GR No.

83598 March 7 , 1997

Leoncia Balogbog and Gaudioso Balogbog ( Peiioners !
"s.
#onorable $our o% &''eals, Ra(onio Balogbog and Generoso Balogbog
)*idence+ &lhough a (arriage conrac is considered 'ri(ar, e*idence o% (arriage, he
%ailure o 'resen i is no 'roo% ha no (arriage oo- 'lace
Presu('ions+ &n e.change o% *o/s can be 'resu(ed o ha*e been (ade %ro(
esi(onies o% he /inesses /ho sae ha a /edding oo- 'lace, since he *er,
'ur'ose %or ha*ing a /edding is o e.change *o/s and 0uie unnaural %or 'eo'le no o
noice is absence
Paren and $hild + 1iliaion+2n he absence o% iles indicaed in &ricle 345 o% he $i*il
code, he %iliaion o% children (a,be 'ro*en b, coninous 'ossession o% he saus o% a
legii(ae child and b, an, oher (eans allo/ed b, he rules o% cour or s'ecial la/s.
Peiion %or re*ie/ on ceriorari o% a decision o% he $our o% &''eals.
5he %acs are saed in he o'inion o% he cour
Ra(on B. $eni6a %or Peiioner.
&nonio 5. Bacalos and Raul B. Bacalos %or 'ri*ae res'ondens.
5he %acs are as %ollo/s. Peiioners Leoncia and Gaudioso Balogbog are he children o%
Basilio Balogbog and Geno*e*a &r6ibal /ho died inesae in 1951 and 1941,
res'eci*el,. 5he, had an older broher, Ga*ino, bu he died in 1935, 'redeceasing heir
'arens.
2n 1948, 'ri*ae res'ondens Ra(onio and Generoso Balogbog brough an acion %or
'ariion and accouning agains 'eiioners, clai(ing ha he, /ere he legii(ae
children o% Ga*ino b, $aalina 7bas and ha, as such, he, /ere eniled o he one8
hird share o% Ga*ino in he esae o% heir grand'arens.
2n heir ans/er, 'eiioners denied -no/ing 'ri*ae res'ondens. 5he, alleged ha heir
broher Ga*ino died single and /ihou issue in heir 'arens9 residence a 5ag8a(a-an,
&surias, $ebu. 2n he beginning he, clai(ed ha he 'ro'eries o% he esae had been
sold o he( b, heir (oher /hen she /as sill ali*e, bu he, laer /ihdre/ his
allegaion.
Peiioners %iled a (oion %or ne/ rial and:or reconsideraion, conending ha he rial
cour erred in no gi*ing /eigh o he ceri%icaion o% he ;%%ice o% he Munici'al
5reasurer o% &surias ().h. 1<! o he e%%ec ha no (arriage o% Ga*ino and $aalina
/as recorded in he Boo- o% Marriages %or he ,ears 193581935. 5heir (oion /as
denied b, he rial cour, as /as heir second (oion %or ne/ rial and:or reconsideraion
based on he church records o% he 'arish o% &surias /hich did no conain he record o%
he alleged (arriage in ha church.
=#)R)1;R), he decision a''ealed %ro( is &112RM)>.
?; ;R>)R)>.