Republ

icofthePhi
li
ppines
SUPREMECOURT
Manil
a
ENBANC
G.R.No.L-
16439July20,1961
ANTONI OGELUZ, 
peti
ti
oner,
 
vs.
THEHON.COURTOFAPPEALSandOSCARLAZO,
 
respondent
s.
MarianoH.deJoyaforpeti
ti
oner
.
A.P.Sal
vadorforr
espondent
s.
REYES,J.B.L.
,
 J.
:
Thispeti
ti
onforcer
  ti
orari
 
bri
ngsupf
orr
evi
ewquest
ionwhet
hert
hehusbandofawoman,
who
volunt ar i
lyprocur edherabor tion, coul dr ecov erdamagesf r
om phy sicianwhocausedt hesame.
Thel i
tigat i
onwascommencedi nt heCour tofFi r
stI nstanceofMani labyr espondentOscarLazo, the
ofNi t
aVi ll
anuev a, agai nstpet i
tionerAnt oni oGel uz , aphy sici
an.Conv incedoft hemer i
tsoft he
compl aintupont heev idenceadduced, thet rial cour trenderedj udgmentf av orofpl ainti
ffLazoand
agai nstdef endantGel uz,or der i
ngt hel at tertopayP3, 000.00asdamages, P700. 00at t
orney '
sf ees
andt hecost soft hesui t
.Onappeal , Cour tofAppeal s, i
naspeci al divisi onoff i
v e, sustainedt he
awar dbyamaj orityv oteoft hreej usticesasagai nstt wo, whor ender edasepar at edi ssent i
ngopi nion.
Thef act sar esetf orthi nthemaj or i
tyopi nionasf ol lows:
NitaVi llanuev acamet oknowt hedef endant( Ant oni oGel uz)fort hef irstt imei n1948—t hroughher
auntPaul aYambot .In1950shebecamepr egnantbyherpr esenthusbandbef or et heywer el egally
mar r
ied.Desi r
ingt oconceal herpr egnancyf rom herpar ent,andact ingont headv iceofheraunt , she
hadher selfabor tedbyt hedef endant .Af t erhermar riagewi tht hepl aint iff
, sheagai nbecame
pregnant .Asshewast henempl oy edi nt heCommi ssiononEl ect ionsandherpr egnancypr ov edt obe
i
nconv eni ent,shehadher selfabor tedagai nbyt hedef endanti nOct ober1953.Lesst hant woy ears
l
at er,sheagai nbecamepr egnant .OnFebr uar y21, 1955, accompani edbyhersi sterPur ifi
caci onand
thel atter'sdaught erLuci da, sheagai nr epai redt ot hedef endant '
scl i
niconCar riedoandP.Gomez
street si nMani la, wher et het hreemett hedef endantandhi swi fe.Ni tawasagai nabor ted, ofat wo-
mont hol df oetus, i
nconsi der ationoft hesum off i
f typesos, Phi lippi necur rency .Thepl aintiffwasat
thist i
mei nthepr ov i
nceofCagay an, campai gni ngf orhi selectiont ot hepr ov inci al board; hedi dnot
knowof , norgav ehi sconsent ,tot heabor t
ion.
Iti
st het hirdandl astabor t
iont hatconst itutespl ai nt i
ff'
sbasi si nf ili
ngt hisact i
onandawar dof
damages.Uponappl icationoft hedef endantGel uzwegr anted cer ti
or ar i.
TheCour tofAppeal sandt het r
ial cour tpr edicat edt heawar dofdamagesi nt hesum ofP3, 000. 06
upont hepr ovisionsoft hei niti
al par agr aphofAr ticle2206oft heCi vilCodeoft hePhi l
i
ppi nes.Thi s
webel iev etobeer ror ,
fort hesai dar t
icle, inf i
xingami ni
mum awar dofP3, 000. 00f orthedeat hofa
per son, doesnotcov erthecaseofanunbor nf oet ust hatisnotendowedwi t hper sonal i
ty.Undert he
syst em ofourCi vil Code, " l
acr iatur aabor ti
vanoal canzal acat egor iadeper sonanat uralyen
consscuenci aesunsernonaci doal av i
dadel Der echo"( Casso- Cer ver a,"Di cci onar i
odeDer echo
Privado" ,Vol.1, p.49) ,beingi ncapabl eofhav ingr ight sandobl igat ions.
Sinceanact i
onf orpecuni ar ydamagesonaccountofper sonal i
nj uryordeat hper tainspr imar i
lyto
theonei njured, i
ti seasyt oseet hati fnoact i
onf orsuchdamagescoul dbei nst itutedonbehal fof
theunbor nchi l
donaccountoft hei njur iesi trecei v ed, nosuchr i
ghtofact ioncoul dder ivativ elyaccr ue
toi tspar ent sorhei rs.Inf act ,eveni facauseofact iondi daccr ueonbehal foft heunbor nchi ld,the

1
samewasext ingui shedbyi tspr e- nat al deat h, sincenot ransmi ssi ont oany onecant akepl acef rom
ont hatl ackedj uridical per sonal it
y( orj ur i
di cal capaci tyasdi stingui shedf rom capaci tyt oact ).Itisno
answert oi nv oket hepr ov isional per sonal i
tyofaconcei vedchi ld( concept uspr onat ohabet ur )under
Ar t
icle40oft heCi vilCode, becauset hatsamear t
icleexpr essl yl imi t
ssuchpr ov isional per sonal i
tyby
i
mposi ngt hecondi t i
ont hatt hechi ldshoul dbesubsequent lybor nal iv e: "
pr ov i
dedi tbebor nl at erwi t
h
thecondi ti
onspeci fiedi nt hef ol lowi ngar ticle" .Int hepr esentcase, ther eisnodi sput ethatt hechi ld
wasdeadwhensepar atedf r
om i tsmot her '
swomb.
Thepr ev ailingAmer i
canj ur ispr udencei st ot hesameef fect ;andi ti sgener al l
yhel dt hatr ecov er ycan
nothadf ort hedeat hofanunbor nchi ld( Staf for dv s.RoadwayTr ansi tCo. ,70F.Supp.555; Di et r
ich
vs.Nor thampt on, 52Am.Rep.242; andnumer ouscasescol lat edi nt heedi tor i
al not e, 10ALR, (2d)
639) .
Thi sisnott osayt hatt hepar ent sar enotent itl
edt ocol l
ectanydamagesatal l.Butsuchdamages
mustbet hosei nf l
icteddi rect lyupont hem, asdi stingui shedf rom t hei njuryorv i
ol at ionoft her ights
oft hedeceased, hisr ightt ol ifeandphy sical int egrity.Becauset hepar entscannotexpectei therhel p,
suppor torser v i
cesf rom anunbor nchi ld, theywoul dnor mal lybel imi tedt omor al damagesf ort he
i
llegal arr estoft henor mal dev elopmentoft he  speshomi nis thatwast hef oet us, i
.e. ,onaccountof
distressandangui shat tendantt oi tsl oss, andt hedi sappoi nt mentoft heirpar ent al expect at ions( Civ.
CodeAr t.2217) , aswel last oexempl ar ydamages, iftheci r
cumst ancesshoul dwar rantt hem ( Ar t
.
2230) .Buti nt hecasebef or eus, bot ht het rial cour tandt heCour tofAppeal shav enotf oundany
basi sf oranawar dofmor al damages, ev i
dent lybecauset heappel l
ee' si ndif f
er encet ot hepr ev i
ous
abor tionsofhi swi fe,al socausedbyt heappel lanther ein, clear lyindi cat est hathewasunconcer ned
wi t
ht hef rust rat i
onofhi spar ent al hopesandaf fections.Thel owercour texpr essl yf ound, andt he
maj or i
tyopi ni onoft heCour tofAppeal sdi dnotcont r
adi ctit, thatt heappel leewasawar eoft he
secondabor tion; andt hepr obabi litiesar et hathewasl i
kewi seawar eoft hef i
rst .Yetdespi tet he
suspi ciousr epet iti
onoft heev ent ,heappear edt ohav et akennost epst oinv est igat eorpi npoi ntt he
causest her eof ,andsecur et hepuni shmentoft her esponsi blepr act i
tioner .Ev enaf terlear ningoft he
thirdabor tion, theappel leedoesnotseem t ohav et akeni nter esti nt headmi nist rat i
v eandcr imi nal
casesagai nstt heappel lant .Hi sonl yconcer nappear stohav ebeendi r ectedatobt ainingf rom t he
doct oral ar gemoneypay ment ,si ncehesuedf orP50, 000. 00damagesandP3, 000. 00at tor ney 'sfees,
an" indemni ty "claimt hat ,undert heci rcumst ancesofr ecor d, wascl ear lyexagger at ed.
Thedi ssent ingJust icesoft heCour tofAppeal shav eapt lyr emar kedt hat :
Itseemst oust hatt henor mal react ionofahusbandwhor i
ght eousl yf eelsout ragedbyt heabor ti
on
whi chhi swi fehasdel iber at elysoughtatt hehandsofaphy sici anwoul dbehi ghmi ndedr at hert han
mer cenar y; andt hathi spr imar yconcer nwoul dbet oseet oi tthatt hemedi cal pr of essi onwaspur ged
ofanunwor thymemberr at hert hant urnhi swi fe'si ndiscr etiont oper sonal pr of i
t,andwi tht hati deai n
mi ndt opr essei thert headmi ni strat iv eort hecr i
mi nal caseshehadf iled,orbot h, inst eadof
abandoni ngt hem i nf av orofaci v ilact ionf ordamagesofwhi chnotonl yhe, butal sohi swi fe, woul d
bet hebenef iciar i
es.
Itisunquest ionabl et hatt heappel l
ant '
sacti npr ov okingt heabor tionofappel lee' swi fe, wi thout
medi cal necessi tyt owar ranti t, wasacr imi nal andmor al l
yr epr ehensi bl eact , thatcannotbet oo
sev erelycondemned; andt heconsentoft hewomanort hatofherhusbanddoesnotexcusei t.But
thei mmor al i
tyori llegal ityoft heactdoesnotj ust i
fyanawar dofdamaget hat ,undert he
circumst ancesonr ecor d, hav enof act ual orl egal basi s.
Thedeci sionappeal edf r
om i sr ev er sed, andt hecompl aintor der eddi smi ssed.Wi thoutcost s.
Letacopyoft hisdeci sionbef ur nishedt ot heDepar tmentofJust iceandt heBoar dofMedi cal

2
Examinersforthei
rinfor
mationandsuchinv
esti
gati
onandact
ionagai
nstt
heappelleeAnt
oni
oGel
uz
asthefactsmaywar r
ant.
Bengzon,C.J.,
Padil
la,Labr
ador,Bar
rer
a,Par
edes,Di
zonandNati
vi
dad,JJ.
,
 concur
.
Concepcion,J.
, 
tooknopar t
.
DeLeon,J., 
tooknopar t
.