LAPUZSYvsEUFEMIO(1972)

Petitionerappellant:CarmenLapuzSy,representedbyhersubstituteMacarioLapuz
Respondentappellee:EufemioS.Eufemio(akaEufemioSyUy)
FACTS:
CarmenLapuzSyandEufemioS.EufemioweremarriedcivillyonSeptember21,1934,andcanonically
onSeptember30ofthesameyear.
In1943,EufemioabandonedCarmen.
Theyhadnochild,buttheyhadacquiredpropertiesduringtheirmarriage.
CarmendiscoveredthathishusbandhadbeencohabitingwithaChinesewomannamedGoHiok,andthat
theyhadobtainedmarriagecelebratedaccordingtoChineselawandcustoms.
On August 18, 1953,Carmen filed a petitionfor legal separationagainst Eufemio,also asking that
Eufemiobedeprivedofhisshareoftheconjugalpartnershipprofits.
Eufemiocounterclaimedforthedeclarationofnullity abinitio ofhismarriagewithCarmen,onthe
groundofhismarriagetoGoHiok.
OnMay31,1969,beforethecasecouldevenbefinished,Carmendiedinavehicularaccident.
OnJune9,1969,Eufemiomovedthatthecaseforlegalseparationbedismissedontheground,among
others,thatCarmensdeathabatedtheactionforlegalseparation.
OnJune26,1969,MacarioLapuz,Carmensfather,substitutedCarmenaspetitioner.
ISSUES:
WhetherornotthedeathofCarmen,beforethefinaljudgmentofactionforlegalseparation,abatethe
action.
HELD/RATIO:
Followingtheideathattheactionforlegalseparationispurepersonal,thedeathofonepartytotheaction
causes the death of the action itselfactio personalis moritur cum persona. Furthermore, Eufemios
petitionfordeclarationofnullityabinitioalsobecomesmootandacademic.
Nowwhenitcomestotheliquidationoftheconjugalpropertiesofthespouses,theheirsoftheappellant
canraisetheproperactionforpartitioninaseparateproceeding,notintheannulmentproceeding.