The Incompetent Carmen Caniza v. Court of Appeals, Pedro and Leonora Estrada 

G.R. No. 110427; February 24, 1997

Facts:

Carmen Caniza (94), a spinster, a retire p!arma"ist, an #ormer pro#essor o# t!e Co$$e%e o#
C!emistry an &!arma"y o# t!e 'niersity o# t!e &!i$ippines, as e"$are in"ompetent by
 *u%ment o# t!e +C RC in a %uarians!ip pro"eein% institute by !er nie"e, -mparo -.
an%e$ista. /!e as so a*u%e be"ause o# !er aan"e a%e an p!ysi"a$ in#irmities
 !i"! in"$ue "atara"ts in bot! eyes an seni$e ementia. -mparo -. an%e$ista as
appointe $e%a$ %uarian o# !er person an estate.

Caiza as t!e oner o# a !ouse an $ot. er %uarian -mparo "ommen"e a suit to e*e"t
t!e spouses straa #rom t!e sai premises in t!e C o# +uezon City.
Comp$aint pertinent$y a$$e%e t!at p$ainti## Caiza as t!e abso$ute oner o# t!e property in
3uestion, "oere by C No. 27147; t!at out o# inness, s!e !a a$$oe t!e straa
/pouses, t!eir "!i$ren, %ran"!i$ren an sons5in5$a to temporari$y resie in !er !ouse,
rent5#ree; t!at Caiza a$reay !a ur%ent nee o# t!e !ouse on a""ount o# !er aan"e a%e
an #ai$in% !ea$t!, 6so #uns "ou$ be raise to meet !er epenses #or support, maintenan"e
an mei"a$ treatment;6 t!at t!rou%! !er %uarian, Caiza !a ase t!e straas erba$$y
an in ritin% to a"ate t!e !ouse but t!ey !a re#use to o so; an t!at 6by t!e
e#enants8 a"t o# un$a#u$$y epriin% p$ainti## o# t!e possession o# t!e !ouse in 3uestion,
t!ey  (ere) enri"!in% t!emse$es at t!e epense o# t!e in"ompetent, be"ause, !i$e t!ey
 (ere) sain% money by not payin% any rent #or t!e !ouse, t!e in"ompetent  (as) $osin%
mu"! money as !er !ouse "ou$ not be rente by ot!ers.6 -$so a$$e%e as t!at t!e
"omp$aint as 6#i$e it!in one (1) year #rom t!e ate o# #irst $etter o# eman ate
February :, 1990.6

n t!eir -nser, t!e e#enants e"$are t!at t!ey !a been $iin% in Caiza8s !ouse sin"e
t!e 19<08s; t!at in "onsieration o# t!eir #ait!#u$ seri"e t!ey !a been "onsiere by Caiza
as !er on #ami$y, an t!e $atter !a in #a"t ee"ute a !o$o%rap!i" i$$ by !i"! s!e
6be3ueat!e6.

=u%ement as renere by t!e etroC in #aor o# Caiza but it as reerse on appea$
by t!e +uezon City RC.

Caiza sou%!t to !ae t!e Court o# -ppea$s reerse t!e e"ision but #ai$e in t!at attempt.

t ru$e t!at (a) t!e proper remey #or Caiza as inee an accion publiciana in t!e RC,
not an accion interdictal in t!e etroC, sin"e t!e 6e#enants !ae not been in t!e sub*e"t
premises as mere tenants or o""upants by to$eran"e, t!ey !ae been t!ere as a sort o#
aopte #ami$y o# Carmen Caiza,6 as eien"e by !at purports to be t!e !o$o%rap!i" i$$
o# t!e p$ainti##; an (b) !i$e 6sai i$$, un$ess an unti$ it !as passe probate by t!e proper
"ourt, "ou$ not be t!e basis o# e#enants8 "$aim to t!e property,  it is ini"atie o# intent
an esire on t!e part o# Carmen Caiza t!at e#enants are to remain an are to "ontinue
in t!eir o""upan"y an possession, so mu"! so t!at Caiza8s superenin% in"ompeten"y
"annot be sai to !ae este in !er %uarian t!e ri%!t or aut!ority to rie t!e e#enants
out. !ey "on"$ue, on t!ose postu$ates, t!at it is beyon t!e poer o# Caiza8s $e%a$
%uarian to oust t!em #rom t!e ispute premises.
 

Carmen Caiza ie, an !er !eirs 55 t!e a#orementione %uarian, -mparo an%e$ista,
an Ramon C. Neao, !er nie"e an nep!e, respe"tie$y 55 ere by t!is Court8s $eae,
substitute #or !er.

Issue:

1. >!et!er or not an%e$ista, as Caiza8s $e%a$ %uarian !a aut!ority to brin% sai a"tion;
an

2. >!et!er or not an%e$ista may "ontinue to represent Caiza a#ter t!e $atter8s eat!.

Rulin:

1. !e straas insist t!at t!e eise o# t!e !ouse to t!em by Caiza "$ear$y enotes !er
intention t!at t!ey remain in possession t!ereo#, an $e%a$$y in"apa"itate !er *ui"ia$
%uarian, -mparo an%e$ista, #rom ei"tin% t!em t!ere#rom, sin"e t!eir ouster ou$ be
in"onsistent it! t!e ar8s i$$.

- i$$ is essentia$$y ambu$atory; at any time prior to t!e testator8s eat!, it may be "!an%e or
reoe; an unti$ amitte to probate, it !as no e##e"t !ateer an no ri%!t "an be "$aime
t!ereuner, t!e $a bein% 3uite ep$i"it? 6No i$$ s!a$$ pass eit!er rea$ or persona$ property
un$ess it is proe an a$$oe in a""oran"e it! t!e Ru$es o# Court6 (-R. @:@,i.).

 An owner's intention to confer title in the future to persons possessing property by his
tolerance, is not inconsistent with the former's taking back possession in the meantime for
any reason deemed sufficient. And that in this case there was sufficient cause for the
owner's resumption of possession is apparent: she needed to generate income from the
house on account of the physical infirmities afflicting her, arising from her extreme age.

-mparo an%e$ista as appointe by a "ompetent "ourt t!e %enera$ %uarian o# bot! t!e
person an t!e estate o# !er aunt, Carmen Caiza. Her Letters of Guardianship clearly
installed her as the guardian o!er the person and properties of the incompetent "A#$%&
"A&(A with full authority to take possession of the property of said incompetent in any
 pro!ince or pro!inces in which it may be situated and to perform all other acts necessary for
the management of her properties..

Ay t!at appointment, it be"ame an%e$ista8s uty to "are #or !er aunt8s person, to atten to
!er p!ysi"a$ an spiritua$ nees, to assure !er e$$5bein%, it! ri%!t to "ustoy o# !er person
in pre#eren"e to re$aties an #riens. t a$so be"ame !er ri%!t an uty to %et possession o#,
an eer"ise "ontro$ oer, Caiza8s property, bot! rea$ an persona$, it bein% re"o%nize
prin"ip$e t!at t!e ar !as no ri%!t to possession or "ontro$ o# !is property urin% !er
in"ompeten"y. !at ri%!t to mana%e t!e ar8s estate "arries it! it t!e ri%!t to tae
possession t!ereo# an re"oer it #rom anyone !o retains it, an brin% an e#en su"!
a"tions as may be nee#u$ #or t!is purpose.

2. -s a$reay state, Carmen Caiza passe aay urin% t!e penen"y o# t!is appea$. !e
straas t!ereupon moe to ismiss t!e petition, ar%uin% t!at Caiza8s eat!
 

automati"a$$y terminate t!e %uarians!ip, -maparo an%e$ista $ost a$$ aut!ority as !er
 *ui"ia$ %uarian, an "ease to !ae $e%a$ persona$ity to represent !er in t!e present
appea$. !e motion is it!out merit.

>!i$e it is inee e$$5estab$is!e ru$e t!at t!e re$ations!ip o# %uarian an ar is
ne"essari$y terminate by t!e eat! o# eit!er t!e %uarian or t!e ar, t!e ru$e a##ors no
aanta%e to t!e straas. -mparo an%e$ista, as nie"e o# Carmen Caiza, is one o# t!e
$atter8s on$y to (2) suriin% !eirs, t!e ot!er bein% Caiza8s nep!e, Ramon C. Neao. Bn
t!eir motion an by Reso$ution o# t!is Court, t!ey ere in #a"t substitute as parties in t!e
appea$ at bar in p$a"e o# t!e e"ease.

)%". *+. eath of a party. - After a party dies and the claim is not thereby
extinguished, the court shall order, upon proper notice, the legal representati!e of the
deceased to appear and be substituted for the deceased within a period of thirty /01 days,
or within such time as may be granted. f the legal representati!e fails to appear within said
time, the court may order the opposing party to procure the appointment of a legal
representati!e of the deceased within a time to be specified by the court, and the
representati!e shall immediately appear for and on behalf of the interest of the deceased.
2he court charges in!ol!ed in procuring such appointment, if defrayed by the opposing
 party, may be reco!ered as costs. 2he heirs of the deceased may be allowed to be
substituted for the deceased, without re3uiring the appointment of an executor or
administrator and the court may appoint guardian ad litem for the minor heirs.