Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No.

L-254 April 30, 1948

Te !"!e e !"!e o# C"rlo Gil, $e%e" e$. &SA'EL (ERREROS )*A. *E G&L, petitioner-appellant, vs. RO'ERTO TOLE*O + G&L &&&, oppositor-appellee. Albert and Albert for appellant. V.E. del Rosario for appellee. PER,ECTO, J.On December !, "#$%, a petition &as file' for the probate of the &ill of Carlos (il, &ho 'ie' in Manila on November ), "#$%. Roberto *ole'o + (il ,,,, a nephe& of the 'ecease', file' an opposition, 'ate' -une "%, "#$$, alle.in. that on the 'a+ of the e/ecution of the &ill the 'ecease' &as not in possession of his mental faculties, bein. seriousl+ ill an' un'er a state of coma, an' the si.nature appearin. in the &ill is not his, a''in. that the subse0uent a'option of Carlos 1orrell, also 2no&n as Carlos (il, -r., ma'e b+ the 'ecease', &or2e' as a revocation of the alle.e' &ill. On -une "!, "#$$, the &i'o& of the 'ecease' file' a motion pra+in. that the opposition be 'enie', upon the .roun' that the opposition &as file' out of time, an' that it is a fact that the 'ecease' has a'opte' as his son Carlos 1orrell or Carlos (il, -r., as atteste' to b+ the 'ecree of a'option issue' b+ the Court of 3irst ,nstance of Pampan.a on April "4, "#$5. *he oppositor replie', on -une %5, "#$$, pra+in. that the 'ecree of a'option be 'eclare' as a nullit+, upon the theor+ that the court &hich issue' it acte' &ithout 6uris'iction, because Carlos 1orrell &as of le.al a.e at the time of his a'option, an' the 6uris'iction of the court is limite' to a'option of minors. On -ul+ ", "#$$, the court issue' an or'er 'en+in. the 'ismissal of the opposition an' settin. asi'e the a'option of Carlos 1orrell upon the theor+ that Courts of 3irst ,nstance have no 6uris'iction to 'ecree the a'option of a person of le.al a.e. Appeal a.ainst the or'er is un'er our consi'eration. *he &hole controvers+ in this case revolves on &hether the lo&er court acte' correctl+ in settin. asi'e the 'ecree of a'option, &hich &as issue' on April "4, "#$5, more than four +ears before the appeale' or'er. 1hether or not the Court of 3irst ,nstance of Pampan.a committe' an error in 'ecreein. the a'option of a person of le.al a.e, the error, if an+ coul' an' shoul' have been correcte' b+ the same court, throu.h reconsi'eration, or b+ an appellee court, on appeal. *he court ha' 6uris'iction on matters of a'option. An+ error in the e/ercise of sai' 6uris'iction cannot be attac2e' collaterall+. *he lo&er court in this case acte' be+on' its 6uris'iction in the testate procee'in.s in settin. asi'e the 'ecree of a'option of Carlos 1orrell. *he appeale' or'er of the lo&er court, 'ate' -ul+ ", "#$$, is reverse' in so far as it 'eclares null an' voi' an' sets asi'e the 'ecree of a'option of Carlos 1orrell issue' b+ the Court of 3irst ,nstance of Pampan.a on April "4, "#$5. No costs. Feria, Pablo, Bengzon, and Tuason, JJ., concur.