ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | August 29, 2023
Dear Chief Acosta,
Ang aking mga magulang ay hindi kasal sa kabila nang halos tatlong dekada nilang pagsasama.
Noong taong 2020 ay namatay ang aking ama, samantalang ang kanyang ama, na aking lolo ay namatay naman noong nakaraang buwan lamang. Ang mana na naiwan ng aking lolo ay pinaghati-hatian ng dalawang kapatid at ina ng aking ama. Hindi nila binigyan ng mana ang aking ama, sapagkat siya diumano ay patay na, at sa kadahilanang wala diumano akong karapatang magmana mula sa aking lolo sapagkat ako ay isang illegitimate child lamang.
Maaari ba iyon? - Amelia
Dear Amelia,
Ang batas na sasaklaw patungkol sa iyong katanungan ay ang Republic Act No. 386 o mas kilala bilang New Civil Code of the Philippines. Nakasaad sa Sections 887, 982, at 992 nito na:
“Article 887. The following are compulsory heirs:
(5) Other illegitimate children referred to in article 287.
Article 982. The grandchildren and other descendants shall inherit by right of representation, and if any one of them should have died, leaving several heirs, the portion pertaining to him shall be divided among the latter in equal portions.
Article 992. An illegitimate child has no right to inherit ab intestato from the legitimate children and relatives of his father or mother; nor shall such children or relatives inherit in the same manner from the illegitimate child.”
Kaugnay nito, inilahad ng Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Aquino v. Aquino (G.R. Nos. 208912, 209018, 07 December 2021, Ponente: Honorable Associate Justice Marvic M. V. F. Leonen) na:
“We adopt a construction of Article 992 that makes children, regardless of the circumstances of their births, qualified to inherit from their direct ascendants — such as their grandparent — by their right of representation. Both marital and nonmarital children, whether born from a marital or nonmarital child, are blood relatives of their parents and other ascendants.
Nonmarital children are removed from their parents and ascendants in the same degree as marital children. Nonmarital children of marital children are also removed from their parents and ascendants in the same degree as nonmarital children of nonmarital children.
Accordingly, when a nonmarital child seeks to represent their deceased parent to succeed in their grandparent’s estate, Article 982 of the Civil Code shall apply. Article 982 provides:
ARTICLE 982. The grandchildren and other descendants shall inherit by right of representation, and if any one of them should have died, leaving several heirs, the portion pertaining to him shall be divided among the latter in equal portions.”
Alinsunod sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas, ikaw ay may karapatan sa naiwang ari-arian ng iyong lolo sapagkat ikaw ay maituturing na compulsory heir. Ang nasabing karapatan ay pinagtibay ng Korte Suprema nang binigyang-linaw nito na ang mga anak, anuman ang naging kalagayan ng kanilang kapanganakan, ay maaaring magmana mula sa kanilang direct ascendants sa pamamagitan ng right of representation. Samakatuwid, sa iyong sitwasyon, ang iyong pagiging nonmarital child ay hindi makaaapekto sa iyong karapatan na magmana mula sa iyong lolo bilang kahalili ng iyong namayapang ama.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.