proceedings pending
trial are deferred, the trial itself is necessarily delayed. It is not to be
supposed, of course, that the Constitution intends to remove from the
prosecution every reasonable opportunity to prepare for trial.
Impossibilities cannot be expected or extraordinary efforts required on
the part of the prosecutor or the court. As stated by the Supreme
Court of the United States, "The right of a speedy trial is necessarily
relative. It is consistent with delays and depends upon circumstances.
It secures rights to a defendant. It does not preclude the rights of
public justice." (Beavers vs. Haubert [1905], 198 U. S., 86; 25 S. Ct.,
573; 49 Law. ed., 950, 954.).
From the view we take of the instant case, the petitioner is entitled to
have the criminal proceedings against him quashed. The judgment of
the Court of Appeals is hereby reversed, without pronouncement
regarding costs. So ordered.
To allow the notary public to act as third witness, or one the attesting
and acknowledging witnesses, would have the effect of having only
two attesting witnesses to the will which would be in contravention of
the provisions of Article 80 be requiring at least three credible
witnesses to act as such and of Article 806 which requires that the
testator and the required number of witnesses must appear before the
notary public to acknowledge the will. The result would be, as has
been said, that only two witnesses appeared before the notary public
for or that purpose. In the circumstances, the law would not be duly in
observed.