Heirs buck court ruling on Madrigal will

Three relatives of Sen. Jamby Madrigal named as heirs in their late aunt’s will questioned yesterday the decision of the probate court limiting to P26.1 million the assets of billionaire Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal that could be shared among them.

Through their counsels, Aurelio Montinola and Perry Pe, Ma. Susana Madrigal, Gizela Gonzalez-Montinola, and Vicente Gustav Warns, asked the Makati Regional Trial Court to correct its ruling declaring that Madrigal’s assets exceeding the amount stated in the will be covered by the rules of legal succession.

The body and dispositive portion of the court’s ruling, along with an amended decision issued last year which allows the execution of the will contradict one another, according to the will’s execuctors.

On the other hand, the senator’s camp said Pimentel’s July 2 order is already final and executory because none of the heirs filed a motion for reconsideration.

Ernesto Francisco Jr., the senator’s lawyer, said the executors have no personality to question the order of the Makati court.

“Besides, strictly speaking, the motion that was filed by the executors is not a motion for reconsideration,” he said.

“Worse, under the rules, that motion is a mere scrap of paper which should not be considered by the court because we were not even furnished a copy and notified of a hearing.”

The late Madrigal matriarch’s assets are said to be worth millions of dollars including properties, company shares, bank accounts, and others.  – Michael Punongbayan