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IN RE: PALAGANAS v. ERNESTO PALAGANAS

G.R. No. 169144, 26 January 2011Abad,J.:FACTS

On November 8, 2001 Ruperta C. a!a"ana#, a $%!%p%no &'o be(ame anatura!%)ed *n%ted +tate# (%t%)en, d%ed #%n"!e and ('%!d!e##. n t'e !a#t &%!!and te#tament #'e e-e(uted %n Ca!%orn%a, #'e de#%"nated 'er brot'er, +er"%oC. a!a"ana#, a# t'e e-e(utor o 'er &%!! or #'e 'ad !et propert%e# %n t'e'%!%pp%ne# and %n t'e *+.

On /ay 19, 200 re#pondent rne#to C. a!a"ana#, anot'er brot'er oRuperta, !ed &%t' t'e Re"%ona! 3r%a! Court o /a!o!o#, u!a(an, a pet%t%on ort'e probate o Ruperta5# &%!! and or '%# appo%ntment a# #pe(%a! adm%n%#tratoro 'er e#tate. On O(tober 1, 200, 'o&ever, pet%t%oner# /anue! /%"ue!

a!a"ana# and en7am%n Gre"or%o a!a"ana#, nep'e o Ruperta, oppo#edt'e pet%t%on on t'e "round t'at Ruperta5# &%!! #'ou!d not be probated %n t'e'%!%pp%ne# but %n t'e *.+. &'ere #'e e-e(uted %t. /anue! and en7am%nadded t'at, a##um%n" Ruperta5# &%!! (ou!d be probated %n t'e '%!%pp%ne#, %t %#%nva!%d nonet'e!e## or 'av%n" been e-e(uted under dure## and &%t'out t'ete#tator5# u!! under#tand%n" o t'e (on#euen(e# o #u(' a(t. rne#to, t'ey(!a%med, %# a!#o not ua!%ed to a(t a# adm%n%#trator o t'e e#tate.On June 1, 2004 t'e R3C %##ued an order: a; adm%tt%n" to probateRuperta5# !a#t &%!!< b; appo%nt%n" re#pondent rne#to a# #pe(%a!adm%n%#trator at t'e reue#t o +er"%o, t'e *.+.=ba#ed e-e(utor de#%"nated %n

t'e &%!!< and (; %##u%n" t'e >etter# o +pe(%a! Adm%n%#trat%on to rne#to.

A""r%eved by t'e R3C5# order, pet%t%oner nep'e /anue! and en7am%nappea!ed to t'e Court o Appea!# CA;, ar"u%n" t'at an unprobated &%!!e-e(uted by an Amer%(an (%t%)en %n t'e *.+. (annot be probated or t'e r#tt%me %n t'e '%!%pp%ne#.

On Ju!y 29, 200 t'e CA rendered a de(%#%on, a?rm%n" t'e a##a%!ed order ot'e R3C, 'o!d%n" t'at t'e R3C proper!y a!!o&ed t'e probate o t'e &%!!, #ub7e(tto re#pondent rne#to5# #ubm%##%on o t'e aut'ent%(ated (op%e# o t'edo(ument# #pe(%ed %n t'e order and '%# po#t%n" o reu%red bond.

ISSUE@'et'er or not a &%!! e-e(uted by a ore%"ner abroad may be probated %n t'e'%!%pp%ne# a!t'ou"' %t 'a# not been prev%ou#!y probated and a!!o&ed %n t'e(ountry &'ere %t &a# e-e(uted.

7/21/2019 Palaganas v. Palaganas

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RULINGe#.

Our !a do not pro'%b%t t'e probate o &%!!# e-e(uted by ore%"ner# abroada!t'ou"' t'e #ame 'ave not a# yet been probated and a!!o&ed %n t'e(ountr%e# o t'e%r e-e(ut%on. A ore%"n &%!! (an be "%ven !e"a! eBe(t# %n our7ur%#d%(t%on. Art%(!e 816 o t'e C%v%! Code #tate# t'at t'e &%!! o an a!%en&'o%# abroad produ(e# eBe(t %n t'e '%!%pp%ne# % made %n a((ordan(e &%t' t'eorma!%t%e# pre#(r%bed by t'e !a& o t'e p!a(e &'ere 'e re#%de#, or a((ord%n"to t'e orma!%t%e# ob#erved %n '%# (ountry.n %n#%#t%n" t'at Ruperta5# &%!! #'ou!d 'ave been r#t probated and a!!o&edby t'e (ourt o Ca!%orn%a, pet%t%oner# /anue! and en7am%n obv%ou#!y 'ave %nm%nd t'e pro(edure or t'e reprobateo &%!! beore adm%tt%n" %t 'ere. ut,

reprobate or re=aut'ent%(at%on o a &%!! a!ready probated and a!!o&ed %n aore%"n (ountry %# d%Berent rom t'at probate &'ere t'e &%!! %# pre#ented ort'e r#t t%me beore a (ompetent (ourt. Reprobate %# #pe(%(a!!y "overnedby Ru!e o t'e Ru!e# o Court. Contrary to pet%t%oner#5 #tan(e, #%n(e t'%#!atter ru!e app!%e# on!y to reprobate o a &%!!, %t (annot be made to app!y tot'e pre#ent (a#e. n reprobate, t'e !o(a! (ourt a(no&!ed"e# a# b%nd%n" t'end%n"# o t'e ore%"n probate (ourt prov%ded %t# 7ur%#d%(t%on over t'e matter(an be e#tab!%#'ed.