Title
Vda. de Jacob vs. Court of Appeals
Case Decision Date
G.R. No. 135216 Aug 19, 1999
A dispute over the validity of a marriage and the claim of adoption arises when a
woman presents a reconstructed marriage contract as proof of her marriage to
her deceased husband, but a man intervenes claiming to be the legally adopted
son and sole surviving heir of the deceased, leading to a court ruling in favor of
the woman and invalidating the alleged adoption due to lack of evidence.
Case Summary (G.R. No. 135216)
Parties Involved and Claims Made
Petitioner: Tomasa Vda. de Jacob
Respondent: Pedro Pilapil
Tomasa claims to be the surviving spouse of Dr. Alfredo E. Jacob and was appointed
as special administratrix for his estates.
Pedro claims to be the legally adopted son of Alfredo and his sole surviving heir.
Validity of the Marriage
Tomasa presented a reconstructed Marriage Contract as proof of her marriage to
Alfredo.
The court held that the due execution of the marriage contract was established by
testimonies of witnesses and by Tomasa herself as a party to the event.
The subsequent loss of the marriage contract was shown by the testimony and
affidavit of the officiating priest and by Tomasa's own declaration in court.
Therefore, secondary evidence testimonial and documentary may be admitted to
prove the fact of marriage.
Validity of the Adoption
Pedro presented an Order issued by a judge granting the petition for adoption filed
by Alfredo in favor of Pedro.
The court found that Pedro's conduct did not indicate that he recognized his own
alleged adoption.
No proof was presented that Dr. Jacob treated Pedro as an adopted child.
Certifications from the Bureau of Records Management and the Office of the Local
Civil Registrar showed that there was no record of Pedro being adopted by Dr. Jacob.
These circumstances negated the alleged adoption of Pedro.
Court's Decision
The court a quo and the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Pedro.
However, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Tomasa.
The Supreme Court recognized the validity of the marriage between Tomasa and
Alfredo.
The alleged adoption of Pedro was declared as non-existent.
