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ANGEL T. LIMJOCO v. INTESTATE ESTATE OF PEDRO O.

FRAGANTE
27 April 1948 | HILADO, J.

Article 42. Civil personalit is e!tin"#is$e% & %eat$.

T$e e''ect o' %eat$ #pon t$e ri"$ts an% o&li"ations o' t$e %ecease% is %eter(ine% & la)* & contract an% & )ill.

+,IC- S,MMAR./
Pedro Fragante was an applicant for a certificate of p!lic con"enience to install, #aintain and operate an ice plant in $an %an,
&i'al( As )e died !efore t)e conclsion of sc) application, t)e P!lic $er"ice co##ission issed t)e said certificate to )is
estate * a #o"e w)ic) t)e petitioner in t)is case clai#s is contrar+ to law( ,)e $pre#e -ort )eld ot)erwise, sa+ing t)at
Fragante possessed a rig)t to propert+ .in t)at certificate/ w)ic) #a+ !e rig)tl+ passed onto )is estate( ,)e estate is
considered as artificial person in legal conte#plation w)ic) is considered as t)e contination of )is personalit+ after deat)(

FACTS/
Pedro Fragante, a Filipino citi'en, applied for a certificate of p!lic con"enience to install, #aintain and operate an ice plant in
$an %an, &i'al( He )ad in"ested P01,222 in said ice plan and, )ad )e !een ali"e at t)e ti#e of granting t)e application, )e
wold certainl+ )a"e !een financiall+ a!le to #aintain and operate t)e said plant .)is transportation !siness alone nets )i#
P1,4423#ont)/( On 21 4a+ 1945, t)e P!lic $er"ice -o##ission rendered a decision w)ic) )eld t)at t)e e"idence t)erein
s)owed t)at t)e p!lic interest and con"enience will !e pro#oted in a proper and sita!le #anner 6!+ at)ori'ing t)e
operation and #aintenance of anot)er ice plant of 2 7 tons in t)e #nicipalit+ of $an %an8and t)at )is intestate estate is
financiall+ capa!le of #aintaining t)e proposed ser"ice(9 Petitioner Li#:oco contends t)at t)e s!stittion of t)e legal
representati"e of t)e estate of Pedro Fragante as part+ applicant in t)e case and s!se;entl+ granting to said estate t)e
certificate applied for, is contrar+ to law(

ISS,E/
1( <3= t)e P$- acted in contra"ention of t)e law>
2( <3= t)e estate of Fragante is a 6person9 wit)in t)e #eaning of t)e P!lic $er"ice Act

0ELD/
1( =o, t)e P$- acted wit)in t)e !onds of t)e law in granting t)e intestate estate t)e certificate to #aintain and operate
t)e ice plant, especiall+ since Fragante )ad t)e ndo!ted rig)t to appl+ for and ac;ire t)e desired certificate of
p!lic con"enience was nder t)e law conditioned onl+ pon t)e re;isite citi'ens)ip ? econo#ic a!ilit+ to #aintain
and operate t)e ser"ice( If Fragante )ad not died, t)ere can !e no ;estion t)at )e wold )a"e )ad t)e rig)t to
prosecte )is application !efore t)e co##ission to its final conclsion( T$e a'oresai% ri"$t to prosec#te sai%
application to its concl#sion )as one )$ic$ & its nat#re %i% not lapse t$ro#"$ $is %eat$. 0ence* it constit#tes
a part o' t$e assets o' $is estate* 'or )$ic$ a ri"$t )as propert %espite t$e possi&ilit t$at in t$e en% t$e
co((ission (i"$t $ave %enie% application. $c) certificate wold certainl+ !e propert+, and t)e rig)t to ac;ire
sc) a certificate, !+ co#pl+ing wit) t)e re;isites of t)e law, !elonged to t)e decedent in )is lifeti#e, and sr"i"ed to
)is estate and :dicial ad#inistrator after )is deat) &le 88, $ection 2, pro"ides t)at t)e e@ector or ad#inistrator
#a+ !ring or defend actions, a#ong ot)er cases, for t)e protection of t)e propert+ or rig)ts of t)e deceased w)ic)
sr"i"e, and it sa+s t)at sc) actions #a+ !e !rog)t or defended 6in t)e rig)t of t)e deceased(9

2( Aes, t)e estate of Fragante can !e a considered as an artificial person w)o is in legal conte#plation considered as t)e
contination of )is personalit+ after )is deat)( It is t)e estate * t)e #ass of propert+, rig)ts, and assets * t)at !eco#es
directl+ "ested wit) )is rig)ts and o!ligations w)ic) sr"i"e after )is de#ise( Particlarl+, t)is legal fiction is created
for t)e a"oidance of in:stice or pre:dice reslting fro# t)e i#possi!ilit+ of e@ercising sc) legal rig)ts and flfilling
sc) legal o!ligations of t)e decedent as sr"i"ed after )is deat)( Bnder t)e Cill of &ig)ts, it see#s clear t)at w)ile t)e
ci"il rig)ts garanteed t)erein in t)e #a:orit+ of cases relate to natral persons, t)e ter# 6person9 #st !e dee#ed to
inclde artificial or :ridical persons, for ot)erwise t)ese latter wold !e wit)ot t)e constittional garantee against
!eing depri"ed of propert+ wit)ot de process of law, or t)e i##nit+ fro# nreasona!le searc)es and sei'res( 1e
$ol% t$at t$e estate o' Fra"ante s$o#l% &e consi%ere% an arti'icial or 2#ri%ical person 'or t$e p#rposes o' t$e
settle(ent an% %istri&#tion o' $is estate* )$ic$ o' co#rse* incl#%e t$e e!ercise %#rin" t$e 2#%icial
a%(inistration t$ereo' o' t$ose ri"$ts an% t$e '#l'ill(ent o' t$ose o&li"ations o' $is )$ic$ s#rvive% a'ter $is
%eat$. One o' t$ose ri"$ts )as t$e one involve% in $is pen%in" application &e'ore t$e PSC* consistin" in t$e
prosec#tion o' sai% application to its 'inal concl#sion( As stated, an in:stice wold ense fro# t)e opposite
corse( It is for t)is sa#e reason t)at t)e cort does not den+ e@tending t)e fiction of P)ilippine citi'ens)ip to t)e
estateDs personalit+(

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