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4.CORAZON DEZOLLER TISON and RENE R. DEZOLLER, petitioners, vs. COURT OF

APPEALS and TEODORA DOMINGO, respondents.[G.R. No. 121027. July 31, 1997]

Facts:

 The petitioners Corazon Tison an Rene !ezoller are nie"e an nephe# o$ thee"ease Teora !ezoller Guerrero, #ho appears to %e the sister o$ their $ather &er'o(enes!ezoller. Teoora !ezoller Guerrero ie on )ar"h *, 19+3 #ithout any as"enant ores"enant, an #as surie only %y her hus%an, )artin Guerrero, an herein petitioners.

-etitioners $ather, &er'o(enes, ie on /"to%er 3, 1973, hen"e they see to inherit $ro' Teoora !ezoller Guerrero %y ri(ht o$ representation.

 The re"ors reeal that upon the eath o$ Teoora !ezoller Guerrero, her suriin( spouseee"ute an ait o$ 4tra5ui"ial 6ettle'ent a5ui"atin( unto hi'sel$, alle(ely as soleheir, the lan in ispute. )artin sol the lot to herein priate responent Teoora !o'in(oan therea$ter, a TCT #as issue in the latters na'e.

)artin Guerrero ie. 6u%se8uently, herein petitioners le an a"tion $or re"oneyan"e"lai'in( that they are entitle to inherit one:hal$ o$ the property in 8uestion %y ri(ht o$ representation. Teoro !o'in(o ho#eer, atta"s the le(iti'a"y o$ &er'o(enes.

!urin( the hearin(, petitioner Corazon !ezoller Tison #as presente as the lone #itness,#ith o"u'entary eien"es o;ere to proe petitioners liation to their $ather an their

aunt. -etitioners therea$ter reste their "ase an su%'itte a #ritten o;er o$ the ehi%its.

6u%se8uently, priate responent le a !e'urrer to -lainti;s 4ien"e on the (roun thatpetitioners $aile to proe their le(iti'ate liation #ith the e"ease Teoora Guerrero.

 The trial "ourt is'isse the "o'plaint $or re"oneyan"e. Responent Court o$ ppealsuphel the is'issal, e"larin( that the o"u'entary eien"e presente %y hereinpetitioners, su"h as the %aptis'al "erti"ates, $a'ily pi"ture, an 5oint aaits are allina'issi%le an insu"ient to proe an esta%lish liation. &en"e, this appeal.

Issues:

1. <hether or not a thir person =priate responent>, not the $ather nor an heir, 'ayatta" the le(iti'a"y o$ the petitioners.

2. <hether or not the petitioners are entitle to inherit one:hal$ o$ the property in 8uestion%y ri(ht o$ representation.

Ruln!:

1. The private respondent is not the proper party to impugn the legitimacy of herein petitioners.

 There is no presu'ption o$ the la# 'ore r'ly esta%lishe an $oune on souner'orality an 'ore "onin"in( reason than the presu'ption that "hilren %orn in #elo"

are le(iti'ate. n #ell settle is the rule that the issue o$ le(iti'a"y "annot %e atta"e"ollaterally./nly the hus%an "an "ontest the le(iti'a"y o$ a "hil %orn to his #i$e. &e is the oneire"tly "on$ronte #ith the s"anal an rii"ule #hi"h the inelity o$ his #i$e prou"es?an he shoul e"ie #hether to "on"eal that inelity or epose it, in ie# o$ the 'oralan e"ono'i" interest inole. @t is only in e"eptional "ases that his heirs are allo#eto "ontest su"h le(iti'a"y. /utsie o$ these "ases, none A een his heirs A "an i'pu(nle(iti'a"y? that #oul a'ount to an insult to his 'e'ory.

The necessity of an independent action directly impugning the legitimacy is more clearly expressed in theMexican Code (Article 335) which provides: The contest of the legitimacy of a child !y the hus!and or his heirsmust !e made !y proper complaint !efore the competent court" any contest made in any other way isvoid#$ This principle applies under our %amily Code# Articles &' and &'& of the code conrm this view*!ecause they refer to +the action to impugn the legitimacy#, This action can !e !rought only !y the hus!andor his heirs and within the periods xed !y law#

-pon the expiration of the periods provided in Article &'* the action to impugn the legitimacy of a childcan no longer !e !rought# The status conferred !y the presumption* therefore* !ecomes xed* and can nolonger !e .uestioned# The o!vious intention of the law is to prevent the status of a child !orn in wedloc/ from!eing in a state of uncertainty for a long time# 0t also aims to force early action to settle any dou!t as to the paternity of such child* so that the evidence material to the matter* which must necessarily !e facts occurringduring the period of the conception of the child* may still !e easily availa!le#

2. The $ollo#in( proisions o$ the Ciil Coe proie $or the 'anner %y #hi"h the estate o$ the e"eent shall %e iie in this "ase, to #itB

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“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 surviveith their uncles or aunts. !ut if they alone survive, they shall inherit in e"ual 

 portions.#

“Art. 995. $n the absence of legitimate descendants and ascendants, and illegitimate children and their descendants, hether legitimate or illegitimate,the surviving spouse shall inherit the entire estate, ithout pre%udice to therights of brothers and sisters, nephes and nieces, should there be any, under 

 Article 1&&1.#

“Art. 1&&1. 'hould brothers and sisters or their children survive ith theido or idoer, the latter shall be entitled to one(half of the inheritanceand the brothers and sisters or their children to the other half.#

pon the eath o$ Teoora !ezoller Guerrero, one:hal$ o$ the su%5e"t property #asauto'ati"ally resere to the suriin( spouse, )artin Guerrero, as his share in the"on5u(al partnership. pplyin( the a$ore8uote statutory proisions, the re'ainin( hal$ shall %e e8ually iie %et#een the #io#er an herein petitioners #ho are entitle to

 5ointly inherit in their o#n ri(ht. &en"e, )artin Guerrero "oul only alily alienate histotal uniie three:$ourths =3DE> share in the entire property to herein priateresponent. Resultantly, petitioners an priate responent are ee'e "o:o#ners o$ the property "oere %y the Trans$er Certi"ate o$ Title in the proportion o$ an uniieone:$ourth =1DE> an three:$ourths =3DE> share thereo$, respe"tiely.