FACTS: Private respondents filed a complaint for specific performance against herein petitioner Natalia Carpena Opulencia, alleging that she executed in their favor a CONTRACT TO SELL Lot 2125 of the Sta. Rosa Estate, consisting of 23,766 sqms.; that plaintiffs paid a downpayment of P300,000.00 but Opulencia, despite demands, failed to comply with her obligations under… Read More OPULENCIA v. CA G.R. No. 125835 July 30, 1998 Succession, Hereditary Rights

FACTS: Petitioner, a Japanese national, met private respondent sometime in 2002 in one of his visits to the Philippines. Private respondent introduced herself as “single” and “has never married before.” They got married later that year in Pasay City. After the wedding, the couple resided in Japan. In July 2009, petitioner noticed his wife become… Read More Iwasawa v. Gangan G.R. No. 204169 September 11, 2013 Bigamous Marriage, Null and Void Marriage, Family Code

FACTS: At around 1:30 p.m., November 2, 1990, Jose Juego, a construction worker of D. M. Consunji, Inc., fell 14 floors from the Renaissance Tower, Pasig City to his death. The investigation revealed that the platform he was then on board and performing work, fell. And the falling of the platform was due to the… Read More Consunji v. CA G.R. No. 137873 April 20, 2001 Waiver of Rights

FACTS: Respondent Gregorio Nolasco filed a petition for the declaration of presumptive death of his wife Janet Monica Parker. The petition prayed that respondent’s wife be declared presumptively dead or, in the alternative, that the marriage be declared null and void. Respondent Nolasco was a seaman and he met Janet, a British subject, in a… Read More Republic v. Nolasco G.R. No. 94053 March 17, 1993 Declaration of Presumptive Death, Family Code

Lex loci contractus — The law of the place where the contract is made governs or lex loci contractus; as the parties did not designate the applicable law and the Agreement was perfected in the Philippines, our Arbitration laws apply. (DFA vs. BCA Int’l. Corp., G.R. No. 225051, July 19, 2017) PRINCIPLES:       (a)   The… Read More CONFLICT OF LAWS: Maxims, Jurisprudence, Principles, and Bar Q & A

FACTS: Complainant avers that she was the lawful wife of the late David Manzano, having been married to him on 21 May 1966. However, on 22 March 1993, her husband contracted another marriage with one Luzviminda Payao solemnized by respondent Judge.  Respondent Judge, on the other hand, claims that he did not know that Manzano… Read More Manzano v. Judge Sanchez A.M. No. MTJ-00-1329 March 8, 2001 Marriage License, Legal Ratification of Marital Cohabitation

Cruz vs. Cruz, G.R. No. 211153, Feb. 28, 2018 Exclusion in legal succession –– This is a simple case of exclusion in legal succession, where co-heirs were effectively deprived of their rightful share to the estate of their parents ― who died without a will ― by virtue of a defective deed of extrajudicial settlement… Read More Recent Rulings in SUCCESSION