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    Bonifacia Vancil, the mother of Reeder Vancil who died in the US, petitioned to be appointed guardian of Reeder's two minor children, Valerie and Vincent, with his common-law wife Helen Belmes. The trial court appointed Bonifacia as guardian but the Court of Appeals reversed. The Supreme Court ruled that Helen Belmes, as the natural mother, has the preferential right to be Vincent's guardian under the Family Code. For Bonifacia to be appointed guardian instead, she would need to prove Helen Belmes is unsuitable, which she did not do. The biological mother's rights as natural guardian should not be deprived without good reason.

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    Bonifacia Vancil, the mother of Reeder Vancil who died in the US, petitioned to be appointed guardian of Reeder's two minor children, Valerie and Vincent, with his common-law wife Helen Belmes. The trial court appointed Bonifacia as guardian but the Court of Appeals reversed. The Supreme Court ruled that Helen Belmes, as the natural mother, has the preferential right to be Vincent's guardian under the Family Code. For Bonifacia to be appointed guardian instead, she would need to prove Helen Belmes is unsuitable, which she did not do. The biological mother's rights as natural guardian should not be deprived without good reason.

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    23 views6 pages

    Report in Specpro

    Uploaded by

    Tammy Davis
    Bonifacia Vancil, the mother of Reeder Vancil who died in the US, petitioned to be appointed guardian of Reeder's two minor children, Valerie and Vincent, with his common-law wife Helen Belmes. The trial court appointed Bonifacia as guardian but the Court of Appeals reversed. The Supreme Court ruled that Helen Belmes, as the natural mother, has the preferential right to be Vincent's guardian under the Family Code. For Bonifacia to be appointed guardian instead, she would need to prove Helen Belmes is unsuitable, which she did not do. The biological mother's rights as natural guardian should not be deprived without good reason.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    G.R. No. 132223 June 19, 2001 BONIFACIA P. VANCIL, petitioner, vs. HELEN G. BELMES, respondent.

    (GUARDIANSHIP OF MINORS)

    FACTS:
    - Petitioner, Bonifacia Vancil, is the mother of Reeder C. Vancil, a Navy serviceman of the United States of America who died in the said country, Reeder had two children named Valerie and Vincent by his common-law wife, Helen G. Belmes. - Petitioner commenced before the Regional Trial Court of Cebu City a guardianship proceedings over the persons and properties of minors Valerie, 6 years old and Vincent, 2 years old. Petitioner was then appointed as legal and judicial guardian of the two minors.

    - The natural mother of the minors, Helen Belmes, submitted an opposition to the guardianship proceedings averting that she had already filed a similar petition for guardianship before the Regional Trial Court and filed a motion to disqualify the petitioner as guardian of her children. - The trial court rejected and denied Belmes motion to disqualify the petitioner as guardian for the 2 minors and instead ordered petitioner to enter the office and perform her duties as guardian upon the posting of a bond. On appeal, the Court of Appeals rendered its decision reversing the RTC, then matter was elevated to the Supreme Court. However, Valerie was no longer subject of the said proceedings because she is already of legal age.

    ISSUE:
    Whether or not the petitioner is the proper guardian for Vincent Jr.

    HELD:
    - The court ruled in negative. Belmes, being the natural mother of Vincent, has the preferential right to be his guardian. Art. 211 of the FC states: The father and the mother shall jointly exercise parental authority over the persons of their common children. In case of disagreement, the fathers decision shall prevail, unless there is a judicial order to the contrary.

    - Petitioner, as the surviving grandparent, can exercise substitute parental authority only in case of death, absence or unsuitability of Belmes.

    - Considering that Belmes is still alive and has exercised continuously parental authority over Vincent, petitioner has to prove Belmes unsuitability. Assuming that Belmes is unfit as a guardian of Vincent, still the petitioner cannot qualify as a substitute guardian. She admitted in her petition that an expatriate like her will find difficulty of discharging the duties of a guardian. - Section 7 of Rule 93 of the Revised Rules of Court confirms the designation of the parents as ipso facto guardian of their minor children without need of a court appointment and only for good reason may another person be named. Ironically, for the petitioner, there is nothing on record of any reason at all why Helen Belmes, the biological mother, should be deprived of her legal rights as natural guardian of her minor children.

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