THE INSULAR LIFE ASSURANCE vs. FELICIANO (2nd case) G.R. No.

L-47593 December 29, 1943 This case as in res!onse "o "he #o"ion $or Reconsidera"ion $i%ed b& "he The 'ns(%ar Li$e a$"er "he )e!"ember 13, 1941 decision o$ "he )* here "he )* a$$irmed "he +(d,men" o$ *-. FACTS: ./aris"o 0e%iciano, ho died on )e!"ember 29, 1935, as s($$erin, i"h ad/anced !(%monar& "(berc(%osis hen he si,ned his a!!%ica"ions $or ins(rance i"h "he !e"i"ioner on 1c"ober 12, 1934. 1n "ha" same da"e Doc"or Tre!!, ho had "a2en 3-ra& !ic"(res o$ his %(n,s, in$ormed "he res!onden" Dr. )era$in D. 0e%iciano, bro"her o$ ./aris"o, "ha" "he %a""er 4 as a%read& in a /er& serio(s ad !rac"ica%%& ho!e%ess condi"ion.4 Ne/er"he%ess "he 5(es"ion con"ained in "he a!!%ica"ion 6 47a/e &o( e/er s($$ered $rom an& ai%men" or disease o$ "he %(n,s, !%e(ris&, !ne(monia or as"hma84 6 a!!ears "o ha/e been ans ered , 4No4 -nd abo/e "he si,na"(re o$ "he a!!%ican", $o%%o in, "he ans ers "o "he /ario(s 5(es"ions !ro!o(nded "o him, is "he $o%%o in, !rin"ed s"a"emen"9 I declare on behalf of myself and of any person who shall have or claim any interest in any policy issued hereunder, that each of the above answers is full, complete and true, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief I am a proper subject for life insurance. The $a%se ans er abo/e re$erred "o, as e%% as "he o"hers, as ri""en b& "he *om!an&:s so%ici"in, a,en" Rom(%o #. Da/id, in co%%(sion i"h "he medica% e;aminer Dr. Gre,orio <a%de=, $or "he !(r!ose o$ sec(rin, "he *om!an&:s a!!ro/a% o$ "he a!!%ica"ion so "ha" "he !o%ic& "o be iss(ed "hereon mi,h" be credi"ed "o said a,en" in connec"ion i"h "he in"er- !ro/incia% con"es" hich "he *om!an& as "hen ho%din, amon, i"s so%ici"in, a,en"s "o boos" "he sa%es o$ i"s !o%icies. -,en" Da/id bribed #edica% .;aminer <a%de= i"h mone& hich "he $ormer borro ed $rom "he a!!%ican":s mo"her b& a& o$ ad/anced !a&men" on "he !remi(m, accordin, "o "he $indin, o$ "he *o(r" o$ -!!ea%s. )aid co(r" a%so $o(nd "ha" be$ore "he ins(red si,ned "he a!!%ica"ion he, as e%% as "he members o$ his $ami%&, "o%d "he a,en" and "he medica% e;aminer "ha" he had been /er& sic2 b(" "ha" in s!i"e o$ s(ch in$orma"ion "he a,en" and "he medica% e;aminer "o%d "hem "ha" "he a!!%ican" as a $i" s(b+ec" $or ins(rance. 'ns(%ar Li$e insis"s "ha" (!on "he $ac"s o$ "he case "he !o%icies in 5(es"ion are n(%% and /oid ab ini"io and "ha" a%% "ha" "he res!onden"s are en"i"%ed "o is "he re$(nd o$ "he !remi(ms !aid "hereon. ISSUE: >he"her "he ins(rance !o%icies in 5(es"ion are /oid ab ini"io $or bein, $ra(d(%en"%& !roc(red b& "he res!onden"s. RULING: ?.). 0rom a%% "he $ac"s and circ(ms"ances o$ "his case, e are cons"rained "o conc%(de "ha" "he ins(red as a co-!ar"ici!an", and co-res!onsib%e i"h -,en" Da/id and #edica% .;aminer <a%de=, in "he $ra(d(%en" !roc(remen" o$ "he !o%icies in 5(es"ion and "ha" b& reason "hereo$ said !o%icies are /oid ab ini"io. >hen ./aris"o 0e%iciano, "he a!!%ican" $or ins(rance, si,ned "he a!!%ica"ion in b%an2 and a("hori=ed "he so%ici"in, a,en" and@or medica% e;aminer o$ "he *om!an& "o ri"e "he ans ers $or him, he made "hem his o n a,en"s $or "ha" !(r!ose, and he as res!onsib%e $or "heir ac"s in "ha" connec"ion. '$ "he& $a%si$ied "he ans ers $or him, he co(%d no" e/ade "he res!onsibi%i"& $or "he $a%si$ica"ion. 7e as no" s(!!osed "o si,n "he a!!%ica"ion in b%an2. 7e 2ne "ha" "he ans ers "o "he 5(es"ions "herein con"ained

o(%d be 4"he basis o$ "he !o%ic&,4 and $or "ha" e/er& reason he as re5(ired i"h his si,na"(re "o /o(ch $or "r("h "hereo$. #oreo/er, $rom "he $ac"s o$ "he case e canno" esca!e "he conc%(sion "ha" "he ins(red ac"ed in conni/ance i"h "he so%ici"in, a,en" and "he medica% e;aminer o$ "he *om!an& in acce!"in, "he !o%icies in 5(es"ion. >hen "he a!!%ican" si,ned "he a!!%ica"ion he as 4ha/in, di$$ic(%"& in brea"hin,, . . . i"h a /er& hi,h $e/er.4 7e had ,one "hree "imes "o "he )an"o% )ana"ori(m and had 3-ra& !ic"(res "a2en o$ his %(n,s. 7e "here$ore 2ne "ha" he as no" 4a !ro!er s(b+ec" $or %i$e ins(rance.4 >hen he acce!"ed "he !o%ic&, he 2ne "ha" he as no" in ,ood hea%"h. Ne/er"he%ess, he no" on%& acce!"ed "he $irs" !o%ic& o$ A2B,BBB b(" "hen and "here a!!%ied $or and %a"er acce!"ed ano"her !o%ic& o$ A5,BBB. The )* a%so be%ie/ed "ha" i" as im!ossib%e $or 0e%iciano "o no" ha/e read "he ans ers con"ained in "he co!& o$ "he a!!%ica"ion a""ached "o "he !o%ic& be$ore he acce!"ed "he same and !aid !remi(m "hereon. 7e m(s" ha/e no"ice "ha" "he ans ers "o "he 5(es"ions "herein as2ed concernin, his c%inica% his"or& ere $a%se, and &e" he acce!"ed "he $irs" !o%ic& and a!!%ied $or ano"her. C& acce!"in, "he !o%ic& he became char,ed i"h 2no %ed,e o$ i"s con"en"s, he"her he ac"(a%%& read i" or no". 7e 2ne , or as char,eab%e i"h 2no %ed,e, $rom "he /er& "erms o$ "he " o !o%icies s(ed (!on (one o$ hich is !rin"ed in .n,%ish and "he o"her in )!anish) "ha" "he so%ici"in, a,en" and "he medica% e;aminer had no !o er "o bind "he *om!an& b& an& /erba% !romise or ora% re!resen"a"ion. The ins(red, "here$ore, had no ri,h" "o re%& 6 and e canno" be%ie/e he re%ied in ,ood $ai"h 6 (!on "he ora% re!resen"a"ion. The ins(red, "here$ore, had no ri,h" "o re%& 6 and e canno" be%ie/e he re%ied in ,ood $ai"h 6 (!on "he ora% re!resen"a"ion o$ said a,en" and medica% e;aminer "ha" he ("he a!!%ican") as a $i" s(b+ec" $or ins(rance no" i"hs"andin, "ha" he had been and as s"i%% s($$erin, i"h ad/anced !(%monar& "(berc(%osis. The mo"ion $or reconsidera"ion is "here$ore s(s"ained and "he decision o$ *- is hereb& re/ersed.