G.R. No.

140975, Promulgated December 8, 2000

OFELIA HERNANDO BAGUNU, Petitioner. vs. PASTORA
PIEDAD, Respondent.
VITUG, J .:

On 28 August 1995, herein petitioner Ofelia Hernando Bagunu
moved to intervene in Special Proceedings No. 3652, entitled "In the
matter of the Intestate Proceedings of the Estate of Augusto H.
Piedad," pending before the Regional Trial Court ("RTC"), Branch
117, of Pasay City. Asserting entitlement to a share of the estate of
the late Augusto H. Piedad, petitioner assailed the finality of the
order of the trial court awarding the entire estate to respondent
Pastora Piedad contending that the proceedings were tainted with
procedural infirmities, including an incomplete publications of the
notice of hearing, lack of personal notice to the heirs and creditors,
and irregularity in the disbursements of allowances and withdrawals
by the administrator of the estate. The trial court denied the motion,
prompting petitioners to raise her case to the Court of Appeals.
Respondent sought the dismissal of the appeal on the thesis that the
issues brought up on appeal only involving nothing else but
questions of law to be raised before the Supreme Court by petition
for review on certiorari in accordance with Rule 45 thereof and
consistently with Circular 2-90 of the Court.
In a well-written resolution, the Court of Appeals belabored the
distinctions between questions of law and questions of fact, thus:
"There is a question of law in a given case when the doubt or
difference arises as to what the law is on a certain state of facts, and
there is a question of fact when the doubt or difference arises as to
the truth or the falsehood of alleged facts. There is question of fact
when the query necessarily invites calibration of the whole evidence
considering mainly the credibility of witnesses, existence and
relevance of specific surrounding circumstances and their relation to
each other and to the whole and the probabilities of the situation."
1

Justice Eugenio S. Labitoria, speaking for the appellate court,
ratiocinated that whether or not the RTC erred in denying the
intervention considering (1) that the intervenor-appellant had a prima
facie interest over the case (2) that the jurisdiction over the person of
the proper parties was not acquired in view of the deficient
publication or notice of hearing, and (3) that the proceedings had yet
to be closed and terminated, were issues which did not qualify as
"questions of fact" as to place the appeal within the jurisdiction of the
appellate court; thus;
"The issues are evidently pure questions of law because their
resolution are based on facts not in dispute. Admitted are the facts
that intervenor-appellant is a collateral relative within the fifth degree
of Augusto H. Piedad; the she is the daughter of the first cousin of
Augusto H. Piedad; that as such, intervenor-appellant seek to inherit
was published for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of
general circulation; that there was no order of closure of proceedings
that has been issued by the intestate court; and that the intestate
court has already issued an order for the transfer of the remaining
estate of Augusto H. Piedad to petitioner-appellee.
"These facts are undisputed.
"In this case, there is no doubt nor difference that arise as to the truth
or falsehood on alleged facts. The question as to whether intevenor-
appellants as a collateral relative within the fifth civil degree, has
legal interest in the intestate proceeding which would justify her
intervention; the question as to whether the publication of notice of
hearing made in this case is defective which would amount to lack of
jurisdiction over the persons of the parties and the question as to
whether the proceedings has already been terminated when the
intestate court issued the order of transfer of the estate of Augusto
H. Piedad to petitioner-appellee, in spite the absence of an order of
closure of the intestate court, all call for the application and
interpretation of the proper law is applicable on a certain undisputed
state of facts.
"The resolution of the issues raised does not require the review of
the evidence, nor the credibility of witnesses presented, nor the
existence and relevance of specific surrounding circumstances.
Resolution on the issues may be had even without going to
examination of facts on record."
2

Still unsatisfied, petitioner contested the resolution of the appellate
court in the instant petition for review on certiorari.
The Court finds no reversible error in the ruling of the appellate court.
But let us set aside the alleged procedural decrepitude and take on
the basic substantive issue. Specifically, can petitioner, a collateral
relative of the fifth civil degree, inherit alongside respondent, a
collateral relative of the third civil degree? Elsewise stated does the
rule of proximity in intestate succession find application among
collateral relatives?
Augusto H. Piedad without any direct descendants or ascendants.
Respondent is the maternal aunt of the decedent, a third-degree
relative of the decedent, while petitioner is the daughter of a first
cousin of the deceased, or a fifth-degree relative of the decedent.
The various provisions of the Civil Code on succession embody an
almost complete set of law to govern, either by will or by operation of
law, the transmission of property, rights and obligations of a person
upon his death. Each article is construed in congruity with, rather
than in isolation of, the system set out by the Code.
The rule on proximity is a concept that favors the relatives nearest in
degree to the decedent and excludes the more distant ones except
when and to the extent that the right of representation can apply.
Thus, Article 962 of the Civil Code provides:
"ART. 962. In every inheritance, the relative nearest in degree
excludes the more distant ones, saving the right of representation
when it properly takes place.
"Relatives in the same degree shall inherit in equal shares, subject to
the provisions of article 1006 with respect to relatives of the full and
half blood, and of article 987, paragraph 2, concerning division
between the paternal and maternal lines."
By right of representation, a more distant blood relative of a
decedent is, by operation of law, "raised to the same place and
degree" of relationship as that of a closer blood relative of the same
decedent. The representative thereby steps into the shoes of the
person he represents and succeeds, not from the latter, but from the
person to whose estate the person represented would have
succeeded.
"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
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."
"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
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."
In the direct line, right of representation is proper only in the
descending, never in the ascending, line. In the collateral line, the
right of representation may only take place in favor of the children of
brothers or sisters of the decedent when such children survive with
their uncles or aunts.
"ART. 972. The right of representation takes place in the direct
descending line, but never in the ascending.
"In the collateral line, it takes place only in favor of the children of
brothers or sisters, whether they be of the full or half blood.
"ART. 974. Whenever there is succession by representation, the
division of the estate shall be made per stripes, in such manner that
the representative or representatives shall not inherit more than what
the person they represent would inherit, if he were living or could
inherit."
"ART. 975. When children of one or more brothers or sisters of the
deceased survive, they shall inherit from the latter by representation,
if they survive with their uncles or aunts. But if they alone survive,
they shall inherit in equal portions."
The right of representation does not apply to "others collateral
relatives within the fifth civil degree" (to which group both petitioner
and respondent belong) who are sixth in the order of preference
following, firstly, the legitimate children and descendants, secondly,
the legitimate parents and ascendants, thirdly, the illegitimate
children and descendants, fourthly, the surviving spouse, and fifthly,
the brothers and sisters/nephews and nieces, fourth decedent.
Among collateral relatives, except only in the case of nephews and
nieces of the decedent concurring with their uncles or aunts, the rule
of proximity, expressed in Article 962, aforequoted, of the Code, is
an absolute rule. In determining the degree of relationship of the
collateral relatives to the decedent, Article 966 of the Civil Code
gives direction.
"Article 966. xxx
"In the collateral line, ascent is made to the common ancestor and
then descent is made ancestor and then descent is made to the
person with whom the computation is to be made. Thus, a person is
two degrees removed from his brother, three from his uncle, who is
the brother of his father, four from his first cousin and so forth."
Accordingly----
Respondent, being a relative within the third civil degree, of the late
Augusto H. Piedad excludes petitioner, a relative of the fifth degree,
from succeeding an intestato to the estate of the decedent.
The provisions of Article 1009 and Article 1010 of the Civil Code
"Article 1009, Should there be neither brothers nor sisters nor
children of brothers or sisters, the other collateral relatives shall
succeed to the estate.
"The latter shall succeed without distinction of lines or preference
among them by reason of relationship by the whole blood."
"Article 1010. The right to inherit ab intestato shall not extend beyond
the fifth degree of relationship in the collateral line." Invoked by
petitioner do not at all support her cause. The law means only that
among the other collateral relatives (the sixth in the line of
succession), no preference or distinction shall be observed "by
reason of relationship by the whole blood." In fine, a maternal aunt
can inherit equally with a first cousin of the half blood but an uncle or
an aunt, being a third-degree relative, excludes the cousins of the
decedent, being in the fourth degree of relationship; the latter, in
turn, would have priority in succession to a fifth-degree
relative.1wphi1.nt
WHEREFORE, the instant Petition is DENIED. No costs.
SO ORDERED.


Ofelia Hernando Bagunu v. Pastora Piedad G.R. No. 140975.
December 8, 2000
FACTS:
Augusto H. Piedad died without any direct descendants or
ascendants. Respondent is the maternal aunt of the decedent, a
third-degree relative of the decedent, while petitioner is the daughter
of a first cousin of the deceased, or a fifth-degree relative of the
decedent. Ofelia Hernando Bagunu moved to intervene in the
settlement of the estate of Piedad.

ISSUE:
Whether intervenor-appellant as a collateral relative within the fifth
civil degree, has legal interest in the intestate proceeding which
would justify her intervention.
RULING:
No. By right of representation, a more distant blood relative of a
decedent is, by operation of law, raised to the same place and
degree of relationship as that of a closer blood relative of the same
decedent. The representative thereby steps into the shoes of the
person he represents and succeeds, not from the latter, but from
the person to whose estate the person represented would have
succeeded. In the direct line, right of representation is proper only in
the descending, never in the ascending, line. In the collateral line,
the right of representation may only take place in favor of
the children of brothers or sisters of the decedent when such children
survive with their uncles or aunts. The right of representation does
not apply to other collateral relatives within the fifth civil degree (to
which group both petitioner and respondent belong) who are sixth in
the order of preference following, firstly, the legitimate children
and descendants, secondly, the legitimate parents and ascendants,
thirdly, the illegitimate children and descendants, fourthly, the
surviving spouse, and fifthly, the brothers and sisters/nephews and
nieces, of the decedent. Among collateral relatives, except only
in the case of nephews and nieces of the decedent concurring with
their uncles or aunts, the rule of proximity, expressed in Article 962,
aforequoted, of the Code, is an absolute rule.