G.R. No.

L-24742 October 26, 1973

ROSA CAYETANO CUENCO, petitioners,
vs. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DIVISION, MANUEL CUENCO,
LOURDES CUENCO, CONCEPCION CUENCO MANUERRA, CARMEN CUENCO,
CONSUELO CUENCO REYES, !n" TERESITA CUENCO ON#ALE#, respon"ents.
FACTS$
Senator Mariano Jesus Cuenco ie in Mani!a. "e #as sur$i$e b% &is
#io#'(etitioner) an t#o *inor sons, resiin+ in ,.C. an c&i!ren o- t&e -irst
*arria+e, resiin+ in Cebu. Loures, one o- t&e c&i!ren -ro* t&e -irst *arria+e,
-i!e a (etition -or !etter o- a*inistration #it& t&e C./ Cebu, a!!e+in+ t&at t&e
senator ie intestate in Mani!a but a resient o- Cebu #it& (ro(erties in Cebu
an ,.C. 0&e (etition sti!! (enin+ #it& C./ Cebu, Rosa Ca%etano Cuenco, t&e
secon #i-e'#io#), -i!e a (etition #it& C./ Ri1a! ,.C. -or t&e (robate o- t&e !ast
#i!! an testa*ent, #&ere s&e #as na*e e2ecutri2.
Rosa a!so -i!e an o((osition an *otion to is*iss in C./ Cebu but t&e sai
court &e! in abe%ance reso!ution o$er t&e o((osition unti! C./ ,ue1on Cit% s&a!!
&a$e acte on t&e (robate (roceein+s. C./ Cebu, in e--ect e-erre to t&e
(robate (roceein+s in t&e ,ue1on Cit% court. Loures -i!e an o((osition an
*otion to is*iss in C./ ,ue1on Cit%, on ground of lack of jurisdiction and/or
improper venue, consierin+ t&at C./ Cebu a!rea% ac3uire e2c!usi$e
4urisiction o$er t&e case. 0&e o((osition an *otion to is*iss #ere bot&
enie. Loures -i!e s(ecia! ci$i! action o- certiorari an (ro&ibition #it&
(re!i*inar% in4unction #it& res(onent C5. C5 -a$ore Loures &o!in+ t&at C./
Cebu &a -irst ac3uire 4urisiction.
ISSUE%S
6ON C5 erre in issuin+ t&e #rit o- (ro&ibition a+ainst ,.C. orerin+ it to re-rain
-ro* (roceein+ #it& t&e testate (roceein+s
.6ON C./ ,ue1on Cit% acte #it&out 4urisiction or +ra$e abuse o- iscretion in
ta7in+ co+ni1ance an assu*in+ e2c!usi$e 4urisiction o$er t&e (robate
(roceein+s in (ursuance to C./ Cebu8s orer e2(ress!% consentin+ in e-erence
tot &e (receence o- (robate o$er intestate (roceein+s.
HELD$
Yes. SC ru!e t&at C5 erre in !a# in issuin+ t&e #rit o- (ro&ibition a+ainst t&e
,ue1on Cit% court -ro* (roceein+ #it& t&e testate (roceein+s an annu!!in+
an settin+ asie a!! its orers an actions, (articu!ar!% its a*ission to (robate o-
t&e !ast #i!! an testa*ent o- t&e ecease an a((ointin+ (etitioner-#io# as
e2ecutri2 t&ereo- #it&out bon (ursuant to t&e ecease testator8s #is&.
9ner R&'e (), t*e +o&rt ,irst t!-in. +o.ni/!n+e o, t*e sett'e0ent o, t*e
est!te o, ! "e+e"ent, s*!'' e1er+ise 2&ris"i+tion to t*e e1+'&sion o, !'' ot*er
+o&rts. 0&e resience o- t&e ecent or t&e !ocation o- &is estate is not an
e!e*ent o- 4urisiction o$er t&e sub4ect *atter but *ere!% o- $enue. Suc& court,
*a% u(on !earnin+ a (etition -or (robate o- t&e eceent8s !ast #i!! &as been
(resente in anot&er court #&ere t&e eceent ob$ious!% &a &is con4u+a!
o*ici!e an resie #it& &is sur$i$in+ #io# an t&eir *inor c&i!ren, an t&at
t&e a!!e+ation o- t&e intestate (etition be-ore it statin+ t&at t&e eceent ie
intestate *a% be actua!!% -a!se, *a% ec!ine to ta7e co+ni1ance o- t&e (etition
an &o! t&e (etition be-ore it in abe%ance, an instea e-er to t&e secon court
#&ic& &as be-ore it t&e (etition -or (robate o- t&e eceent8s a!!e+e !ast #i!!.
./*(!icit in t&e Cebu court8s orer #as t&at i- t&e #i!! #as u!% a*itte to
(robate, b% t&e ,.C. court, t&en it #ou! e-inite!% ec!ine to ta7e co+ni1ance o-
Loures8 intestate (etition #&ic& #ou! be s&o#n to be -a!se an i*(ro(er,an
!ea$e t&e e2ercise o- 4urisiction to t&e .,.C. court to t&e e2c!usion o- a!! ot&er
courts.
No. 9ner t&e -acts, t&e Cebu court cou! not be &e! to &a$e acte #it&out
4urisiction or #it& +ra$e abuse o- 4urisiction in ec!inin+ to ta7e co+ni1ance o-
t&e intestate (etition an e-errin+ to t&e ,ue1on Cit% court. Necessari!%, neit&er
cou! ,.C. court be ee*e to &a$e acte #it&out 4urisiction in ta7in+
co+ni1ance o- an actin+ on t&e (robate (etition since under Rule 73, section 1,
the Cebu court must first take cognizance over the estate of the decedent and
must exercise jurisdiction to exclude all other courts, hich the Cebu court
declined to do! /t is unis(ute, sai ru!e on!% !a%s o#n a ru!e o- $enue an t&e
,ue1on Cit% court unis(utab!% &a at !east e3ua! an coorinate 4urisiction
o$er t&e estate.
9ner Rule 73, section 1 itself, "!C! court#s assumption of jurisdiction over the
decedent#s estate on the basis of the ill dul$ presented for probate b$
petitioner%ido and finding that "!C! as the first choice of residence of the
decedent, ho had his conjugal home and domicile & ith the deference in
comit$ dul$ given b$ the Cebu court & could not be contested except b$ appeal
from said court in the original case except hen ant of jurisdiction appears on
the record!
6&en (roceein+s -or sett!e*ent o- estate #i!! not be annu!!e e$en i- court &a
i*(ro(er $enue t&e *isc&ie$ous e--ect in t&e a*inistration o- 4ustice o-
consierin+ t&e 3uestion o- resience as a--ectin+ t&e 4urisiction o- t&e tria! court
an annu!!in+ t&e #&o!e (roceein+s on!% to start a!! o$er a+ain t&e sa*e
(roceein+s be-ore anot&er court o- t&e sa*e ran7 in anot&er (ro$ince is too
ob$ious to re3uire co**ent.
/t #ou! be an un-air to (etitioner as t&e one na*e an entit!e to be e2ecutri2
o- t&e eceent8s !ast #i!! an sett!e &is estate in accorance an a isre+ar o-
&er ri+&ts uner t&e ru!e on $enue an t&e !a# on 4urisiction to re3uire &er to
s(en *uc& *ore ti*e, *one% an e--ort to &a$e to +o -ro* ,ue1on Cit% to t&e
Cebu court e$er%ti*e s&e &as an i*(ortant *atter o- t&e estate to ta7e u( #it&
t&e (robate court.