Persons and Family Rel
Persons and Family Rel
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Note: If a person is under guardianship Article 39 is broader than Article 38. For while
because of insanity, he is of course presumed Article 38 refers to restrictions on capacity to
insane if he should enter into a contract. But act, Article 39 includes not only the restrictions
this presumption is only prima facie or or limitations but also those circumstances that
rebuttable. If it can be shown that he was modify capacity to act.
acting during a lucid interval, the contract will
be considered valid. Example: According to the Code
Commission, a father has generally full civil
State of Being a Deaf-Mute capacity and is not as such restricted under
- a deaf-mute may either be sane or Article 38, however, precisely because he is a
father, his capacity to alienate his property is
insane.
modified in the sense that he cannot impair the
legitime of his compulsory heirs.
- he may make a will, but cannot be a
competent witness to a notarial will.
Family Relations
Civil Interdiction
- a man cannot marry his mother, or
- the deprivation by the court of a
sister, or even a first cousin. The fact that
person’s right.
a man is the father of a family creates an
obligation to give support to his family
- the restrictions do not extinguish the
and to give his children their legitime.
capacity to act. They merely restrict or
limit the same.
Alienage
- an alien cannot generally acquire private
- the incapacitated person is not exempt
or public agricultural lands, including
from certain obligations arising from his
those residential in nature, except thru
acts.
hereditary succession.
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- the fact that a woman is a wife, modifies the case of an unborn fetus, since this is
her capacity to dispose of the conjugal not endowed with personality.
property or to bring an action, though her
capacity to act is not limited in the sense Newborn Screening Act
that a minor’s capacity is limited. - “Newborn Screening Act of 2004”
otherwise known as RA 9288 - shall
ensure that every baby born in the
Philippines is offered the opportunity to
CHAPTER 2 : NATURAL PERSONS undergo newborn screening and, thus, be
spared from heritable conditions that can
lead to mental retardation and death if
Article 40. BIRTH DETERMINES undetected and untreated.
PERSONALITY; BUT THE CONCEIVED
CHILD SHALL BE CONSIDERED BORN FOR - parental or legal guardian’s decision to
ALL PURPOSES THAT ARE FAVORABLE TO refuse testing on the ground of religious
IT, PROVIDED IT BE BORN LATER WITH belief shall acknowledge in writing an
THE CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN THE understanding that refusal for testing
FOLLOWING ARTICLE. places the newborn at risk for
undiagnosed heritable conditions. Be it
noted that a copy of this refusal
Beginning of Personality documentation shall be made part of the
- personality does not begin at birth; it newborn’s medical records and refusal
begins at conception. This personality at shall be indicated in the national newborn
conception is called presumptive screening database.
personality. It is, of course, essential that
birth should occur later, otherwise, the - Newborn = means a child from the
fetus will be considered as never having time of complete delivery to 30 days old.
possessed legal personality.
- personality (actual personality) really Article 41. FOR CIVIL PURPOSES, THE
commences at birth. FOETUS IS CONSIDERED BORN IF IT IS
ALIVE AT THE TIME IT IS COMPLETELY
When No Registration Will Be Made DELIVERED FROM THE MOTHER’S WOMB.
- if the conditions specified in Article 41 HOWEVER, IF THE FOETUS HAD AN
are not complied with, the birth and the INTRA-UTERINE LIFE OF LESS THAN
death of the child will not be recorded in SEVEN MONTHS, IT IS NOT DEEMED
the Civil Registry. BORN IF IT DIES WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR
HOURS AFTER ITS COMPLETE DELIVERY
Rule in Case of Abortive Infant FROM THE MATERNAL WOMB.
- if a physician operates on a pregnant
woman and succeeds in aborting the Two Kinds of Children:
fetus, the parents would normally be 1. Ordinary - with an intra-uterine life of
entitled to only moral damages (distress, at least seven months.
disappointment of parental expectation) 2. Extraordinary - if the intra-uterine life
and to exemplary damages, if warranted, be less than seven months. (Here the
but NOT to actual damages (injury to child must have lived for at least 24 hours
rights of the deceased, his right to life and after its complete delivery from the
physical integrity). maternal womb.)
- the death of a person, does NOT cover Note: The term “extraordinary” was used
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instead of “premature” for while a child BETWEEN TWO OR MORE PERSONS WHO
with an intra-uterine life of eight months ARE CALLED TO SUCCEED EACH OTHER,
is still considered premature, if is for the AS TO WHICH OF THEM DIED FIRST,
purpose of the article considered an WHOEVER ALLEGES THE DEATH OF ONE
ordinary child. PRIOR TO THE OTHER, SHALL PROVE THE
SAME; IN THE ABSENCE OF PROOF, IT IS
PRESUMED THAT THEY DIED AT THE
SAME TIME AND THERE SHALL BE NO
Article 42. CIVIL PERSONALITY IS TRANSMISSION OF RIGHTS FROM ONE TO
EXTINGUISHED BY DEATH. THE OTHER.
Is a Person’s “Estate” a Person by Itself? A. If both were under the age of fifteen
years, the older is presumed to have
- the “estate” of the deceased is a person survived;
that may continue the personality of the
deceased even after death -- for the B. If both were above the age of sixty, the
purpose of settling debts. younger is presumed to have survived;
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When Personality of Private Juridical
- Article 43 applies when the case involves Persons Begins
two or more persons who are “called to
succeed each other”. Example: Father and - a private corporation begins to exist as a
Son. juridical person from the moment a
certificate of incorporation is granted to it.
The certificate is issued upon filing the
articles of incorporation with the Securities
CHAPTER 3 : JURIDICAL PERSONS and Exchange Commission.
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B. During war, we may pierce the veil of corporation is entitled to use an name,
corporate identity and go to the very but not in violation of the rights of others.
nationality of the controlling stockholders
regardless of where the incorporation had
been made. Thus a German-controlled May a Corporation Form a
corporation, even if incorporated in the Partnership?
Philippines, was considered an enemy
corporation during the war for the purpose - NO, because the relationship of trust and
of freezing its assets. confidence which is found in a partnership,
is absent in corporations.
Note: Even if a foreign corporation is not
doing business in the Philippines, and - Corporation can be bound only by the
even if not licensed, it may sue here in act of its Board of Directors.
our country.
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Estoppel will be for the benefit of the place which
- a person who contracts with a was already receiving the principal
“corporation” cannot later deny its benefits during the existence of the
personality. But the person who corporation or association.
represents himself as the agent of a non-
existing corporation cannot prevent the
person who has been misled from suing
the “agent” personally, since a non- How a Corporation Can Exercise Its
registered corporation does not have a Powers and Transact Business
juridical personality.
- it can only do so through its board of
A Dissolved Corporation directors, officers, and agents - when
- even if a corporation has been dissolved, authorized by a board resolution or its by-
it can still continue prosecuting (as laws.
plaintiff) or defending (as a defendant) for
the next three years, through its legal
counsel, who may be considered a
“trustee” for this purpose.
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Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the (1) Civil personality is extinguished by death.
Philippines The effect of death upon the rights and
obligations of a deceased person is
A DECREE TO ORDAIN AND PROMULGATE A determined by this Code, by contract, and by
CODE RECOGNIZING THE SYSTEM OF FILIPINO will.
MUSLIM LAWS, CODIFYING MUSLIM
PERSONAL LAWS, AND PROVIDING FOR ITS (2) After an absence of seven years, it being
ADMINISTRATION AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES unknown whether or not the absentee still
lives, he shall be presumed dead.
WHEREAS, Islamic law and its principles of
equity and justice, to which the Filipino Muslim Article 12. Simultaneous death. If, as
communities adhere, provide an essential basis between two or more persons who are called
for the fuller development of said communities to succeed each other, there is a doubt as to
in relation to the search for harmonious which of them died first, whoever alleges the
relations of all segments of the Filipino nation death of one prior to the other shall prove the
to enhance national unity; same; in the absence of such proof, it is
presumed that they died at the same time and
BOOK TWO there shall be no transmission of rights from
PERSONS AND FAMILY RELATIONS one to the other. However, the successional
rights of their respective heirs shall not be
TITLE I affected.
CIVIL PERSONALITY (SHAKHSIYAH
MADANIYA) P.D. No. 603
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CITIZENSHIP AND DOMICILE citizenship by blood. (This is the rule
followed in the Philippines.)
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law, and an Algerian under Algerian law, was The Problem of Stateless Individuals
domiciled at the moment of his death in Italy.
He died in Alaska, leaving properties in the 1. How statelessness is brought about:
Philippines. How should a Philippine court A. He may have been deprived of his
dispose of the successional rights to his estate? citizenship for any cause, such as the
Answer: To properly apply Article 16 Paragraph commission of a crime.
2 of our Civil Code, it is believed that in a case B. He may have renounced his nationality by
like this, our rule should be: certain acts, express or implied
1. First, get the Cuban and the Algerian laws C. He may have voluntarily asked for a release
on succession, and apply them in so far as from his original state;
they are consistent with or identical to each
other; D. He may have been born in a country which
recognizes only the principle of jus sanguinis
2. Secondly, in so far as there is a conflict, we -- citizenship by blood, of parents whose law
must apply the law of Italy, the law of the recognizes only the principle of jus soli --
domicile, to resolve the conflict. citizenship by birth in a certain place. Thus, he
is neither a citizen of the country where he was
born, nor a citizen of the country of his
Various Ways in which Dual parents.
Citizenship may Arise
2. Personal law of stateless individual
1. Through Marriage A. The law of the domicile (habitual residence);
or
2. Through a naturalized citizen’s failure to
comply with certain legal requirements in B. Secondarily, the law of the place of
the country of origin. temporary residence
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Article 48. THE FOLLOWING ARE Note: This proviso has been eliminated in
CITIZENS OF THE PHILIPPINES: the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. It is
understood, however, that those falling
(1) THOSE WHO WERE CITIZENS OF THE
under No. 2 of the 1935 Constitution may
PHILIPPINES AT THE TIME OF THE
now be classified under No. 1 of the 1973
ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
Constitution.
THE PHILIPPINES;
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Children of Filipino Mothers - Yes, a child born outside a lawful marriage of
an alien father and a Filipino mother, being
1. Provision of the 1935 Constitution -- illegitimate, follows the mother’s citizenship.
“Those whose mothers are citizens of the However, if the parents should marry each
Philippines and upon reaching the age of other later, the legitimated child should
majority elect Philippine citizenship.” generally follow the father’s citizenship.
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Article 49. NATURALIZATION AND THE Qualifications:
LOSS AND RE-ACQUISITION OF
1. The petitioner must not be less than 21
CITIZENSHIP OF THE PHILIPPINES ARE (majority age today is 18) years of age on the
GOVERNED BY SPECIAL LAWS. date of the hearing of the petition;
- in its strict sense, it is a judicial process, If the applicant has honorably held
where formalities of the law have to be office under the Government of the Philippines
complied with, including a judicial hearing r under that of any of the provinces, cities,
and approval of the petition. municipalities, or political subdivisions thereof;
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Question: if because of certain specified acts, a government, and civics are taught or
petition is denied because of lack of prescribed as part of the school curriculum
irreproachable conduct, is there a chance that during the entire period of the residence
the alien can later on be granted naturalization required of him, prior to the hearing of his
upon proof of having reformed? petition for naturalization as citizen.
- Yes, provided that a sufficient number of - all the children concerned should have been
years have elapsed. A second petition filed less enrolled. Failure to enroll even one of them will
than a year after the denial of the first result in a denial of the petition.
application would not comply with the number
of years required. But if for a reasonable - the denial of the first petition for
number of years after the denial of one’s naturalization by reason of applicant’s failure to
application the petitioner proves in the bring to the Philippines his child of school age
requisite proceeding to have reformed and has is a bar to the gant of a subsequent petition
observed irreproachable conduct, the bar may even if at the time the new petition is
be lifted. presented, the child is no longer of school age.
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8. Citizens or subject of a foreign country A. If it was shown that said naturalization
other than the United States, whose laws certificate was obtained fraudulently or
do not grant Filipinos the right to become illegally;
naturalized citizens or subjects thereof. B. If the person naturalized shall, within five
years next following issuance of said
naturalization certificate, return to his native
Steps in Naturalization Proceedings country or to some foreign country and
establish his permanent residence therein:
1. A declaration of intention to become a Provided, that the fact if the person
Filipino citizen must first be filed, unless the naturalized remaining for more than one year
applicant is exempted from this requirement. in his native country or the country of his
former nationality, or two years in any other
Persons Exempt from the requirement to Make
country, shall be considered as prima facie
a Declaration of Intention:
evidence of his intention of taking up
Persons born in the Philippines and who have permanent residence in the same;
received their primary and secondary
C. If the petition was made on an invalid
education in public schools or private schools
declaration of intention;
recognized by the Government, and not limited
to any race or nationality; D. If it is shown that the minor child of the
person naturalized failed to graduate from
Those who have resided continuously in the
public or private high school recognized by the
Philippines for a period of thirty years or more
Bureau of Private Schools (now Department of
before filing their application;
Education, Culture and Sports), where
The widow and minor children of an alien who Philippine history, government, and civics are
has declared his intention to become a citizen taught or prescribed as part of the school
of the Philippines and dies before he is actually curriculum, through the fault of their parents
naturalized. either by neglecting to support them or by
transferring them to another school or
schools. A certificate shall be forwarded by the
Clerk of the Court to the Office of the President
1. The petition for naturalization must then be
and the Office of the Solicitor-General
filed.
E. If it is shown that the naturalized citizen has
2. The petition will then be heard.
allowed himself to be used as a dummy in
3. If the petition is approved, there will be a violation of the Constitution or legal provision
rehearing two years after the promulation of requiring Philippine citizenship as requisite for
the judgment awarding naturalization. the exercise, use or enjoyment of a right,
franchise, or privilege.”
4. The last step will be the taking of the oath of
allegiance to support and defend the
Constitution and the laws of the Philippines.
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2. By renunciation of citizenship
1. By naturalization;
3. By deprivation
2. By repatriation of deserters of the
- Deprivation exist when a person is
Army, Navy or Air Corps: Provided, that a
deprived of his citizenship as a sort of
woman who lost her citizenship by reason
punishment.
of her marriage to an alien may be
repatriated in accordance with the
provisions of this Act after the termination
4. By release
of the marital status;
- as distinguished fro deprivation, a
3. By direct act of the National Assembly,
release is voluntary in the sense that a
provided that:
person asks the permission of his country
to be freed from citizenship therein. A. The applicant be at least twenty-one years
of age and shall have resided in the
Philippines at least six months before he
applies for naturalization;
5. By expiration
B. He shall have conducted himself in a proper
- this principle is ordinarily NOT applicable and irreproachable manner during the entire
to FILIPINOS period of his residence in the Philippines, in his
relation with the constituted government as
- However, if a naturalized citizen, within well as with the community in which he is
five years from the time he is issued living; and perpetually all faith and allegiance
naturalization certificate, permanently to the foreign authority, state or sovereignty of
resides in a different country, his which he was a citizen or subject.
naturalization certificate may be cancelled
4. Repatriation shall be effected by merely
on this ground. This is our equivalent of
taking the necessary oath of allegiance to
expiration.
the Commonwealth of the Philippines and
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registration in the proper civil registry.
B. It is assigned to him also by the law Example: If a Filipino child is born in France at
the time that his father is domiciled in Japan,
after birth on account of legal disability
the domicile of origin of the child is in Japan.
cause for instance by minority, insanity,
or marriage in the case of a woman. However, if the child is a posthumous one
(born after the death of the father) its domicile
C. Because he has his home there -- that of origin is the domicile of the mother.
to which whenever he is absent, he
intends to return.
2. An illegitimate child -- is the domicile of
choice of the mother at the time of the
birth of the child.
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3. A legitimated child (an illegitimate child (Domicilium Necesarium)
who subsequently is granted the status of
1. Rules for Infants
a legitimate child by the process call
legitimation) -- is the domicile of the A. If legitimate -- the domicile of choice of
father at the time of the birth (not the the father.
legitimation) of the child. This is so
because “legitimation shall take effect B. If illegitimate -- the domicile of choice
from the time of the child’s birth.” of the mother (after all she is supposed to
take care of the child).
4. An adopted child -- is not the domicile
of the adopter (for generally adoption C. If adopted -- the domicile of choice of
takes place sometime after the birth of the adopter.
the child) but the domicile of the real
D. If a ward -- the domicile of choice of
parent of the parent by consanguinity.
the guardian.
5. A foundling (an abandoned infant
whose parents are unknown) -- is the
country where it was found. 2. Rules for Married Women
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C. If the marriage is void -- it is as if there viewpoints.
was no marriage and the “wife” is not
C. Every sui juris may change his
really one. Hence, she is not laboring
domicile.
under any legal disability; consequently,
she has no constructive domicile. Should D. Once acquired, it remains the domicile
she continue being domiciled in the same unless a new one is obtained:
place as where her “husband” is a
domiciliary, such place would not be her By a capacitated person;
constructive domicile, it would be her
With freedom of choice
domicile of choice.
With actual physical presence in the
place chosen;
3. Rules for Idiots, Lunatics, and the
And a provable intent that it should be
Insane - the law assigns to them their
one’s fixed and permanent place of abode
domicile:
-- one’s home -- that is, there should
A. If they are below the age of majority -- be “animus revertendi” (intent to remain)
they are still considered infants under the or “animus non-revertendi” (intent
law; thus, the rules for infants are not to return to the original abode)
applicable to them.
B. No person can have two or more Article 51. WHEN THE LAW CREATING OR
domiciles at the same time, except for RECOGNIZING THEM, OR ANY OTHER
certain purposes and from different legal PROVISION DOES NOT FIX THE DOMICILE
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OF JURIDICAL PERSONS, THE SAME
SHALL BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE
PLACE WHERE THEIR LEGAL
REPRESENTATION IS ESTABLISHED OR
WHERE THEY EXERCISE THEIR PRINCIPAL
FUNCTIONS.
1987 CONSTITUTION
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ARTICLE IV : CITIZENSHIP CHAPTER 2: THE PEOPLE
Section 1. The following are citizens of the Section 5. Who are Citizens. - The following
Philippines: are the citizens of the Philippines:
1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at (1) Those who are citizens of the Philippines
the time of the adoption of this Constitution; at the time of the adoption of the Constitution;
2. Those whose fathers or mothers are (2) Those whose fathers or mothers are
citizens of the Philippines; citizens of the Philippines;
3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of (3) Those born before January 17, 1973, of
Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine
Citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; citizenship, unless by the act or omission they
and are deemed, under the law, to have
renounced it.
4. Those who are naturalized in the
accordance with law. (4) Those who are naturalized in accordance
with law.
Section 2. Natural-born citizens are those
who are citizens of the Philippines from birth Section 6. Effect of Marriage. - Citizens of the
without having to perform any act to acquire or Philippines who marry aliens shall retain their
perfect their Philippine citizenship. Those who citizenship, unless by their act or omission
elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with they are deemed, under the law, to have
paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be renounced it.
deemed natural-born citizens.
Section 7. Natural-born Citizen. - Natural-
Section 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost born citizens are those who are citizens of the
or reacquired in the manner provided by law. Philippines from birth without having to
perform any act to acquire or perfect their
Section 4. Citizens of the Philippines who Philippine citizenship. Those who elect
marry aliens shall retain their citizenship, Philippine citizenship in accordance with the
unless by their act or omission they are Constitution shall be deemed natural-born
deemed, under the law to have renounced it. citizens.
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