Belen v BPI
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Belen v BPI digest...
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Onesima Belen v BPI and Milagros Belen De Olaguera October 31, 1960| Reyes, J.B.L., J. | Legacies and Devises Digester: Anna ic!ae""a Lingat
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SUMMARY: Benigno Dia# $ade a codici" na$ing %i"o$ena Dia# as one o& t'e "egatees. Benigno died and 'is (i"" (as ad$itted &or )robate and t'e estate (as )*t *nder t'e ad$inistration o& B+ as tr*stee. -'en %i"o$ena died, s'e "e&t t(o c'i"dren i"agros Be"en v de O"ag*era /$arried (it' "egiti$ate c'i"dren and Onesi$a Be"en /sing"e. Onesi$a 2"ed a )etition )raying t'at B+ be ordered to de"iver to 'er one'a"& o& 'er s'are. 4'e contends t'at t'e estate o& %i"o$ena *nder a codici" s'o*"d on"y be divided bet(een 'er and i"agros, to t'e e5c"*sion o& t'e c'i"dren. % 'e"d t'at t'e c'i"dren s'o*"d be i nc"*ded. Onesi$a invo!es Art 979 ('ere 8a distrib*tion $ade in genera" ter$s in &avor o& t'e testator s'a"" be *nderstood as $ade in &avor o& t'ose nearest in degree. 'e o*rt r*"ed t'at t'e (ords 8s*s descendientes "egiti$os in t'e codici" o& Benigno Dia# re&er to a"" "iving descendants and not on"y to descendants nearest in degree. DOCTRINE: 'e (ord 8descendant $*st be inter)reted, in t'e absence o& ot'er indications o& contrary intent, in t'at t'e )ro)er r*"e to a))"y is t'at t'e testator, by designating a c"ass or gro*) o& "egatees, intended a"" $e$bers to s*cceed )er ca)ita. FACTS: On 4e)te$ber ;9, 19 ?estor . 4antiago /10>
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-'en Dia# died, t'e codici" (as ad$itted to )robate. 'e estate (as t'erea&ter )*t *nder t'e ad$inistration o& B+ as tr*stee &or t'e bene2t o& t'e "egatees. en years "ater, "ater, %i"o$ena Dia# died, "eaving t(o "egiti$ate c'i"dren, i"agros Be"en de O"ag*era /$arried (it' "egiti$ate c'i"dren and Onesi$a Be"en /sing"e. Onesi$a 2"ed a )etition in 4)ecia" +roceedings contending t'at t'e estate o& %i"o$ena *nder t'e codici" s'o*"d on"y be divided bet(een 'er and i"agros, to t'e e5c"*sion o& t'e "egiti$ate c'i"dren o& i"agros. Onesi$a, as "egatee, )rayed t'at B+ be ordered to de"iver 'er one'a"& o& ('atever s'are is d*e to %i"o$ena Dia#. 'e o*rt denied t'is )etition and 'e"d t'at t'e s'are o& %i"o$ena s'o*"d a"so be distrib*ted a$ong 'er grandc'i"dren. Descendientes inc"*de not on"y c'i"dren b*t a"so grandc'i"dren. One $ay be a d escendant b*t not yet an 'eir and vice versa. Onesi$a a))ea"ed to t'is o*rt and arg*ed t'at: 'e inter)retation o& "a*se 10 o& t'e cod ici" o& t'e (i"" o& o Benigno Dia# 'as not been a@ir$ed in t'e )revio*s case Arg*e""es v Be"en de O"ag*era. o 'e ter$ 8s*s descendeintes "egiti$os as *sed in t'e codici", s'o*"d be inter)reted to $ean descendants nearest in t'e degree to t'e origina" "egatee %i"o$ena. n t'is case, t'ey are 'er t(o da*g'ters /i"agros and Onesi$a t'ereby e5c"*ding t'e seven grandc'i"dren o& said "egatee.
RUIN!: J*dg$ent is a@ir$ed "#e$#er $#e %ords &sus des'endien$es legi$imos( (their legitimate descendants) re)er descendants) re)er 'on*oin$l+ $o all living des'endan$ ,'#ildren and grand'#ildren- o) $#e lega$ee. as a 'lass ,or do $#e+ re)er $o $#e des'endan$s neares$ in degree-/ 0 YES. i$ re)ers $o all living des'endan$s1 Onesi$a arg*es: t'e )'rase s'o*"d be ta!en to $ean t'e re"atives nearest in degree. 4'e invo!es Artic"e 979 o& t'e ivi" ode o& t'e +'i"i))ines: A distrib*tion $ade in genera" ter$s in &avor o& t'e testators re"atives s'a"" be *nderstood as $ade in &avor o& t'ose nearest in degree. Art 979 is s)eci2ca""y "i$ited in its a))"ication to t'e case ('ere t'e bene2ciaries are re"atives o& t'e testator, not t'ose o& t'e "egatee. n s*c' an event, t'e "a( ass*$es t'at t'e testator intended to re&er to t'e r*"es o& intestacy, in order to bene2t t'e re"atives c"osest to 'i$. •
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anresa: "a ra#on y "a "ogica 'a cen &*ndada$ente s*)oner C*e, a" )roc*rar este &avorecer a s*s )arientes, 'abria de a*starse $as a "igadas a" $is$o /testador )or "os vinc*"os de "a sanger y de "a &a$i"ia rans"ated: by reason and "ogic, (e can reasonab"y ass*$e o t'at, in see!ing t'is &avor t'eir re"atives, (o*"d 'ave to con&or$ $ore to co$e (it' it /testator by t'e ties o& &a$i"y and sanger/= 'ere is no "ogica" reason in t'is case to )res*$e t'at t'e testator intended to re&er to t'e r*"es o& intestacy, &or 'e )recise"y $ade a testa$ent and )rovided s*bstit*tes &or eac' "egatee nor can it be said t'at 'is a@ections (o*"d )re&er t'e nearest re"atives o& t'e "egatee to t'ose $ore distant, since 'e envisages a"" o& t'e$ in a gro*), and on"y as $ere s*bstit*tes &or a )re&erred bene2ciary. 'ere are vario*s reasons against a))"y ing Art 979 by ana"ogy. Ender t'is artic"e, t'e nearest o& e5c"*de a"" t'e &art'er o re"atives and rig't o& re)resentation does not o)erate. 'e 'istory o& Art 71 /o& 1FF9 ode s'o(n t'at t'e rig't o o& re)resentation (as de"iberate"y s*))ressed. 'e res*"t (o*"d be t'at by a))"ying to t'e descendants o& %i"ore$a Dia# t'e Gnearest re"ativesG r*"e o& Ar tic"e 979, t'e in'eritance (o*"d be "i$ited to 'er c'i"dren, or anyone o& t'e$, e5c"*ding t'e grandc'i"dr en a"toget'er. 'is co*"d 'ard"y be t'e intention o& t'e testator ('o, in t'e sa$e c"a*se 10 o& 'is co*nci" /ante, s)ea!s o& Gc*atro 'ios de $i di&*nto 'er$ano %abianG and o& G"os 'ios de Do$ingo Legarda,G as (e"" as o& Gdescendientes "egiti$osG o& t'e ot'er "egates, to *s indicating c"ear"y t'at 'e *nderstood (e"" t'at 'ios and descendientes are not synony$o*s ter$s. t is s*ggested t'at Gdescendientes "egiti$osG co*"d $ean t'e nearest descendant b*t (it' t'e rig't o& re)resentation i n &avor o& t'e $ore distant re"atives. 'e testator (as at "iberty to )rovide a series o& s*ccessive s*bstit*tions in t'e order o& )ro5i$ity o& re"ations'i) to t'e origina" "egatee. And 'e, "i!e(ise, (as &ree to ordain t'at t'e $ore distant descendants s'o*"d enoy t'e rig't o& re)resentation as in intestate s*ccession. Ho(ever, it is necessary t'at t'e testator 'ad: /a Reected, or intended to reect, t'e rig 't o& accretion o a$ong co'eirs and co"egatees, as estab"is'ed &or testa$entary s*ccessions by Artic"es 1016 /o"d Art. 9F;
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and 1019, and intended to r e)"ace s*c' accretion (it' re)resentation o /b Re&*sed, "i!e(ise, t'e r*"e o& Artic"e F
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