INTESTATE ESTATE OF PETRA V. ROSALES, IRENEA C. ROSALES, petitioner, vs.

FORTUNATO ROSALES, MAGNA ROSALES ACEBES, MACIKEQUERO ROSALES !n" ANTONIO ROSALES, respon"ents. #G.R. No. L$%&'(), Fe*r+!r, -', .)(', GANCA/CO, 0.1 TOPIC2 Intestate Succession, Art 960, 1027, 1028, 1032; A. Intestate Heirs, Art 961. 3OCTRINE2 An intestate heir can only inherit either by his own ri ht, as in the or!er o" intestate succession #ro$i!e! "or in the %i$il %o!e, or by the ri ht o" re#resentation. &he sur$i$in s#ouse is consi!ere! a thir! #erson as re ar!s the estate o" the #arent'in'law. FACTS2 (etra ). *osales !ie! intestate. She was sur$i$e! by her husban! +ortunate &. *osales an! their two ,2chil!ren .a na *osales Acebes an! Antonio *osales. Another chil!, %arterio *osales, #re!ecease! her, lea$in behin! a chil!, .aci/e0uero1 *osales, an! his wi!ow Irenea %. *osales, the herein #etitioner. &he estate o" the !is2isse! has an esti2ate! ross $alue o" about &hirty &housan! (esos ,(30,000.00-. .a na *osales Acebes institute! the #rocee!in s "or the settle2ent o" the estate o" the !ecease! wherein she was institute! as a!2inistratri1 o" the sai! estate. In the course o" the intestate #rocee!in s, the trial court issue! an 3r!er !eclarin the "ollowin in!i$i!uals the le al heirs o" the !ecease! an! #rescribin their res#ecti$e share o" the estate 4 +ortunata &. *osales ,husban!-, 156; .a na *. Acebes ,!au hter-, 156; .aci/e0uero1 *osales, 156; an! Antonio *osales son, 156. Irenea *osales o##ose! insistin in ettin a share o" the estate in her ca#acity as the sur$i$in s#ouse o" the late %arterio *osales, son o" the !ecease!, clai2in that she is a co2#ulsory heir o" her 2other'in'law to ether with her son, .aci/e0uero1 *osales. o

ISSUE2 7hether a wi!ow ,sur$i$in s#ouse- an intestate heir o" her 2other'in'law. 4EL32 NO. Intestate or le al heirs are classi"ie! into two ,2- rou#s, na2ely, those who inherit by their own ri ht, an! those who inherit by the ri ht o" re#resentation. An intest!te 5eir 6!n on7, in5erit eit5er *, 5is o8n ri95t , as in the or!er o" intestate succession #ro$i!e! "or in the %i$il %o!e, or *, t5e ri95t o: represent!tion #ro$i!e! "or in Article 981 o" the sa2e law. &here is no provision in t5e Civi7 Co"e 85i65 st!tes t5!t ! 8i"o8 ;s+rvivin9 spo+se< is !n intest!te 5eir o: 5er =ot5er$in$7!8. &he entire %o!e is !e$oi! o" any #ro$ision which entitles her to inherit "ro2 her 2other'in' law either by her own ri ht or by the ri ht o" re#resentation. &he #ro$isions o" the %o!e which relate to the or!er o" intestate succession ,Articles 978 to 1016- enu2erate with 2eticulous e1actitu!e the intestate heirs o" a !ece!ent, with the State as the "inal intestate heir. (etitioner ar ues that she is a co2#ulsory heir in accor!ance with the #ro$isions o" Article 887 o" the %i$il %o!e. 8ut the %ourt sai! the a"oresai! #ro$ision o" law re"ers to the estate o" the !ecease! s#ouse in which case the sur$i$in s#ouse ,wi!ow or wi!ower- is a co2#ulsory heir . It "oes not !pp7, to t5e est!te o: ! p!rent$in$7!8. &he estate which is the sub9ect 2atter o" the intestate estate #rocee!in s in this case is that o" the !ecease! (etra ). *osales, the 2other'in'law o" the #etitioner. It is "ro2 the estate o" (etra ). *osales that .aci/e0uero1 *osales !raws a share o" the inheritance by the ri ht o" re#resentation as #ro$i!e! by Article 981 o" the %o!e. Article 971 e1#licitly !eclares that .aci/e0uero1 *osales is calle! to succession by law because o" his bloo! relationshi#. He !oes not succee! his "ather, %arterio *osales ,the #erson re#resente!- who #re!ecease! his ran!2other, (etra *osales, but the latter who2 his "ather woul! ha$e succee!e!. Petitioner 6!nnot !ssert t5e s!=e ri95t o: represent!tion !s s5e 5!s no :i7i!tion *, *7oo" 8it5 5er =ot5er$in$7!8.