Baritua v. CA digest

Baritua v. CA (Mar. 22, 1990)  Abraham F. F. Sarmiento, Sarmiento, J.: J.: Domingo Luenario !or "etitioner#. $rne#to A. Atien%a Atien%a !or "rivate re#"on&ent#. CAPTION/PROBLEM:  'rie  'rie oi&e& *ith bu#, trie &river &ie&. Bu# o"erator #ette& *ith trie &river+# e#trange& *i!e. A ear ear ater, trie &river+# "arent# #ue& bu# o"erator !or &amage# aeging that the atter "romi#e& to in&emni! them !or the &eath o! the #on, hi# !unera e"en#e# an& the &amage& trie (*hih *a# aege& bought *ith the "arent#+ mone). -ho i# entite& to the in&emnit  the e#trange& *i!e or the "arent#/ HELD: 'rie HELD: 'rie &river+# "arent# annot aim beau#e the are not hi# om"u#or heir#. i# *i!e an& hi& are the om"u#or heir#. S"ou#e onur# *ith a a##e# o! heir# but "arent# are om"u#or heir# on *hen &ee&ent &ie# *ithout a egitimate &e#en&ant. FACTS •

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ov. , 199 3 B4$5$4D6 aario+# trie trie oi&e& *ith 7B Bu# o. 80 o"erate& b  7o#e BA4'A an& &riven b $&gar B4'AC6, B4'AC6, aong the ationa igh*a, San Caetano, Baao, CamSur. Bienveni&o an& hi# "a##enger &ie& beau#e o! the ai&ent. Bienveni&o *a# #urvive& b hi# e#trange& *i!e AL4C4A Baraena (*ith *hom he ha& a hi&), an& hi# ;A$'S, 4C6LAS an& 54C'64A aario. Mar. 2, 1980  'he bu# om"an+# in#urer "ai& ;18,<00 to Aiia b virtue o! an etra3=u&iia #ettement *herein Aiia agree& to not to "ro#eute Baritua an& Bitanor !or her hu#ban&+# &eath. She eeute& a >eea#e o! Caim? in !avor o! Baritua, Bitanor, an& the in#urer reea#ing them o !rom a aim# an& &amage# re#uting !rom the ai&ent *hih @ie& Bienveni&o. Se". 2, 1981  ioa# an& 5itoria !ie& a #uit !or &amage# be!ore the CamSur CF4 again#t Baritua an& Bitanor. ;arent# aege& that Baritua *ent to Bienveni&o+# *a@e an& "romi#e& them in&emnit !or o Bienveni&o+# &eath, the !unera e"en#e#, an& the &amage& trie (*hih *a# bought !rom mone oane& b the "arent# to their #on). CFI dismissed the complait, complait , ho&ing that the "ament to Aiia (an& the hi&) etingui#he& an aim again#t Baritua et.a. !or the &eath o! Bienveni&o #ine Aiia an& her hi& are the "re!erre& heir# an& #ue##or#3in3intere#t #ue##or#3in3intere#t o! Bienveni&o. CA !e"e!sed the CFI, CFI, ho&ing that: 'he "arent# brought the a#e in their "er#ona a"ait an& not a# heir#. o  Aiia ou& not have vai& *aive& *aive& the aim o! the "arent# #ine #ine #he *a# not the one *ho o #u!!ere& #uh &amage#. 'he "arent# *ere abe to e#tabi#h that the bought the trie an& Baritua et.a. !aie& to "rove o other*i#e, hene the mu#t "a !or the &amage to the trie.  A-AD:  A-AD: ;10,000.00 !or !or the &amage o! the the trie, ;<,000.00 ;<,000.00 !or >om"ete? >om"ete? !unera #ervie#, #ervie#, o ;<0.00 !or emeter ot, ;<<.00 !or oracion adulto, adulto, an& ;<,000.00 !or attorne+# !ee#. Baritua an& Bitanor a""eae& to the SC.

ISS#E $HELD% - Baritua et.a. are #ti iabe to "a &amage# to the "arent# &e#"ite the etra3=u&iia #ettement *ith the *i!e $NO% RATIO • •

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CC 121(1): 6bigation# are etingui#he& b "ament or "er!ormane. CC 120: ;ament #ha be ma&e to the "er#on in *ho#e !avor the obigation ha# been on#titute&, or hi# #ue##or in intere#t, or an "er#on authori%e& to reeive it. 4t ha# been e#tabi#he& that Baritua et.a. have "ai& the aim to Aiia. 'he ue#tion no*: 4# Aiia entite& to #uh "ament/  Aor&ing to CC 88, 88, o. 2, egitimate egitimate "arent# an& a#en&ant# a#en&ant# beome om"u#or om"u#or heir# in in &e!aut o! egitimate hi&ren an& &e#en&ant#. CC 98< "rovi&e#: >4n &e!aut o! egitimate hi&ren an& &e#en&ant# o! the &eea#e&, hi# "arent# an& a#en&ant# #ha inherit !rom him, to the eu#ion o! oatera reative#.? 6n the other han&, CC 88 a#o "rovi&e# that the #urviving #"ou#e i# a#o a om"u#or heirE an& #he i# not eu&e& b the egitimate hi&ren&e#en&ant# or b the egitimate "arent#a#en&ant#. SC: >It >It is patently clear that the parents of the deceased succeed only when the latter dies without a legitimate descendant. On the other hand, the surviving spouse concurs with all classes of heirs. ?

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'here!ore Bienveni&o+# om"u#or heir# an& #ue##or#3in3intere#t are Aiia an& the hi&. ioa# an& 5itoria are not om"u#or heir#. Baritua et.a. *ere there!ore orret in #etting the aim *ith Aiia, a# #he i# the *i&o* an& the guar&ian o! Bienveni&o+# hi&. ioa# an& 5itoria an no onger reover the "urha#e "rie o! the trie an& the !unera e"en#e# !rom Baritua et.a. #ine their obigation ha# been etingui#he& *ith the "ament to Aiia. 'heir "ro"er reour#e i# again#t the e#tate o! Bienveni&o, #ine he i# the aege& &ebtor.

DISPOSITION: ;etition grante&. CA &ei#ion #et a#i&e, CF4 &ei#ion rein#tate&.