TOMAS Corpus vs. RAFAEL Corpus 85 SCRA 567 AQUINO, October !

, "#78 FACTS$ RAMONA ARGUELLES and TOMAS CORPUS were married, blessed with 5 children: PA LO CORPUS, !OSE CORPUS and " #thers$ %hen TOMAS CORPUS &'E&, RAMONA wed LU'S RA(AEL )ANGCO and had * rec#+ni,ed ac-n#wled+ed nat.ral children, #ne #/ them was the decedent TEORORO )ANGCO$ 0TEO&ORO )an+c# died #n A1ril 23, 45"5$ 6is will was dated A.+.st 25, 45"* and was 1r#bated 45*4$ At the time #/ his death, he had n# /#rced heirs$ 6e #nl7 had his hal/ br#ther 8LU'S )ANGCO9, hal/ sister 8PA: )ANGCO9, wi/e #/ Mi+.el Oss#ri# 8AMAL'A CORPUS9, the children #/ his hal/ br#ther Pabl# C#r1.s 8!OSE and RAMON9 and the da.+hter #/ his hal/ br#ther !#se C#r1.s 8!UANA;!UAN'TA CORPUS9$ !.anita died in 45**$ 0P.rs.ant t# the #rder #/ the 1r#bate c#.rt, a 1r#<ect #/ 1artiti#n dated N#=ember 2>, 45*5 was s.bmitted b7 the administrat#r and the le+atees named in the will$ The said 1r#<ect was c#ntested b7 the /#ll#win+, #n the /#ll#win+ +r#.nds 8#11#sit#rs9: ? Estate of LUIS YANGCO: intestac7 sh#.ld be declared beca.se the will d#es n#t c#ntain an instit.ti#n #/ heir ? JUANITA Corpus, PEDRO MARTINEZ an JULIANA DE CASTO, t!rou"! ATTY# CRUZ: the 1r#1#sed 1artiti#n was n#t in c#n/#rmit7 with the will as the testat#r intended that the estate sh#.ld be CONSER@E& and n#t 1h7sicall7 1aritit#ned$ 0Ne=ertheless, the 1r#<ect #/ 1artiti#n was a11r#=ed b7 the Pr#bate c#.rt, in essence h#ldin+ that the testat#r did n#t reall7 intend t# a 1er1et.al 1r#hibiti#n a+ainst alienati#n when he stated that s#me #/ his estate be c#nser=ed$ 0#11#sit#rs a11ealed t# SC b.t a11eal dismissed a/ter the le+atees and the a11ellants entered int# c#m1r#mise a+reements wherein the le+atees a+reed t# 1a7 P"5- t# PE&RO MART'NE:, the heirs #/ P'O CORPUS, the heirs #/ 'SA EL CORPUS, and the heir #/ !UAN'TA CORPUS A her s#n TOMAS CORPUS$ (#r the estate #/ L.is )an+c#, a similar c#m1r#mise a+reement was entered$ The dismissal #/ the a11eal became /inal and eBec.t#r7$ 0P.rs.ant t# the c#m1r#mise a+reement, T#mas C#r1.s si+ned a recei1t ac-n#wled+in+ that he recei=ed /r#m the )an+c# estate P2- as Csettlement in /.ll #/ m7 share #/ the c#m1r#mise a+reement as 1er .nderstandin+ with !.d+e R#man Cr.,, #.r att#rne7 in this caseD$ The le+atees eBec.ted an a+reement /#r the settlement and 1h7sical 1artiti#n #/ the )an+c# estate which was a11r#=ed b7 the 1r#bate c#.rt in 45*5$ 45*5 1r#<ect #/ 1artiti#n was pro tanto m#di/ied$ 0TOMAS CORPUS still /iled acti#n t# rec#=er !UAN'TAEs s.11#sed share in )an+c#Es intestate estate, alle+in+ that the dis1#siti#ns in )an+c#Es will sin+ 1er1et.al 1r#hibiti#ns .1#n alienati#n which rendered it =#id .nder AFG5, OCC and that 45*5 1artiti#n is in=alid$ The decedentEs estate sh#.ld ha=e been distrib.ted acc#rdin+ t# the r.les #n intestac7$ 0TC: &'SM'SS: Res !.dicata and laches$ 0directl7 a11ealed t# SC 0Petiti#nerEs c#ntenti#n: trial c#.rt erred in h#ldin+ 849 Te#d#r# )an+c# was a nat.ral childH 829 Te#d#r# )an+c#Es will had been d.l7 le+ali,edH 8"9 Plainti//Es acti#n is barred b7 res <.dicata and laches$ ISSUE$ %ON !UAN'TA CORPUS, TOMAS CORPUSE m#m, was a le+al heir #/ TEO&ORO )ANGCO s# that his m#m w#.ld ha=e a ca.se #/ acti#n t# rec#=er a s.11#sed intestate share in the estate$ (the court deemed it unnecessary to determine if the will has been duly legalized and whether his action has already been barred by laches) %EL&$ NO. !UAN'TA CORPUS, the 1etiti#nerEs m#ther, was NOT A LEGAL 6E'R #/ )an+c# beca.se there is NO REC'PROCAL SUCCESS'ON between le+itimate and ille+itimate relati=es$ NCC: An ille+itimate child has n# ri+ht t# inherit ab intestate /r#m the le+itimate children and relati=es #/ his /ather #r m#therH n#r shall s.ch children #r relati=es inherit in the same manner /r#m the le+itimate child$ A552 is based #n the the#r7 that the ille+itimate child is dis+race/.ll7 l##-ed .1#n b7 the le+itimate /amil7 while the le+itimate /amil7 is, in t.rn, hated b7 the le+itimate child$ The Law d#es n#t rec#+ni,e bl##d tie and see-s t# a=#id /.rther +r#.nds #/ resentment$ TEO&ORO )ANGCO, and " #ther children, was ACINO%LE&GE& NATURAL C6'L& and NOT A LEG'T'MATE C6'L&, #/ LU'S RA(AEL )ANGCO and RAMONA ARGUELLES$ !OSE CORPUSwas the 1res.med le+itimate child #/ TOMAS CORPUS and RAMONA ARGUELLES$ There/#re, TOMAS CORPUS 8Petiti#ner9 had n# ca.se #/ acti#n /#r the rec#=er7 #/ the s.11#sed hereditar7 share #/ his m#ther, !UAN'TA CORPUS, as le+al heir in )ANGCOEs estate$ 0Le+itimate relati=es #/ the m#ther cann#t s.cceed her ille+itimate child$ 0The nat.ral child cann#t re1resent his nat.ral /ather in the s.ccessi#n t# the estate #/ the le+itimate +rand1arent$ 0The nat.ral da.+hter cann#t s.cceed t# the estate #/ her deceased .ncle, a le+itimate br#ther #/ her nat.ral m#ther$ D$spos$t$on# %6ERE(ORE the l#wer c#.rtJs <.d+ment is a//irmed$ N# c#sts$ SO OR&ERE&$