Title
Berciles vs. Government Service Insurance System
Case
G.R. No. 57257
Decision Date
Mar 5, 1984
Judge Berciles' heirs contested retirement benefits; SC ruled benefits accrue to estate, awarded to legal spouse and children, rejecting GSIS division and filiation claims.
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Case Digest (G.R. No. 57257)

Facts:

Judge Pascual G. Berciles of the Court of First Instance of Cebu died in office on August 21, 1979, after serving the government for over 34 years, including 26 years in the judiciary. He was eligible for retirement benefits under Republic Act No. 910, as amended, and his heirs were entitled to survivor benefits totaling P311,460.00. Other benefits included unpaid salary, terminal leave pay, and transportation allowances, amounting to P60,817.52, to be paid by the Court as his last employer, and the return of retirement premiums totaling P9,700.00 from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Two families claimed to be his lawful heirs: (1) Iluminada Ponce Berciles and her four children, Ilona, Ellery, England, and Ione, and (2) Flor Fuentebella and her four children, Pascual Voltaire, Maria Luisa, Mercy, and Rhoda. Iluminada claimed to be the legal spouse married to Judge Berciles on January 20, 1941, while Flor claimed to have married him on March 28, 1937.

The GSIS initially approved Iluminada’s claim but later divided the benefits under Resolution No. 431, allocating shares to both families based on its determination of legitimate and illegitimate children. The GSIS considered Pascual Voltaire an acknowledged natural child and Maria Luisa, Mercy, and Rhoda as illegitimate children.

Issue:

  1. Whether the GSIS erred in dividing the retirement benefits as partly conjugal and partly exclusive, considering them subject to intestate succession.
  2. Whether the GSIS committed grave abuse of discretion in recognizing Pascual Voltaire as an acknowledged natural child and Maria Luisa, Mercy, and Rhoda as illegitimate children without substantial evidence of filiation.
  3. Whether the heirs of Judge Berciles are entitled to the unpaid salary, terminal leave pay, and other benefits under the law.

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)


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