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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila SECOND DIVISION. G.R. No. 79244 December 10, 1987 IN THE MATTER O THE PETITION TO APPRO!E THE "I## O MATEO A$##ON SR., %Dece&'e() ER#INDA S. A$##ON petitioner- appellant, s. PRIMA A. SE!I##A, PI#AR A. SA#A*AR, MERCED A. PA+E##O MARCOS A$##ON ANGE#ES A. SA#AMEDA &,( &,( !ICENTE A$##ON A$##ON ANGE#ES A. SA#AMEDA &,( !ICENTE A$##ON respon!ents-appellees. . irtual la" librar#

PADI##A, J.: irtual la" librar# $ petition for probate of a holo%raphic last "ill an! testa&ent of Mateo $#llon Sr. "as file! on ' No e&ber 1('' b# the petitioner "ith the Court of )irst Instance *No" Re%ional +rial Court,, -ranch VI, of .uiuan Eastern Sa&ar. +he case "as !oc/ete! as Special Procee!in% No. 01(. In sai! "ill, the testator &a!e !isposition of specific properties to the petitioner, as his sur i in% spouse "ith "ho& he ha! no chil!ren, an! to the respon!ents, as his sons an! !au%hters b# a first &arria%e. +he respon!ents oppose! the probate, an! so hearin%s "ere hel! until the case "as sub&itte! for !ecision at about the en! of 1(21. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# 3hile the case "as a"aitin% the court4s !ecision, the Petitioner, "ithout the ai! of a la"#er, entere! into a erbal a&icable settle&ent "ith the respon!ents. Rel#in% on the erbal settle&ent an! belie in% that she "ill be %i en one-half *156, of the house an! lot situate! at Concepcion Street, .uiuan Easter Sa&ar, in return for her aban!onin% the rest of the properties "ille! to her, petitioner "rote her la"#er a letter re7uestin% the latter to file a &otion to !is&iss the case. Petitioner4s la"#er co&plie! "ith her re7uest. On 10 March 1(20, the case "as !is&isse!. 8o"e er, the respon!ents apparentl# !i! not co&pl# "ith their erbal a%ree&ent "ith the petitioner. 8ence, the petitioner file! an affi!a it "ith the court on 66 March 1(20, as/in% for the "ith!ra"al of her &otion to !is&iss an! for re i al of the case. irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# On ' Septe&ber 1(20, the trial court reconsi!ere! the or!er of !is&issal, an! re i e! the case. -ut, on 19 Septe&ber 1(21, the court issue! an or!er recallin% the or!er of ' Septe&ber 1(20, thereb# re i in% the or!er of !is&issal of 10 March 1(20, on the %roun!s that *1, the case "as a&icabl# settle!, an! *6, the petitioner faile! to present three *:, "itnesses "ho coul! I!entif# the han!"ritin% of the testator in the !ispute! holo%raphic "ill, as pro i!e! un!er $rticle 211 of the Ci il Co!e. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# On 6: Septe&ber 1(21, petitioner file! a &otion for reconsi!eration of the or!er of the trial court !is&issin% the case, but the &otion "as !enie!. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# ;pon petitioner4s appeal to the Court of $ppeals, the latter court re7uire! the petitioner to file a Recor! on $ppeal "ithin Si<t# *=9, !a#s fro& notice. +he counsel of the petitioner recei e! the notice on 11 )ebruar# 1(2', so that the last !a# to file the recor! on appeal "as on 16 $pril 1(2'. -ut, instea! of preparin% an! e entuall# filin% the Recor! on $ppeal, the petitioner4s counsel file! an $ppeal -rief !ate! 62 )ebruar# 1(2', but actuall# file! throu%h the &ails on 1' March 1(2'. 8ence, in a Resolution > !ate! 6( Ma# 1(2', the Court of $ppeals !is&isse! the appeal on account of failure of counsel of the petitioner to file! a recor! on appeal, "hich is re7uire! in appeals in special procee!in%s, un!er Section :( of -.P. -l%. 16(, an! Section 6( *b, of the Interi& Rules an! .ui!elines. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar#

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Petitioner file! a &otion for reconsi!eration of the Resolution of the Court of $ppeals of 6( Ma# 1(2'. It "as !enie!. 8ence, the present petition for certiorari, "ith the petitioner pra#in% that her case be re i e!, an! that she be allo"e! to sub&it a recor! on appeal. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# Petitioner4s counsel faile! to file a recor! on appeal !espite !ue notice an! the perio! of si<t# *=9, !a#s %i en to hi& to file sai! recor! on appeal. Instea! of filin% the recor! on appeal, as re7uire!, "hat the petitioner4s counsel !i! "as to file an $ppeal -rief. $n! e en after petitioner4s counsel recei e! a cop# of the respon!ents4 Motion for the Dis&issal of the $ppeal for failure of the petitioner to file a recor! on appeal, nothin% "as !one b# petitioner4s counsel to correct or a&en! the erroneous proce!ure he ha! ta/en. +hus, it is clear that the failure of the petitioner, throu%h counsel, to file the recor! on appeal "as not ina! ertent. In other "or!s, petitioner4s counsel i%nore! co&pliance "ith the re7uire&ent of filin% a recor! on appeal, as pro i!e! for b# the Rules. 8ence, there is no re ersible error on the part of the Court of $ppeals, in !is&issin% petitioner4s appeal. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# +he fore%oin% narration of facts an! e ents illustrates once &ore an instance "here the client has to suffer !ue to the fault of counsel. -ut, as hel! in se eral cases, 1 1 1 a client is boun! b# the &ista/es an! o&issions of his counsel, so that if an appeal is lost throu%h the un?ustifie! ne%lect of counsel, as happene! in the instant case, that loss is bin!in% upon the client. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# 8o"e er, e en as "e sustain the action ta/en b# the respon!ent Court of $ppeals in !is&issin% petitioner4s appeal, an!, "ith sai! !is&issal, petitioner has, in effect, lost the ri%ht to establish the ali!it# of the alle%e! holo%raphic "ill of the late Mateo $#llon #et, as his sur i in% spouse, petitioner has not lost her here!itar# ri%hts "hich are ac7uire! b# la". $n!, in the interest of ?ustice, an! to a oi! &ultiplicit# of suits, the trial court in Special Procee!in% No. 01( &a# be re7uire!, as it is hereb# re7uire! to !eter&ine an! a!?u!icate the respecti e here!itar# shares of petitioner an! respon!ents in the estate of the late Mateo $#llon in accor!ance "ith the rules on intestate succession. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# 38ERE)ORE, the petition is DENIED, but the case is re&an!e! to the trial court for further procee!in%s, specificall#, to !eter&ine an! a!?u!icate to the petitioner an! respon!ents their respecti e here!itar# shares in the estate left b# Mateo $#llon in accor!ance "ith the rules on intestate succession. . irtuala"librar# irtual la" librar# SO ORDERED. .
Yap C.J., Melencio-Herrera and Sarmiento, JJ., concur. .virtualawlibrary virtual law library Paras, J., took no part.