Dio v Dio

Facts:
On 14 January 1998, Alain M. Dio
(petitioner) and Ma. Caridad L.
Dio (respondent) got arried.
On !" May #""1, petitioner $led
an a%tion &or De%laration o& 'ullity
o& Marriage against respondent,
%iting psy%(ologi%al in%apa%ity
under Arti%le !) o& t(e *aily
Code.
+etitioner alleged t(at respondent
&ailed in (er arital o,ligation to
gi-e lo-e and support to (i, and
(ad a,andoned (er responsi,ility
to t(e &aily, %(oosing instead to
go on s(opping sprees and
galli-anting .it( (er &riends t(at
depleted t(e &aily assets.
+etitioner &urt(er alleged t(at
respondent .as not &ait(&ul, and
.ould at ties ,e%oe -iolent and
(urt (i.
/(e trial %ourt ruled t(at petitioner
.as a,le to esta,lis( respondent0s
psy%(ologi%al in%apa%ity.
1n s(ort, t(eir arriage .as
de%lared -oid a, initio under
Arti%le !) o& t(e *aily Code.
Issue:
2(et(er or not t(e property
relations o& t(e parties s(ould &all
under 143 o& t(e *aily Code.
Held:
4es. /(e property relations o& t(e
parties during t(e period o&
%o(a,itation is go-erned eit(er ,y
Arti%le 143 or Arti%le 148 o& t(e
*aily Code.

Arti%le 143 o& t(e
*aily Code applies to union o&
parties .(o are legally %apa%itated
and not ,arred ,y any ipedient
to %ontra%t arriage, ,ut .(ose
arriage is nonet(eless -oid,

su%(
as petitioner and respondent in t(e
%ase ,e&ore t(e Court.
Article 147. When a man and a
woman who are capacitated to
marry each other, live
exclusively with each other as
husband and wife without the
beneft of marriage or under a
void marriage, their wages and
salaries shall be owned by them
in eual shares and the
property acuired by both of
them through their wor! or
industry shall be governed by
the rules on co"ownership.
#n the absence of proof to the
contrary, properties acuired
while they lived together shall
be presumed to have been
obtained by their $oint e%orts,
wor! or industry, and shall be
owned by them in eual shares.
&or purposes of this Article, a
party who did not participate in
the acuisition by the other
party of any property shall be
deemed to have contributed
$ointly in the acuisition thereof
if the former's e%orts consisted
in the care and maintenance of
the family and of the
household.
(either party can encumber or
dispose by acts inter vivos of
his or her share in the property
acuired during cohabitation
and owned in common, without
the consent of the other, until
after the termination of their
cohabitation.
1n t(is %ase, petitioner0s arriage
to respondent .as de%lared -oid
under Arti%le !) o& t(e *aily
Code and not under Arti%le 4" or
45. /(us, .(at go-erns t(e
li6uidation o& properties o.ned in
%oon ,y petitioner and
respondent are t(e rules on %o7
o.ners(ip. 1n )aldes, t(e Court
ruled t(at t(e property relations o&
parties in a -oid arriage during
t(e period o& %o(a,itation is
go-erned eit(er ,y Arti%le 143 or
Arti%le 148 o& t(e *aily Code. /(e
rules on %o7o.ners(ip apply and
t(e properties o& t(e spouses
s(ould ,e li6uidated in a%%ordan%e
.it( t(e Ci-il Code pro-isions on
%o7o.ners(ip.
SPOUSES CHARLIE FORTALEZA
and OFELIA FORTALEZA vs.
SPOUSES RAUL LAPITA and
ROA LAPITA
!.R. o. "#$%$$ Au&ust "'(
%)"%
Facts:
8pouses C(arlie and O&elia
*ortale9a o,tained a loan &ro
spouses :olando and Aparo Lapitan
(%reditors). As se%urity, spouses
*ortale9a e;e%uted on January #8,
1998 a Deed o& :eal <state Mortgage
o-er t(eir residential (ouse and lot
situated in =arrio Anos, Muni%ipality
o& Los =aos, Laguna (su,>e%t
property). 2(en spouses *ortale9a
&ailed to pay t(e inde,tedness
in%luding t(e interests and penalties,
t(e %reditors applied &or e;tra>udi%ial
&ore%losure o& t(e :eal <state
Mortgage ,e&ore t(e O?i%e o& t(e
Cler@ o& Court and <;7O?i%io 8(eri?
o& Cala,a City. /(e pu,li% au%tion
sale .as set on May 9, #""1.
At t(e sale, t(e %reditors0 son
Dr. :aul Lapitan and (is .i&e :ona
eerged as t(e (ig(est ,idders. /(en,
t(ey .ere issued a Certi$%ate o& 8ale
t(at .as registered .it( t(e :egistry
o& Deeds o& Cala,a City. /(e one7
year redeption period e;pired
.it(out t(e spouses *ortale9a
redeeing t(e ortgage. /(us,
spouses Lapitan e;e%uted an a?ida-it
o& %onsolidation o& o.ners(ip on
'o-e,er #", #""! and t(e
registration o& t(e su,>e%t property in
t(eir naes on *e,ruary 4, #""4.
Despite t(e &oregoing, t(e spouses
*ortale9a re&used spouses Lapitan0s
&oral deand

to -a%ate and
surrender possession o& t(e su,>e%t
property.
Issue:
2(et(er or not t(e Aonora,le
%ourt o& appeals gra-ely erred in not
(olding t(at t(e petitioners .ere
pre-ented ,y t(e respondent &ro
e;er%ising t(eir rig(t o& redeption
o-er t(e &ore%losed property ,y
deanding a redeption o-er t(e
&ore%losed property ,y deanding a
redeption pri%e o& a (ig(ly e6uita,le
and ore t(an dou,le t(e aount o&
t(e &ore%losed property, espe%ially
t(at t(e &ore%losed ortgaged
property is t(e &aily (oe o&
petitioners and t(eir %(ildren.
Rulin&:
/(e 8upree Court (eld t(at
Arti%le 155(!) o& t(e *aily Code
e;pli%itly allo.s t(e &or%ed sale o& a
&aily (oe B&or de,ts se%ured ,y
ortgages on t(e preises ,e&ore or
a&ter su%( %onstitution.B 1n t(is %ase,
t(ere is no dou,t t(at spouses
*ortale9a -oluntarily e;e%uted on
January #8, 1998 a deed o& :eal
<state Mortgage o-er t(e su,>e%t
property, .(i%( .as e-en notari9ed ,y
t(eir original %ounsel o& re%ord. And
assuing t(at t(e property is e;ept
&ro &or%ed sale, spouses *ortale9a
did not set up and pro-e to t(e 8(eri?
su%( e;eption &ro &or%ed sale
,e&ore it .as sold at t(e pu,li%
au%tion.
*UAITA TRIIDAD RA+OS -s.
DAILO PA!ILIA
!.R. o. "$',%) *ul- %)( %)")
Facts:
:espondents $led a %oplaint
&or illegal disissal against <.M.
:aos <le%tri%, 1n%., a %opany
o.ned ,y <rnesto M. :aos, t(e
patriar%( o& (erein petitioners. /(e
la,or ar,iter ordered :aos and t(e
%opany to pay t(e respondents0
,a%@7.ages, separation pay, 1!t(
ont( pay C ser-i%e in%enti-e lea-e
pay. /(e de%ision ,e%ae $nal and
e;e%utory so a .rit o& e;e%ution .as
issued .(i%( t(e Deputy 8(eri? o& t(e
'ational La,or :elations Coission
('L:C) ipleented ,y le-ying a
property in :aos0 nae situated in
+anda%an.

Alleging t(at t(e +anda%an
property .as t(e &aily (oe, (en%e,
e;ept &ro e;e%ution to satis&y t(e
>udgent a.ard, :aos and t(e
%opany o-ed to 6uas( t(e .rit o&
e;e%ution. :espondents argued t(at it
is not t(e &aily (oe t(ere ,eing
anot(er one in Antipolo and t(at t(e
+anda%an address is a%tually t(e
,usiness address. /(e otion .as
denied and t(e appeal .as li@e.ise
denied ,y t(e 'L:C.
Issue:
2(et(er or not t(e le-y upon
t(e +anda%an property .as -alid.
Rulin&:
4es. *or t(e &aily (oe to ,e
e;ept &ro e;e%ution, distin%tion
ust ,e ade as to .(at la. applies
,ased on .(en it .as %onstituted and
.(at re6uireents ust ,e %oplied
.it( ,y t(e >udgent de,tor or (is
su%%essors %laiing su%( pri-ilege.
Aen%e, t.o sets o& rules are
appli%a,le. 1& t(e &aily (oe .as
%onstru%ted ,e&ore t(e e?e%ti-ity o&
t(e *aily Code or ,e&ore August !,
1988, t(en it ust (a-e ,een
%onstituted eit(er >udi%ially or e;tra7
>udi%ially as pro-ided under Arti%les
##5, ##97#!1 and #!! o& t(e Ci-il
Code. Mean.(ile, Arti%les #4" to #4#
go-erns e;tra>udi%ial %onstitution.
On t(e ot(er (and, &or &aily
(oes %onstru%ted a&ter t(e
e?e%ti-ity o& t(e *aily Code on
August !, 1988, t(ere is no need to
%onstitute e;tra >udi%ially or >udi%ially,
and t(e e;eption is e?e%ti-e &ro
t(e tie it .as %onstituted and lasts
as long as any o& its ,ene$%iaries
under Art. 154 a%tually reside t(erein.
Moreo-er, t(e &aily (oe s(ould
,elong to t(e a,solute %ounity or
%on>ugal partners(ip, or i& e;%lusi-ely
,y one spouse, its %onstitution ust
(a-e ,een .it( %onsent o& t(e ot(er,
and its -alue ust not e;%eed %ertain
aounts depending upon t(e area
.(ere it is lo%ated. *urt(er, t(e de,ts
in%urred &or .(i%( t(e e;eption
does not apply as pro-ided under Art.
155 &or .(i%( t(e &aily (oe is
ade ans.era,le ust (a-e ,een
in%urred a&ter August !, 1988. 1n ,ot(
instan%es, t(e %lai &or e;eption
ust ,e pro-ed.
1n t(e present %ase, sin%e
petitioners %lai t(at t(e &aily (oe
.as %onstituted prior to August !,
1988, or as early as 1944, t(ey ust
%oply .it( t(e pro%edure andated
,y t(e Ci-il Code. /(ere ,eing
a,solutely no proo& t(at t(e +anda%an
property .as >udi%ially or e;tra
>udi%ially %onstituted as t(e :aos0
&aily (oe, t(e la. prote%ting t(e
&aily (oe %annot apply t(ere,y
a@ing t(e le-y upon t(e +anda%an
property -alid.
DE +ESA .S. ACERO
*AC/8D
Claudio D. A%ero Jr., ,eing t(e (ig(est
,idder, a%6uired t(e o.ners(ip o& a
par%el o& land &orerly o.ned ,y
petitioners Ara%eli Oli-a7De Mesa and
<rnesto 8. De Mesa (8pouses De
Mesa). /(e property .as sold at a
pu,li% au%tion a&ter 8pouses De Mesa
&ailed to pay t(e loan t(ey se%ured
&ro A%ero. /(erea&ter, respondents
A%ero and (is .i&e :u$na (8pouses
A%ero) leased t(e su,>e%t property to
its &orer o.ners .(o t(en de&aulted
in t(e payent o& t(e rent. Ena,le to
%olle%t t(e rentals due, 8pouses A%ero
$led a %oplaint &or e>e%tent .it(
t(e Muni%ipal /rial Court (M/C)
against 8pouses De Mesa. /(e M/C
ruled in 8pouses A%ero0s &a-or.
1n t(eir de&ense, 8pouses De Mesa
$led a %oplaint .it( t(e :egional
/rial Court (:/C), see@ing to nulli&y
/C/ 'o. /7##1355 (M) on t(e ,asis
t(at t(e su,>e%t property is a &aily
(oe .(i%( is e;ept &ro e;e%ution
under t(e *aily Code, and t(us,
%ould (a-e not ,een -alidly le-ied
upon &or purposes o& satis&ying t(eir
unpaid loan. Ao.e-er, t(e :/C
disissed t(eir %oplaint. /(e Court
o& Appeals (CA) a?ired t(e :/C0s
De%ision.
188E<D
2(et(er or not t(e &aily (oe is
e;epted &ro e;e%ution
A<LDD
+etition D<'1<D.
1ndeed, t(e &aily (oe is a sa%red
sy,ol o& &aily lo-e and is t(e
repository o& %(eris(ed eories t(at
last during one0s li&etie. 1t is
li@e.ise .it(out dispute t(at t(e
&aily (oe, &ro t(e tie o& its
%onstitution and so long as any o& its
,ene$%iaries a%tually resides t(erein,
is generally e;ept &ro e;e%ution,
&or%ed sale or atta%(ent. /(e &aily
(oe is a real rig(t, .(i%( is
gratuitous, inaliena,le and &ree &ro
atta%(ent. 1t %annot ,e sei9ed ,y
%reditors e;%ept in %ertain spe%ial
%ases. Ao.e-er, t(is rig(t %an ,e
.ai-ed or ,e ,arred ,y la%(es ,y t(e
&ailure to set up and pro-e t(e status
o& t(e property as a &aily (oe at
t(e tie o& t(e le-y or a reasona,le
tie t(erea&ter.*or all intents and
purposes, t(e negligen%e o&
+etitioners De Mesa or t(eir oission
to assert t(eir rig(t .it(in a
reasona,le tie gi-es rise to t(e
presuption t(at t(ey (a-e
a,andoned, .ai-ed or de%lined to
assert it. 8in%e t(e e;eption under
Arti%le 15! o& t(e *aily Code is a
personal rig(t, it is in%u,ent upon
t(e De Mesa to in-o@e and pro-e t(e
sae .it(in t(e pres%ri,ed period
and it is not t(e s(eri?0s duty to
presue or raise t(e status o& t(e
su,>e%t property as a &aily (oe.