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827
VOL.638,DECEMBER15,2010
Arellano vs. Pascual
827
PETITIONforreviewoncertiorariofadecisionoftheCourt
ofAppeals.
ThefactsarestatedintheopinionoftheCourt.
Ruben Purisima forpetitioner.
Danilo P. Cariagaforrespondents.
CARPIOMORALES,J.:
Angel N. Pascual Jr. died intestate on January 2, 1999
leaving as heirs his siblings, namely: petitioner Amelia P.
Arellano who is represented by her daughters1 Agnes P.
Arellano (Agnes) and Nona P. Arellano, and respondents
FranciscoPascualandMiguelN.Pascual.2
InapetitionforJudicialSettlementofIntestateEstate
and Issuance of Letters of Administration, docketed as
Special Proceeding Case No. M5034, filed by respondents
onApril28,2000beforetheRegionalTrialCourt(RTC)of
Makati,respondentsalleged,inter alia,
_______________
1Records(Vol.II),p.646.
2Id.,atp.542.
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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Arellano vs. Pascual
Theprobatecourtthereafterpartitionedthepropertiesof
theintestateestate.Thusitdisposed:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered
declaringthat:
1.The property covered by TCT No. 181889 of the Register of
DeedsofMakatiaspartoftheestateofAngelN.Pascual;
_______________
3Records(Vol.I),p.137.
4CARolloatp.29.
5Id.,atp.30.
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VOL.638,DECEMBER15,2010
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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Arellano vs. Pascual
eredbyOCTNo.2159,tobedividedequallybetweenthem
up to the extent that each of their share have been
equalizedwiththeactualvalueofthepropertyin5(a)atthe
timeofdonation,thevalueofwhichshallbedeterminedby
an independent appraiser to be designated by Amelia P.
Arellano, Miguel N. Pascual and Francisco N. Pascual. If
therealpropertiesarenotsufficienttoequalizetheshares,
thenFranciscosandMiguelssharesmaybesatisfiedfrom
either in cash property or shares of stocks, at the rate of
quotation. The remaining properties shall be divided
equally among Francisco, Miguel and Amelia. (emphasis
andunderscoringsupplied)
Before the Court of Appeals, petitioner faulted the trial
courtinholdingthat
I
. . . THE PROPERTY DONATED TO APPELLANT AMELIA
PASCUAL ARELLANO IS PART OF THE ESTATE OF ANGEL
PASCUAL,JR.
II
...THEPROPERTYDONATEDTOAPPELLANTISSUBJECTTO
COLLATIONUNDERARTICLE1061OFTHENEWCIVILCODE.
III
...APPELLEESWHOAREMERELYCOLLATERALRELATIVES
OFDECEASEDANGELN.PASCUALJR.ASHISCOMPULSORY
HEIRSENTITLEDTOLEGITIMES.
xxxx
and
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VOL.638,DECEMBER15,2010
831
Theappellatecourt,however,heldthat,contrarytothe
ruling of the probate court, herein petitioner was able to
submitprima facie evidenceofsharesofstocksownedbythe
[decedent] which have not been included in the inventory
submittedbytheadministrator.
Thus,theappellatecourtdisposed,quoted verbatim:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the present appeal is
herebyPARTLYGRANTED.TheDecisiondatedJanuary29,2008
of the Regional Trial Court of Makati City, Branch 135 in Special
Proceeding Case No. M5034 is hereby REVERSED and SET
ASIDEinsofarastheorderofinclusionofpropertiesoftheIntestate
Estate of Angel N. Pascual, Jr. as well as the partition and
distributionofthesametothecoheirsareconcerned.
The case is hereby REMANDED to the said court for further
proceedings in accordance with the disquisitions herein.9
(underscoringsupplied)
PetitionersPartialMotionforReconsideration10having
been denied by the appellate court by Resolution11 of
October7,2009,the
_______________
7 Penned by now Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin S.
Villarama,Jr.,andconcurredinbyAssociateJusticesJoseC.Reyes,Jr.
andNormandieB.Pizarro,Rollo,pp.2141.
8Id.,atp.37.
9Id.,atpp.4041.
10CARolloatp.138.
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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Arellano vs. Pascual
Petitionersthusraisetheissuesofwhethertheproperty
donatedtopetitionerissubjecttocollation;andwhetherthe
property of the estate should have been ordered equally
distributedamongtheparties.
Onthefirstissue:
Thetermcollationhastwodistinctconcepts:first,itisa
meremathematicaloperationbytheadditionofthevalueof
donations made by the testator to the value of the
hereditary estate; and second, it is the return to the
hereditaryestateofpropertydisposedofbylucrativetitleby
thetestatorduringhislifetime.13
_______________
11Rolloatp.43.
12Id.,atpp.1314.
13IIITolentino,1992 Edition,p. 332, citing 10 Fabres 295299 Colin
&Capitant526528;211Ruggiero 394; 5 Planiol & Ripert 67; De Buen;
8Colin&Capitant340.
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VOL.638,DECEMBER15,2010
833
Thedecedentnothavingleftanycompulsoryheirwhois
entitledtoanylegitime,hewasatlibertytodonateallhis
properties,evenifnothingwasleftforhissiblingscollateral
relatives to inherit. His donation to petitioner, assuming
that it was valid,18 is deemed as donation made to a
stranger,chargeableagainstthefreeportionof
_______________
14IIITOLENTINO,1992 Edition,pp.331332,citing6Manresa406.
15IIITOLENTINO,1992 Edition,p.337,citing6Manresa413.
16Article886,CivilCode.
17IIITOLENTINO,1992 Edition,p.252.
18ItappearsthatitsvalidityisinissueinSp.Proc.No.M3893(for
guardianshipoverthepersonandestateofAngelN.Pascual,Jr.)before
Br.139oftheMakatiRTC,vide petition,par.6,Record,pp.14.
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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNOTATED
Arellano vs. Pascual
theestate.19Therebeingnocompulsoryheir,however,the
donatedpropertyisnotsubjecttocollation.
Onthesecondissue:
The decedents remaining estate should thus be
partitioned equally among his heirssiblingscollateral
relatives, herein petitioner and respondents, pursuant to
theprovisionsoftheCivilCode,viz:
Art. 1003.Iftherearenodescendants,ascendants,illegitimate
children,orasurvivingspouse,thecollateralrelativesshallsucceed
totheentireestateofthedeceasedinaccordancewiththefollowing
articles.(underscoringsupplied)
Art. 1004.Shouldtheonlysurvivorsbebrothersandsistersof
thefullblood,theyshallinherit in equal shares. (emphasis and
underscoringsupplied)
WHEREFORE,thepetitionisGRANTED.TheCourtof