TITLE VI
PATERNITY AND FILIATION
Chapter 1. Legitimate Children
Chapter 2. Proof of Filiation
Chapter 3. Illegitimate Children
Chapter 4. Legitimated Children
CONCEPT
Paternity
- civil status of the father in relation to his
child
Filiation
- civil status of the child in relation to his or
her parents
CONCEPT
Importance of establishing paternity and
filiation: determination of rights and
obligations
- use of surname
- parental authority, child custody
- support
- inheritance
CONCEPT
The law is concerned with the establishment of paternity only and not maternity
- nature always points out the mother by evident signs
- the mother is always certain as to her maternity, whether married or not; the father is not
- the mother may not know or may feign ignorance as to the paternity
Chapter 1.
LEGITIMATE CHILDREN
A163 Types of Filiation
1. By nature
- established by blood relationship
a) Legitimate A164
b) Illegitimate A165
2. By adoption
- a juridical act which creates between
two persons a relationship similar to that
arising from legitimate filiation
A164 Legitimate Children
1. Children conceived or born DURING the
marriage of the parents
2. Children conceived as a result of artificial
insemination (AI)
A164(1) Children of valid marriages
1. Children
a. conceived before marriage, born during marriage
b. conceived during marriage, born during marriage
c. conceived during marriage, born after dissolution
of marriage (subject to A168)
2. Children conceived or born in a voidable
marriage A54
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
- It is the “introduction of semen into the vagina other than by coitus”
Classification:
1. A.I.H. – Artificial Insemination Husband (homologous)
2. A.I.D. – Aritificial Insemination Donor (heterologous)
3. A.I.H.D – Artificial Insemination Donor or Confused Artificial Insemination
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
- Subsumed under NATURAL FILIATION;
child produced is considered LEGITIMATE
- Although in reality, the husband may not
be related to the child
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
Requisites:
1. Artificial insemination of the wife a. With sperm of husband
b. With sperm of a donor
c. With sperm of both
2. That both spouses authorized or ratified the AI
3. Written instrument a. Executed and signed by both
b. Before the birth of the child
c. Recorded in the civil registry with the birth certificate
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
Material: Consent of spouses
- Considered natural and legitimate filiation
despite the absence of a blood
relationship between the husband and the
child
- Bars invocation of A166(1)(c)
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
Surrogacy not contemplated by the FC
“surrogacy”
- A procedure whereby a woman conceives
and carries a child for someone else either
free of charge or for a consideration
a. traditional
b. gestational
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
Surrogacy not contemplated by the FC
- In Philippine jurisdiction, such agreement
is contrary to law, morals, and public policy
- What the law allows is the AI of the mother
with the sperm of her husband or of a
donor
- Not even surrogacy of a woman using the
husband’s sperm is recognized
A164(2) Artificial Insemination
Status of children in surrogacy
- Cannot be considered legitimate as to the
husband and wife, notwithstanding their
consent to the surrogacy contract
- The child may only establish a filiation with
the father as an illegitimate child, but he is
in no way related to the wife
In Re: Baby M (1988)
Facts:
Mary Beth Whitehead agreed to a (traditional) surrogacy contract in favor of the spouses Elizabeth and William Stern. She agreed to surrender the baby after birth to the natural father and his wife.
After the birth of the child, the Whiteheads no longer wished to surrender the baby. The Sterns asked the court to enforce the surrogacy contract and filed a complaint for the custody of the child.
The lower court favored the Sterns.
In Re: Baby M (1988)
Held:
The surrogacy contract is unenforceable for being in direct conflict with existing laws and public policies:
1. The involvement of money makes the transaction tantamount to baby-selling
2. The termination of parental rights and visitation rights is based on a stipulation and not on the governing laws (e.g. fitness, abandonment)
3. Unlike in adoption, which is revocable, the surrender of custody in this case is permanent
Johnson v. Calvert (1993)
Facts:
A couple entered into a (gestational) surrogacy
contract with nurse Anne Johnson. The couple’s
egg and sperm cells were implanted on Johnson.
They were to pay $200,000 for her life insurance.
In return, Johnson is to surrender the child.
The relations between them soured. Johnson
wanted to retain custody of the baby.
Johnson v. Calvert (1993)
Held:
The gestational mother cannot claim custody of
the child as she is not the “genetic, biological and
natural” parent thereof. The baby was a product of
the egg and sperm cells of the spouses.
The court considers the parties’ intention, or
from whom the concept of the child emanated. This
contract was NOT INCONSISTENT WITH PUBLIC
POLICY.
A165 Illegitimate Children
1. Children conceived and born outside a
valid marriage.
- outside of wedlock
- void marriages
* Exception: Unless otherwise provided in
the FC
- A54: void marriages under A36 and A53
- A43(1): void marriages under A41, A42
Status of Marriage: Importance VALID
MARRIAGE
VOIDABLE
VOID NO MARRIAGE
Legitimate A164 Legitimate A54 Illegitimate A165
Illegitimate A165
-Legal separation
-De facto
separation
Legitimate A54 - Psychological
incapacity A36
- Non compliance with
A52, A36(6), A53
Legitimate A43(1) - Subsequent
marriages contracted
in good faith A41,
A42
Unless
legitimated A177
CASE LAW
Perido v. Perido (1975)
Facts:
Lucio Perido had 3 children from his first marriage and 5 children from the second marriage. Upon his death, his surviving children and grandchildren executed an extrajudicial partition of his estate.
The heirs from the first marriage alleges the illegitimacy and successional rights of those from the second marriage based on the following:
a. children from 2nd marriage was born before death of first wife
b. the land certificate indicated that Lucio Perido’s civil status was SINGLE
Perido v. Perido (1975)
Held:
The children from the 2nd marriage are
illegitimate. There being no cogent proof of the
inexistence of the 2nd marriage, the presumption in
favor of marriage shall prevail. The civil status in
the land certificates cannot overcome such
presumption.
The birth of the children from the 2nd marriage
was likewise proven to have occurred after the
death of the wife from the 1st marriage.
Liyao v. Liyao (2002)
Facts:
A woman who has been separated in fact with her
husband cohabited with a married man and gave birth
to William Liyao Jr. The son claims to be an illegitimate
son of Liyao Sr. and asks for the latter’s legal family for
recognition as compulsory heir. He presented proofs of
his being a recognized illegitimate son.
The CA ruled against the declaration of illegitimacy,
upholding the presumption of legitimacy arising from
Liyao Jr.’s mother’s subsisting marriage.
Liyao v. Liyao (2002)
Held:
The law favors the legitimacy rather than the
illegitimacy of the child. Liyao Jr. CANNOT
CHOOSE HIS OWN FILIATION. The fact that
Corazon’s husband, did not impugn the legitimacy
of the child fixed the latter’s status as legitimate.
The child cannot choose to be the child of his
mother’s alleged paramour.
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