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[G.R. No. 81147. June 20, 1989.] VICTORIA BRINGAS PEREIRA, petitioner, vs. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS and RITA PEREIRA NAGAC, respondents. D E C I S I O N GANCAYCO, J p: Is a judicial administration proceeding necessary when the decedent dies intestate without leaving any debts? May the probate court appoint the surviving sister of the deceased as the administratrix of the estate of the deceased instead of the surviving spouse? These are the main questions which need to be resolved in this case. Andres de Guzman Pereira, an employee of the Philippine AirLines, passed away on January 3, 1983 at Bacoor, Cavite without a will. He was survived by his legitimate spouse of ten months, the herein petitioner Victoria Bringas Pereira, and his sister Rita Pereira Nagac, the herein private respondent. LibLex On March 1, 1983, private respondent instituted before Branch 19 of the Regional Trial Court of Bacoor, Cavite, Special Proceeding No. RTC-BSP-83-4 for the issuance of letters of administration in her favor pertaining to the estate of the deceased Andres de Guzman Pereira. 1 In her verified petition, private respondent alleged the following: that she and Victoria Bringas Pereira are the only surviving heirs of the deceased; that the deceased left no will; that there are no creditors of the deceased; that the deceased left several properties, namely: death benefits from the Philippine Air Lines (PAL), the PAL Employees Association (PALEA), the PAL Employees Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (PESALA) and the Social Security System (SSS), as well as savings deposits with the Philippine National Bank (PNB) and the Philippine Commercial and Industrial Bank (PCIB), and a 300 square meter lot located at Barangay Pamplona, Las Piñas, Rizal and finally, that the spouse of the deceased (herein petitioner) had been working in London as an auxiliary nurse and as such one-half of her salary forms part of the estate of the deceased. On March 23, 1983, petitioner filed her opposition and motion to dismiss the petition of private respondent 2 alleging that there exists no estate of the deceased for purposes of administration and praying in the alternative, that if an estate does exist, the letters of administration relating to the said estate be issued in her favor as the surviving spouse. In its resolution dated March 28, 1985, the Regional Trial Court, appointed private respondent Rita Pereira Nagac administratrix of the intestate estate of Andres de Guzman Pereira upon a bond posted by her in the amount of P1,000.00. The trial court ordered her to take custody of all the real and personal properties of the deceased and to file an inventory thereof within three months after receipt of the order. 3 Not satisfied with the resolution of the lower court, petitioner brought the case to the Court of Appeals. The appellate court affirmed the appointment of private respondent as administratrix in its decision dated December 15, 1987. 4 Hence, this petition for review on certiorari where petitioner raises the following issues: (1) Whether or not there exists an estate of the deceased Andres de Guzman Pereira for purposes of administration; (2) Whether or not a judicial administration proceeding is necessary where there are no debts left by the decedent; and, (3) Who has the better right to be appointed as administratrix of the estate of the deceased, the surviving spouse Victoria Bringas Pereira or the surviving sister Rita Pereira Nagac? Anent the first issue, petitioner contends that there exists no estate of the deceased for purposes of administration for the following reasons: firstly, the death benefits from PAL, PALEA, PESALA and the SSS belong exclusively to her, being the sole beneficiary and in support of this claim she submitted letter-replies from these 1

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[G.R. No. 81147. June 20, 1989.]VICTORIA BRINGAS PEREIRA,petitioner,vs.THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS andRITA PEREIRA NAGAC, respondents.D E C I S I O NGANCAYCO, J p:Is a judicial adminis!aion p!oceedin" necessa!# $%en %e deceden dies inesae $i%ou lea&in" an# de's( )a#%e p!o'ae cou! appoin %e su!&i&in" sise! o* %e deceased as %e adminis!a!i+ o* %e esae o* %e deceasedinsead o* %e su!&i&in" spouse( ,%ese a!e %e main -uesions $%ic% need o 'e !esol&ed in %is case..nd!es de Gu/man 0e!ei!a, an emplo#ee o* %e 0%ilippine .i!1ines, passed a$a# on Janua!# 2, 1982 a 3acoo!,4a&ie $i%ou a $ill. 5e $as su!&i&ed '# %is le"iimae spouse o* en mon%s, %e %e!ein peiione! 6ico!ia 3!in"as0e!ei!a, and %is sise! Ria 0e!ei!a Na"ac, %e %e!ein p!i&ae !esponden. 1i'1e+7n )a!c% 1, 1982, p!i&ae !esponden insiued 'e*o!e 3!anc% 19 o* %e Re"ional,!ial4ou! o* 3acoo!, 4a&ie,8pecial0!oceedin" No. R,4938098294 *o! %e issuance o* lee!s o* adminis!aion in %e! *a&o! pe!ainin" o %eesaeo* %edeceased.nd!esdeGu/man0e!ei!a.1In%e! &e!i*iedpeiion, p!i&ae!esponden alle"ed%e*ollo$in": %a s%e and 6ico!ia 3!in"as 0e!ei!a a!e %e onl# su!&i&in" %ei!s o* %e deceased: %a %e deceased le*no $ill: %a %e!e a!e no c!edio!s o* %e deceased: %a %e deceased le* se&e!al p!ope!ies, namel#: dea% 'ene*is*!om %e 0%ilippine .i! 1ines ;0.1 ;04I3in"anappoinmen asadminis!ao! isme!el#oa&oidamuliplici# o* suis since %e %ei! see>in" suc% appoinmen $ans o as> *o! %e annulmen o* ce!ain !ans*e!s o*p!ope!#, %a same o'jeci&e could 'e ac%ie&ed in an acion *o! pa!iion and %e !ial cou! is no jusi*ied in issuin"lee!so* adminis!aion14Insill ano%e! case, Bedidno *indsopo$e!*ul a!eason%ea!"umen %a %eappoinmen o* %e %us'and, a usu*!ucua!# *o!ced %ei! o* %is deceased $i*e, as judicial adminis!ao! is necessa!#in o!de! *o! %im o %a&e le"al capaci# o appea! in %e inesae p!oceedin"s o* %is $i*eCs deceased mo%e!, since %ema# jus adduce p!oo* o* %is 'ein" a *o!ced %ei! in %e inesae p!oceedin"s o* %e lae!. 1@ Be see no !eason no o appl# %is doc!ine o %e case a 'a!. ,%e!e a!e onl# $o su!&i&in" %ei!s, a $i*e o* enmon%s and a sise!, 'o% o* a"e. ,%e pa!ies admi %a %e!e a!e no de's o* %e deceased o 'e paid. B%a is aonce appa!en is %a %ese $o %ei!s a!e no in "ood e!ms. ,%e onl# concei&a'le !eason $%# p!i&ae !espondensee>s appoinmen as adminis!a!i+ is *o! %e! o o'ain possession o* %e alle"ed p!ope!ies o* %e deceased *o! %e!o$n pu!poses, since %ese p!ope!ies a!e p!esenl# in %e %ands o* peiione! $%o supposedl# disposed o* %em*!audulenl#. Be a!e o* %e opinion %a %is is no a compellin" !eason $%ic% $ill necessiae a judicial adminis!aiono* %e esae o* %e deceased. ,o su'jec %e esae o* .nd!es de Gu/man 0e!ei!a, $%ic% does no appea! o 'esu'sanial especiall# since %e onl# !eal p!ope!# le* %as 'een e+!ajudiciall# seled, o an adminis!aionp!oceedin" *o! no use*ul pu!pose $ould onl# unnecessa!il# e+pose i o %e !is> o* 'ein" $ased o! s-uande!ed. Inmos insances o* a simila! nau!e,1D %e claims o* 'o% pa!ies as o %e p!ope!ies le* '# %e deceased ma# 'ep!ope!l# &enilaed in simple pa!iion p!oceedin"s $%e!e %e c!edio!s, s%ould %e!e 'e an#, a!e p!oeced in an#e&en. cdp%il Be, %e!e*o!e, %old %a %e cou! 'elo$ 'e*o!e $%ic% %e adminis!aion p!oceedin"s a!e pendin" $as no jusi*iedin issuin" lee!s o* adminis!aion, %e!e 'ein" no "ood !eason *o! 'u!denin" %e esae o* %e deceased .nd!es deGu/man 0e!ei!a $i% %e coss and e+penses o* an adminis!aion p!oceedin".Bi% %e *o!e"oin" !ulin", i is unnecessa!# *o! us o del&e ino %e issue o* $%o, as 'e$een %e su!&i&in" spouse6ico!ia 3!in"as 0e!ei!a and %e sise! Ria 0e!ei!a Na"ac, s%ould 'e p!e*e!!ed o 'e appoined as adminis!a!i+.B5=R=G7R=, %e lee!s o* adminis!aion issued '# %e Re"ional ,!ial 4ou! o* 3acoo! o Ria 0e!ei!a Na"ac a!e%e!e'# !e&o>ed and %e adminis!aion p!oceedin" dismissed $i%ou p!ejudice o %e !i"% o* p!i&ae !esponden ocommence a ne$ acion *o! pa!iion o* %e p!ope!# le* '# .nd!es de Gu/man 0e!ei!a. No coss.87 7RA=R=A.2