LLORENTE VS CA

345 scra 592

Nationality Principle
Lorenzo and petitioner Pala Llorente !as "arried #e$ore a paris% priest& 'e$ore
t%e ot#rea( o$ !ar) Lorenzo departed $or t%e *nited States and Pala !as le$t at
t%e con+,al %o"e& Lorenzo !as natralized #y t%e *nited State& A$ter t%e
li#eration o$ t%e P%ilippines %e !ent %o"e and -isited %is !i$e to !%ic% %e
disco-ered t%at %is !i$e !as pre,nant and !as %a-in, an adlteros relations%ip&
Lorenzo retrned to t%e *S and $iled $or di-orce& Lorenzo "arried Alicia
LLorente. t%ey li-ed to,et%er $or 25 years and #e,ot 3 c%ildren& Lorenzo on %is
last !ill and testa"ent #e/eat%ed all %is property to Alicia and t%eir 3 c%ildren&
Pala $iled a petition $or letters ad"inistration o-er Lorenzo0s estate& T%e RTC
rled in $a-or o$ Pala& On appeal) t%e decision !as "odi$ied declarin, Alicia as
co1o!ner o$ !%ate-er properties t%ey %a-e ac/ired& 2ence) t%is petition to t%e
Spre"e Cort&
ISSUES: 3%et%er or not t%e di-orce o#tained #y Lorenzo capacitated %i" to
re"arry& 3%o are entitled to in%erit $ro" t%e late Lorenzo Llorente4
HELD: 5n Van 6orn -s Ra"illo 7r& t%e Spre"e Cort %eld t%at o!in, to t%e
nationality principle e"#odied in Article 85 o$ t%e Ci-il Code) only P%ilippine
nationals are co-ered #y t%e policy a,ainst a#solte di-orce& 5n t%e sa"e case)
t%e Cort rled t%at aliens "ay o#tain di-orce a#road pro-ided t%at t%ey are -alid
accordin, to t%eir national la!& T%e Spre"e Cort %eld t%at di-orce o#tained #y
Lorenzo $ro" %is $irst !i$e Pala !as -alid and reco,nized in t%is +risdiction as a
"atter o$ co"ity&
T%e Spre"e Cort re"anded t%e case to t%e cort o$ ori,in $or t%e
deter"ination o$ t%e intrinsic -alidity o$ Lorenzo0s !ill and deter"ine t%e
sccessional ri,%ts allo!in, proo$ o$ $orei,n la!& T%e deceased is not co-ered #y
or la!s on family rights and duties, status, condition and legal capacity since
%e !as a $orei,ner&