Karapatan ng illegitimate children na makakuha ng insurance proceeds ng kanilang ama

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta - @Magtanong Kay Attorney | August 6, 2022

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ako at ang aking dalawang kapatid ay illegitimate children ng aming yumaong ama. Mayroon siyang pinakasalang asawa at tatlong anak bago pa man sila nagsama ng aming ina. Bago siya yumao ay kumuha siya ng insurance policy, kung saan kaming tatlong magkakapatid lamang ang itinalaga niyang beneficiaries. Ngayon ay naghahabol sa nasabing insurance proceeds ang kanyang lehitimong asawa at tatlong legitimate children. Nais nilang ipawalambisa ang insurance policy dahil kami raw ay walang karapatan dito at marapat na sila ang ideklara na beneficiaries nito sapagkat sila ay mga tagapagmana ng aking ama. Tama ba ang kanilang sinasabi? - Lala

Dear Lala,

Ang mga batas na sasaklaw tungkol sa iyong katanungan ay ang Republic Act No. 386 o mas kilala bilang New Civil Code of the Philippines, at Republic Act No. 10607 o mas kilala bilang The Insurance Code. Nakasaad sa Article 2011 ng Republic Act No. 386 na:

“Article 2011. The contract of insurance is governed by special laws. Matters not expressly provided for in such special laws shall be regulated by this Code.”

Samantala, nakasaad sa Section 53 ng Republic Act No. 10607 na:

“Section 53. The insurance proceeds shall be applied exclusively to the proper interest of the person in whose name or for whose benefit it is made unless otherwise specified in the policy.”

Kaugnay nito, inilahad ng Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Heirs of Loreto Maramag v. Maramag, et al., G.R. No. 181132, 05 June 2009, sa panulat ni Kagalang-galang na Dating Mahistrado Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura, na:

“Pursuant thereto, it is obvious that the only persons entitled to claim the insurance proceeds are either the insured, if still alive; or the beneficiary, if the insured is already deceased, upon the maturation of the policy. The exception to this rule is a situation where the insurance contract was intended to benefit third persons who are not parties to the same in the form of favorable stipulations or indemnity. In such a case, third parties may directly sue and claim from the insurer.

Petitioners are third parties to the insurance contracts with Insular and Grepalife and, thus, are not entitled to the proceeds thereof. Accordingly, respondents Insular and Grepalife have no legal obligation to turn over the insurance proceeds to petitioners. The revocation of Eva as a beneficiary in one policy and her disqualification as such in another are of no moment considering that the designation of the illegitimate children as beneficiaries in Loreto’s insurance policies remains valid. Because no legal proscription exists in naming as beneficiaries the children of illicit relationships by the insured, the shares of Eva in the insurance proceeds, whether forfeited by the court in view of the prohibition on donations under Article 739 of the Civil Code or by the insurers themselves for reasons based on the insurance contracts, must be awarded to the said illegitimate children, the designated beneficiaries, to the exclusion of petitioners. It is only in cases where the insured has not designated any beneficiary, or when the designated beneficiary is disqualified by law to receive the proceeds, that the insurance policy proceeds shall redound to the benefit of the estate of the insured.” (Binigyang-diin)

Samakatuwid, ang proceeds na insurance policy ay hindi nasasaklaw ng batas tungkol sa mana sapagkat ang nasabing proceeds ay hindi maituturing na bahagi ng estate o naiwang ari-arian ng yumao. Ang sinumang kumuha ng insurance policy ay malayang magtalaga ng mga beneficiaries nito, maliban lamang kung ang mga itinalagang beneficiaries ay ipinagbabawal sa batas. Ang proceeds ng insurance policy ay maituturing lamang na bahagi ng estate ng yumao kung walang nakatalagang beneficiary nito o kung ang nasabing beneficiary ay diskuwalipikado alinsunod sa umiiral na batas. Malinaw din na inilahad ng Korte Suprema sa nabanggit na kaso na walang batas na nagbabawal sa pagtatalaga ng illegitimate children bilang beneficiaries ng

insurance policy.

Kaya naman, mali ang sinasabi ng lehitimong pamilya ng iyong ama. Dahil kayong tatlong magkakapatid ang itinalaga ng iyong ama bilang beneficiaries ng kanyang insurance policy, kayo ang may karapatan sa proceeds nito. Walang epekto ang pagiging illegitimate ninyo sa inyong karapatan na makuha ang nasabing insurance proceeds.

Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang inyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa impormasyon na inyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng inyong salaysay.

Maraming salamat sa inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.