Mariategui v. CA, 205 SCRA 337

FACTS: Lupo Mariategui contracted three marriages during his lifetime. He had 4 children with his first wife, Eusebia Montellano. He had 1 child with his second wife, Flaviana Montellano. And he had 3 children with his third wife, Felipa Velasco. Lupo died instestate. Upon his death, descendants from his first and second marriages executed a deed of extrajudicial partition on Lot No. 163. However, the children on Lupo’s third marriage filed with the lower court an amended complaint claiming that they were deprive on the partition of Lot No. 163 which were owned by their common father. The petitioners, children on first and second marriage, filed a counterclaim to dismiss the said complaint. Trial court denied the motion to dismiss and also the complaint by the respondents, children on third marriage. Respondents elevated the case on CA on the ground that the trial court committed an error for not finding the third marriage to be lawfully married and also in holding respondents are not legitimate children of their said parents. CA rendered a decision declaring all the children and descendants of Lupo, including the respondents, are entitled to equal shares of estate of their father. However, petitioners filed a motion for reconsideration of said decision.

ISSUE: Whether or not respondents were able to prove their succession rights over the said estate.

HELD: With respect to the legal basis of private respondents' demand for partition of the estate of Lupo Mariategui, the Court of Appeals aptly held that the private respondents are legitimate children of the deceased. Lupo Mariategui and Felipa Velasco were alleged to have been lawfully married in or about 1930. This fact is based on the declaration communicated by Lupo Mariategui to Jacinto who testified that "when his father was still living, he was able to mention to him that he and his mother were able to get married before a Justice of the Peace of Taguig, Rizal." The spouses deported themselves as husband and wife, and were known in the community to be such. Although no marriage certificate was introduced to this effect, no evidence was likewise offered to controvert these facts. Moreover, the mere fact that no record of the marriage exists does not invalidate the marriage, provided all requisites for its validity are present. Under these circumstances, a marriage may be presumed to have taken place between Lupo and Felipa.