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SUPREME COURT
MANILA
THIRD DIVISION
GLENN
M.
MILLER,
SUBSTITUTED
BY
HIS
SURVIVING
LEGAL
HEIRS,
NAMELY: (1) EVELYN R. MILLER;
(2) JENNIFER ANN L. MILLER;
(3) LESLIE ANN L. MILLER; (4)
RACHEL ANN L. MILLER; AND
(5) VALERIE ANN L. MILLER,
Petitioners,
G.R. NO. 200344
MEMORANDUM
RESPONDENTS, by counsel, in compliance with the Honorable
Courts Resolution dated June 2, 2014, a copy of which was received
on July 17, 2014,1 most respectfully aver:
STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS
1. Elevated to this Honorable Court on a petition for review on
certiorari under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court are the Decision dated
June 30, 2011 and Resolution dated February 3, 2012 rendered by
the Court of Appeals.
On August 15, 2014, the undersigned filed before this Honorable Court a Motion for Extension of Time to
File Memorandum, asking for an extension of thirty (30) days from August 16, 2014 or until September 15,
2014 within which to file the said pleading.
4.1. Finally, the instant case was filed by Glenn Miller to harass
her because she had filed a Petition for Partition and Accounting of
John Millers estate with prayer for Preliminary Attachment,
Receivership, Support and Damages before the Regional Trial Court
of Masbate, Branch 48, alleging in the main that Joan Miller is the
illegitimate child of John M. Miller, as evidence by Joans Certificate
of Live Birth.
5. Trial on the merits ensued. Glenn emphasized the fact that
John Miller did not sign the space for the acknowledgment of Joan as
his child in the latters birth certificate. Likewise, the respondents
documentary evidence (i.e., alleged holographic will dated July 1985,
the letters dated July 5, 1984 and February 14, 1987) were not
authenticated.4
6. On November 26, 2004, the trial court rendered the assailed
Decision,5 disposing as follows:
WHEREFORE, judgment is hereby rendered
in favor of the respondents and against the petitioner
by:
(a)
petition;
(b)
Ordering respondent, Joan E. Miller to
continue using the surname Miller;
(c)
Ordering the respondent Local Civil
Registrar of Gubat, Sorsogon to maintain the status
quo and never to amend nor change the certificate of
live birth of Joan Miller y Espenida;
(d)
Likewise, ordering the dismissal of the
respondents counterclaim;
(e)
Ordering the petitioner to pay the costs
of the proceedings.
SO ORDERED.
Regional Trial Court Decision, p. 3, attached as Annex V to the Petition for Review.
Annex V of the Petition for Review.
6
Copy of the Appellants Brief is attached as Annex W of the Petition for Review.
7
Annex X of the Petition for Review.
8
Annex Y of the Petition for Review.
5
2.
2.
10.3. Moreover, petitioners stressed the fact that the late John
Miller did not sign in the acknowledgement portion of the said birth
certificates.23
10.4. In addition, petitioners asseverated in their Reply that
Republic Act No. 9255 has no retroactive application. The retroactive
provision in its Implementing Rules and Regulations (Rule 11)
conflicts with the law itself, hence, the latter should prevail. 24
11. Respondent Joan begs to disagree from the foregoing
propositions.
11.1. In Alba v. Court of Appeals25 this Honorable Court held:
In Wang v. Cebu Civil Registrar, it was
held that an illegitimate child whose filiation is
not recognized by the father, bears only a
given name and his mothers surname. The
name of the unrecognized illegitimate child
identifies him as such. It is only when said
child is recognized that he may use his
fathers surname, reflecting his status as
an acknowledged illegitimate child.
(Emphasis supplied)
11.2. This Honorable Court reiterated the above
pronouncement in Republic of the Philippines v. Capote,26 viz:
Our laws on the use of surnames state
that legitimate and legitimated children shall
principally use the surname of the father. The
Family Code gives legitimate children the right
to bear the surnames of the father and the
mother, while illegitimate children shall use
the surname of their mother, unless their
father recognizes their filiation, in which
case they may bear the fathers surname.
(Emphasis supplied)
11.3. In the case at bar, the Court of Appeals correctly held that
respondent Joans presentation of a holographic will executed by his
late father John Miller, whereby the latter disposed 1/8 share of his
23
estate to her, apart from his letters Lennie, conveying his love and
affection to Lennie and Joan, and Johns designation of his legitimate
daughter, Betty Miller, as trustee of Joan's share in the inheritance
during the latter's minority,27 sufficiently established the latters
illegitimate filiation.
11.4. Undoubtedly, through the above pieces of documentary
evidence, John had clearly recognized Joan as his daughter; hence,
the latter may use his surname pursuant to law and well-settled
jurisprudence.
11.5. [T]he due recognition of an illegitimate child in a record of
birth, a will, a statement before a court of record, or in any authentic
writing is, in itself, a consummated act of acknowledgment of the
child, and no further court action is required.28
11.6. Article 176 of the Family Code, as amended by R.A.
9255, permits an illegitimate child to use the surname of his/her
father if the latter had expressly recognized him/her as his offspring
through the record of birth appearing in the civil register, or through
an admission made in a public or private handwritten instrument. The
recognition made in any of these documents is, in itself, a
consummated act of acknowledgment of the childs paternity; hence,
no separate action for judicial approval is necessary. 29 (Underscoring
supplied)
11.7. The voluntary recognition of an illegitimate child by his or
her parent needs no further court action and is, therefore, not subject
to the limitation that the action for recognition be brought during the
lifetime of the putative parent.30
11.8. Similarly, in Dela Cruz v. Gracia,31 this Honorable Court
held:
Article 176 of the Family Code, as
amended by R.A. 9255, permits an illegitimate
child to use the surname of his/her father if the
latter had expressly recognized him/her as his
offspring through the record of birth appearing
in the civil register, or through an admission
made in a public or private handwritten
instrument. The recognition made in any of
27
10
subject law is more imagined than real. At any rate, the provisions of
R.A. No. 9255 and its implementing rules must be harmonized as far
as practicable.
11.13. To reiterate, Joans filiation has been expressly admitted
and recognized by John Miller in several private handwritten
instruments. Petitioners asseveration that the said pieces of
documentary evidence were not authentic34 cannot be sustained.
11.14. As a rule, forgery cannot be presumed and must be
proved by clear, positive and convincing evidence and the burden of
proof lies on the party alleging forgery.35 Likewise, considering that
the petitioners assert that the respondent's documentary evidence
were forgeries, they have the bounden duty to prove such affirmative
allegation. It is a basic rule in evidence that each party must prove his
affirmative allegation. The burden of evidence lies with the party who
asserts an affirmative allegation.36 "He who alleges a fact has the
burden of proving it and a mere allegation is not evidence." 37
11.15. As mandated by the Rules of Court each party must
prove his own affirmative allegation, i.e., one who asserts the
affirmative of the issue has the burden of presenting at the trial such
amount of evidence required by law to obtain a favorable judgment:
by preponderance of evidence in civil cases, and by proof beyond
reasonable doubt in criminal cases. 38
11.16. Undeniably, petitioners failed to establish that
respondent's documentary evidence were forgeries. Apart from Glenn
Miller's bare allegation, no witness, whether expert or not, was
presented. Also, no comparison of John's authentic handwriting
samples with the one appearing on the questioned documents was
ever made.
17. Finally, it has been held that: [o]ur laws instruct that the
welfare of the child shall be the "paramount consideration" in
resolving questions affecting him. Article 3(1) of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of a Child of which the Philippines is a
signatory is similarly emphatic:
Article 3
34
11
RELIEF
WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully
prayed of this Honorable Court that the instant Petition be
DISMISSED and that the Decision of the Court of Appeals, Ninth
Division, dated June 30, 2011 and Resolution dated February 3, 2012
be AFFIRMED.
Other reliefs just and equitable are likewise prayed for.
Quezon City for Manila,
September 15, 2014.
Department of Justice
PUBLIC ATTORNEYS OFFICE
Special and Appealed Cases Service
DOJ Agencies Bldg., NIA Road corner East Avenue
Diliman 1104 Quezon City
Tel. Nos. 928-91-37/ 929-94-36 loc. 111
By:
PERSIDA V. RUEDA-ACOSTA
Chief Public Attorney
39
Supra, note 29
12
MARVIN R. OSIAS
Public Attorney IV
Roll No. 41644
IBP OR No. 915158; 1-02-14
MCLE Compliance Certificate No. IV-0004780;
3-5-2012
ERIC A. CRISOSTOMO
Public Attorney III
Roll No. 53848
IBP Lifetime Membership No. 06630; 4-12-2007
MCLE Compliance Certificate No. IV-0004796;
3-5-2012
&
TERRY JOY P. BARBOZA-JALECO
Public Attorney III
Roll No. 53728
IBP Lifetime Membership No. 010026; 5-112011
MCLE Compliance Certificate No. IV-0011244;
1-07-2013
EXPLANATION
13
Court of Appeals
Ma. Orosa Street, Ermita, Manila
(CA GR CV No. 84826)
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