“Right of representation” ng asawa

ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | April 15, 2023

Dear Chief Acosta,

Ang aking asawa ay pumanaw noong 2020 at kami ay may isang anak. Noong nakaraang taon, namatay ang ina ng aking asawa, at ang mga naiwanang ari-arian ay gustong kunin ng kanyang naiwang kapatid. Gusto kong malaman kung may Karapatan ba ako at ang anak ko sa dapat sana ay mana ng aking asawa mula sa aking biyenan? –Cath

Dear Cath,

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 Articles 887, 970, 971, at 972 nito na:

“Article 887. The following are compulsory heirs:

(1) Legitimate children and descendants, with respect to their legitimate parents and ascendants;

Art. 970. Representation is a right created by fiction of law, by virtue of which the representative is raised to the place and the degree of the person represented, and acquires the rights which the latter would have if he were living or if he could have inherited.

Art. 971. The representative is called to the succession by the law and not by the person represented. The representative does not succeed the person represented but the one whom the person represented would have succeeded.

Article 972. The right of representation takes place in the direct descending line, but never in the ascending.”

Kaugnay nito, inilahad ng Korte Suprema sa kaso ng Intestate Estate of Petra V. Rosales, et al. v. Fortunato Rosales, et al., G.R. No. L-40789, 27 February 1987. Ponente: The Late Honorable Associate Justice Emilio A. Gancayco, na:

“Article 971 explicitly declares that Macikequerox Rosales is called to succession by law because of his blood relationship. He does not succeed his father, Carterio Rosales (the person represented) who predeceased his grandmother, Petra Rosales, but the latter whom his father would have succeeded. Petitioner cannot assert the same right of representation as she has no filiation by blood with her mother-in-law.”

Alinsunod sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas, at desisyon ng Korte Suprema, ang iyong asawa ay may karapatan sa mana mula sa naiwang ari-arian ng kanyang yumaong ina. Sa kadahilanan na ang iyong asawa ay naunang pumanaw kaysa sa kanyang ina, ang kanyang mamanahin ay maililipat sa inyong anak sa pamamagitan ng “right of representation.”

Samantala, ikaw bilang asawa ay walang karapatan sa nasabing mana, sapagkat ang representation ay para lamang sa mga kamag-anak na kabilang sa direct descending line, tulad ng anak.

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 inyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.