G.R. No. L-9620 In Re Guardianship of the Minor Roy Reginald Lelina. SEVERO VILORIA, guardian and oppositor-appellee, vs.

ADMINISTRATOR O VETERANS A AIRS, petitioner-appellant. Stanley A. Clark for appellant. Tancredo M. Guray for appellee. ! J." ROY REGINAL LELINA. !E"ERO "ILORIA vs. A #INI!$RA$OR O% "E$ERAN! A%%AIR! Repu&li' o( t)e *)ilippines!+*RE#E ,O+R$#anila EN -AN, G.R. No. L-9620 .n&sp .n&sp .n&sp .n&sp .n&sp .n&sp /une 20, 1923 In Re Guardians)ip o( t)e #inor Ro4 Reginald Lelina. !E"ERO "ILORIA, guardian and oppositor-appellee, vs. A #INI!$RA$OR O% "E$ERAN! A%%AIR!, petitioner-appellant. !tanle4 A. ,lar5 (or appellant. $an'redo #. Gura4 (or appellee. REYE!, /.-.L., /.6 In !pe'ial *ro'eedings No. 167 o( t)e ,ourt o( %irst Instan'e o( La +nion, appellee !evero "iloria 8as, on O'to&er 23, 1990, appointed guardian o( t)e person and estate o( t)e :inor Ro4 Reginald Lelina, &ene(i'iar4 o( arrears pa4, insuran'e, and ot)er &ene(its (ro: t)e +.! "eterans Ad:inistration due to t)e deat) o( )is late (at)er ,onstan'io Lelina, supposedl4 a :e:&er o( t)e +.!. Ar:ed %or'es during t)e 8ar. On #ar') 71, 1920, t)e 'ourt aut)ori;ed t)e guardian to 8it)dra8 (ro: t)e estate o( )is 8ard t)e su: o( not to e<'eed *70 a :ont) (or t)e &o4=s support and ot)er e<penditures. On #ar') 20, 1922, t)e +. !. "eterans Ad:inistration (iled a :otion in t)e guardians)ip pro'eedings, alleging re'eipt o( 'ertain letters (ro: its 'entral o((i'e in >as)ington, . ,., to t)e e((e't t)at t)e :inor=s de'eased (at)er )ad not guerrilla or ot)er servi'e in t)e ar:ed (or'es o( t)e +nited !tates, and t)at 'onse?uentl4, )is )eir 8as not entitled to t)e pa4:ent o( gratuitous National !ervi'e Li(e Insuran'e, and pra4ed t)at t)e guardian &e

ordered to stop (urt)er pa4:ent o( :ont)l4 allo8an'es to t)e :inor. $)e 'ourt (ound t)e :otion 8ell-(ounded and granted t)e sa:e. A (e8 4ears later, on %e&ruar4 12, 1922, t)e Ad:inistrator o( "eterans A((airs again (iled a :otion in t)e sa:e guardians)ip pro'eedings (or a re(und to t)e +.!. "eterans Ad:inistration o( t)e su: o( @2,039.60, t)e &alan'e o( gratuitous insuran'e &ene(its allegedl4 8rong(ull4 paid to t)e :inor Ro4 Reginald Lelina, 8)i') 8as still on deposit 8it) t)e *)ilippine National -an5, !an %ernando, La +nion -ran'). +pon opposition o( t)e guardian, 8)o su&:itted eviden'e o( t)e servi'e re'ord o( t)e :inor=s de'eased (at)er dul4 re'ogni;ed &4 &ot) t)e *)ilippine and +.!. Ar:ies, t)e :otion (or re(und 8as denied. $)en on April 23, 1922, t)e guardian :oved to &e allo8ed to 8it)dra8 *9,000 (ro: t)e :inor=s estate to :eet t)e :inor=s needs. $)is :otion 8as opposed &4 t)e Ad:inistrator o( "eterans A((airs, arguing t)at t)e :inors rig)t to National !ervi'e Li(e Insuran'e &ene(its is governed e<'lusivel4 &4 t)e !.!. ,ode Annotated, 8)i') provides A$it. 70, se'tion 000B t)at de'isions o( t)e Ad:inistrator s)all &e (inal and 'on'lusive on all ?uestions o( la8 or (a't and no ot)er o((i'ial o( t)e +nited !tates, e<'ept a Cudge or Cudges o( t)e +nite !tates 'ourts, s)all )ave Curisdi'tion to revie8 an4 su') de'isionsD In t)e sa:e :otion, t)e Ad:inistrator pra4ed (or t)e setting aside o( t)e 'ourt=s order den4ing t)e re(und o( t)e :one4 in t)e )ands o( t)e :inor=s guardian, on t)e ground o( Ela'5 o( Curisdi'tionF. A'ting on t)e pending :otions o( t)e guardian and t)e Ad:inistrator, t)e lo8er 'ourt )eld6 I( t)e legal provisions alleged in t)e petition o( t)e veterans Ad:inistration is 'orre't, and s)ould &e ta5en into a''ount, t)is ,ourt :a4 not )ave t)e rig)t to order t)e return o( t)e a:ount o( @2,039.60 at present 'redited as (unds o( t)e :inor, and deposited in t)e na:e o( t)e said :inor 8it) t)e *)ilippine National -an5. *re'isel4, t)e issue no8 pending in t)is guardians)ip pro'eeding is 8)et)er or not, t)e (at)er o( t)e :inor de'eased ,onstan'io Lelina, )as a valid :ilitar4 servi'e to Custi(4 t)e pa4:ent to )i: or to )is )eirs o( t)e National Li(e !ervi'es Insuran'e &ene(its. $)e :inor Reginald Lelina t)roug) )is guardian and )is 'ounsel 'lai:s t)at )is (at)er )ad rendered servi'es as s)o8n &4 'ertain papers su&:itted in t)is 'ase to support t)at 'lai:. As a :atter o( (a't, t)e said :inor 8as granted and paid t)ose &ene(its as s)o8n &4 t)e state:ents o( a''ounts su&:itted and dul4 approved &4 t)is 'ourt up to and in'luding #ar') 71, 1929, in t)e order o( /udge *ri:itivo L. Gon;ales dated April 22, 1929. On t)at ot)er )and t)e Attorne4s o( t)e "eterans Ad:inistration no8 'lai: t)at su') pa4:ent 8as an error &e'ause t)e de'eased ,onstan'io Lelina )ad no re'ogni;ed :ilitar4 servi'es or 8as )e a :e:&er o( t)e ,o::on8ealt) Ar:4 in t)e servi'e o( t)e Ar:ed %or'es o( t)e +nited !tates Govern:ent. $)is is, t)ere(ore, a :atter t)at s)ould &e deter:ined in an appropriate a'tion (iled t)e 'o:plete 'ourt. $)is &eing t)e 'ase, until t)is issue is, (inall4 deter:ined &4 t)e 'o:petent 'ourt in an appropriate a'tion, t)e &alan'e o( t)e a:ount no8 deposited in t)e na:e o( t)e :inor t)roug) )is guardian

'ould not &e disposed &4 t)is ,ourt one 8a4 or anot)er. In t)is pro'eeding, t)e :atter at issue 'annot &e (inall4 deter:ined. Gen'e, t)is ,ourt &elieves and so )olds, t)at in t)e :eanti:e, t)e status quo s)ould &e :aintain 8it) respe't to (unds no8 e<isting and deposited 8it) t)e *)ilippine National -an5, La +nion -ran') in t)e na:e o( t)e )erein :inor. ARe'. on Appeal, pp. 93-99B and denied &ot) t)e guardian=s :otion to 8it)dra8 (ro: t)e :inor=s deposits, and t)e Ad:inistrator=s position (or re(und. $)e Ad:inistrator o( "eterans A((airs soug)t re'onsideration o( t)e a&ove order, 8)i') 8as deniedD 8)ere(ore, it appealed to t)is ,ourt. >e are o( t)e opinion t)at t)e appeal s)ould &e reCe'ted. $)e provisions o( t)e +.!. ,ode, invo5ed &4 t)e appellant, :a5e t)e de'isions o( t)e +.!. "eteran Ad:inistrator (inal and 'on'lusive 8)en :ade on 'lai:s properl4 su&:itted to )i: (or resolutionD &ut t)e4 are not appli'a&le to t)e present 'ase, 8)ere t)e Ad:inistrator is not a'ting as a Cudge &ut as a litigant. $)ere is a great di((eren'e &et8een a'tions against t)e Ad:inistrator A8)i') :ust &e (iled stri'tl4 in a''ordan'e 8it) t)e 'onditions t)at are i:posed &4 t)e "eterans= A't, in'luding t)e e<'lusive revie8 &4 +nited !tates 'ourtsB, and t)ose a'tions 8)ere t)e veterans= Ad:inistrator see5s a re:ed4 (ro: our 'ourts and su&:its to t)eir Curisdi'tion &4 (iling a'tions t)erein. Our attention )as not &een 'alled to an4 la8 or treat4 t)at 8ould :a5e t)e (indings o( t)e "eterans= Ad:inistrator, in a'tions 8)ere )e is a part4, 'on'lusive on our 'ourts. $)at in e((e't, 8ould deprive our tri&unals or Cudi'ial dis'retion and render t)e: :ere su&ordinate instru:entalities o( t)e veterans= Ad:inistrator. In an analogous 'ase, 8e )ave ruled6 -4 (iling t)is a'tion o( partition in t)e 'ourt a quo, t)e *)ilippine Alien *ropert4 Ad:inistrator )as su&:itted to its Curisdi'tion and put in issue t)e legalit4 o( )is vesting order. Ge 'an not t)ere(ore no8 dispute t)is po8er. A-ro8nell vs. -autista, 20 O.G. 9332.B %ro: t)e ti:e t)e a:ounts no8 soug)t to &e re'overed 8)ere paid to t)e appellee guardian, (or t)e 8ard=s &ene(it, t)e latter &e'a:e t)eir la8(ul possessor and )e 'an not &e deprived t)ereo( on t)e sole allegation o( t)e "eterans= Ad:inistrator t)at t)e :one4 8as erroneousl4 paid. $)e &urden lies upon )i: to satis(4 t)e 'ourt t)at t)e alleged :ista5e 8as reall4 'o::ittedD and t)e *)ilippine 'ourts= deter:ination o( t)e ?uestion is as &inding upon t)e "eterans= Ad:inistrator as upon an4 ot)er litigant. ,on'erning t)e 'lai: itsel(, 8e agree 8it) t)e 'ourt &elo8 t)at it 8as not properl4 (iled in t)e guardians)ip pro'eedings, sin'e t)e latter are solel4 'on'erned 8it) t)e 8ard=s 'are a 'ustod4 and t)e proper ad:inistration or :anage:ent o( )is properties. ,on(li'ts regarding o8ners)ip or title to t)e propert4 in t)e )ands o( t)e guardian, in )is 'apa'it4 as su'), s)ould &e litigated in a separate pro'eeding. $)e order o( t)e 'ourt &elo8, dated 22 /une 1922, is )ere&4 a((ir:ed, 8it) 'osts against t)e appellant. !o ordered.

*aras, ,./., -eng;on, *adilla, #onte:a4or, Re4es, A., -autista Angelo, La&rador, ,on'ep'ion, Re4es, /.-.L. and %eli<, //., 'on'ur.