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VOL. 316, OCTOBER 13, 1999 677

Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals
*
G.R. No. 113899. October 13, 1999.

GREAT PACIFIC LIFE ASSURANCE CORP., petitioner,

vs. COURT OF APPEALS AND MEDARDA V. LEUTERIO,
respondents.

Insurance; Mortgages; Mortgage Redemption Insurance;

Words and Phrases; The rationale of a group insurance policy of
mortgagors, otherwise known as the “mortgage redemption
insurance,” is a device for the protection of both the mortgagee and
the mortgagor; Where the mortgagor pays the insurance premium
under the group insurance policy, making the loss payable to the
mortgagee, the insurance is on the mortgagor’s interest, and the
mortgagor continues to be a party to the contract.—We must
consider the insurable interest in mortgaged properties and the
parties to this type of contract. The rationale of a group insurance
policy of mortgagors, otherwise known as the “mortgage
redemption insurance,” is a device for the protection of both the
mortgagee and the mortgagor. On the part of the mortgagee, it
has to enter into such form of contract so that in the event of the
unexpected demise of the mortgagor during the subsistence of the
mortgage contract, the proceeds from such insurance will be
applied to the payment of the mortgage debt, thereby relieving
the heirs of the mortgagor from paying the obligation. In a similar
vein, ample protection is given to the mortgagor under such a
concept so that in the event of death; the mortgage obligation will
be extinguished by the application of the insurance proceeds to
the mortgage indebtedness. Consequently, where the mortgagor
pays the insurance premium under the group insurance policy,
making the loss payable to the mortgagee, the insurance is on the
mortgagor’s interest, and the mortgagor continues to be a party to
the contract. In this type of policy insurance, the mortgagee is
simply an appointee of the insurance fund, such loss­payable
clause does not make the mortgagee a party to the contract.
Same; Same; Same; Parties; Real Party in Interest; The
insured may be regarded as the real party in interest, although he
has assigned the policy for the purpose of collection, or has
assigned as collateral security any judgment he may obtain.—The
insured private respondent did not cede to the mortgagee all his
rights or inter­

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_______________

* SECOND DIVISION.

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678 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

ests in the insurance, the policy stating that: “In the event of the
debtor’s death before his indebtedness with the Creditor [DBP]
shall have been fully paid, an amount to pay the outstanding
indebtedness shall first be paid to the creditor and the balance of
sum assured, if there is any, shall then be paid to the
beneficiary/ies designated by the debtor.” When DBP submitted
the insurance claim against petitioner, the latter denied payment
thereof, interposing the defense of concealment committed by the
insured. Thereafter, DBP collected the debt from the mortgagor
and took the necessary action of foreclosure on the residential lot
of private respondent. In Gonzales La O vs. Yek Tong Lin Fire &
Marine Ins. Co. we held: “Insured, being the person with whom
the contract was made, is primarily the proper person to bring
suit thereon. * * * Subject to some exceptions, insured may thus
sue, although the policy is taken wholly or in part for the benefit
of another person named or unnamed, and although it is
expressly made payable to another as his interest may appear or
otherwise. * * * Although a policy issued to a mortgagor is taken
out for the benefit of the mortgagee and is made payable to him,
yet the mortgagor may sue thereon in his own name, especially
where the mortgagee’s interest is less than the full amount
recoverable under the policy, * * *.’ And in volume 33, page 82, of
the same work, we read the following: ‘Insured may be regarded
as the real party in interest, although he has assigned the policy
for the purpose of collection, or has assigned as collateral security
any judgment he may obtain.
Same; Concealment; Words and Phrases; Concealment exists
where the assured had knowledge of a fact material to the risk,
and honesty, good faith, and fair dealing requires that he should
communicate it to the assured, but he designedly and intentionally
withholds the same.—The second assigned error refers to an
alleged concealment that the petitioner interposed as its defense
to annul the insurance contract. Petitioner contends that Dr.
Leuterio failed to disclose that he had hypertension, which might
have caused his death. Concealment exists where the assured had
knowledge of a fact material to the risk, and honesty, good faith,
and fair dealing requires that he should communicate it to the
assured, but he designedly and intentionally withholds the same.

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Same; Same; The fraudulent intent on the part of the insured

must be established to entitle the insurer to rescind the contract.—
The fraudulent intent on the part of the insured must be
established to entitle the insurer to rescind the contract.
Misrepresentation as a

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Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

defense of the insurer to avoid liability is an affirmative defense

and the duty to establish such defense by satisfactory and
convincing evidence rests upon the insurer. In the case at bar, the
petitioner failed to clearly and satisfactorily establish its defense,
and is therefore liable to pay the proceeds of the insurance.
Same; Life Insurance; Unless the interest of a person insured
is susceptible of exact pecuniary measurement, the measure of
indemnity under a policy of insurance upon life or health is the
sum fixed in the policy.—And that brings us to the last point in
the review of the case at bar. Petitioner claims that there was no
evidence as to the amount of Dr. Leuterio’s outstanding
indebtedness to DBP at the time of the mortgagor’s death. Hence,
for private respondent’s failure to establish the same, the action
for specific performance should be dismissed. Petitioner’s claim is
without merit. A life insurance policy is a valued policy. Unless
the interest of a person insured is susceptible of exact pecuniary
measurement, the measure of indemnity under a policy of
insurance upon life or health is the sum fixed in the policy.
Same; Mortgages; Mortgage Redemption Insurance; Where the
mortgagee under a mortgage redemption insurance has already
foreclosed on the mortgage, it cannot collect the insurance proceeds
—the proceeds then rightly belong to the heirs of the mortgagor.—
We noted that the Court of Appeals’ decision was promulgated on
May 17, 1993. In private respondent’s memorandum, she states
that DBP foreclosed in 1995 their residential lot, in satisfaction of
mortgagor’s outstanding loan. Considering this supervening
event, the insurance proceeds shall inure to the benefit of the
heirs of the deceased person or his beneficiaries. Equity dictates
that DBP should not unjustly enrich itself at the expense of
another (Nemo cum alterius detrimenio protest). Hence, it cannot
collect the insurance proceeds, after it already foreclosed on the
mortgage. The proceeds now rightly belong to Dr. Leuterio’s heirs
represented by his widow, herein private respondent Medarda
Leuterio.

PETITION for review on certiorari of a decision and a

resolution of the Court of Appeals.

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The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

     GA Fortun & Associates for petitioner.
680

680 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

     Noel S. Beja for private respondent.

QUISUMBING, J.:

This petition for review, under

1
Rule 45 of the Rules of
Court, assails the Decision dated2 May 17, 1993, of the
Court of Appeals and its Resolution dated January 4, 1994
in CA­G.R. CV No. 18341. The appellate court affirmed in
toto the judgment of the Misamis Oriental Regional Trial
Court, Branch 18, in an insurance claim filed by private
respondent against Great Pacific Life Assurance Co. The
dispositive portion of the trial court’s decision reads:

“WHEREFORE, judgment is rendered adjudging the defendant

GREAT PACIFIC LIFE ASSURANCE CORPORATION as
insurer under its Group policy No. G­1907, in relation to
Certification B­18558 liable and ordered to pay to the
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES as creditor of
the insured Dr. Wilfredo Leuterio, the amount of EIGHTY SIX
THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED PESOS (P86,200.00); dismissing
the claims for damages, attorney’s fees and litigation expenses in
the complaint and counterclaim, with costs against the defendant
and dismissing the complaint in respect to the plaintiffs, other
3
than the widow­beneficiary, for lack of cause of action.”

The facts, as found by the Court of Appeals, are as follows:

A contract of group life insurance was executed between
petitioner Great Pacific Life Assurance Corporation
(hereinafter Grepalife) and Development Bank of the
Philippines (hereinafter DBP). Grepalife agreed to insure
the lives of eligible housing loan mortgagors of DBP.
On November 11, 1983, Dr. Wilfredo Leuterio, a
physician and a housing debtor of DBP applied for
membership in the group life insurance plan. In an
application form, Dr. Leuterio

_______________

1 Rollo, pp. 36­42.

2 Id. at 44.
3 Id. at 36.

681

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Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

answered questions concerning his health condition as

follows:

“7. Have you ever had, or consulted, a physician for a

heart condition, high blood pressure, cancer,
diabetes, lung, kidney or stomach disorder or any
other physical impairment?
Answer: No. If so give details ___________.
8. Are you now, to the best of your knowledge, in good
health? 4
Answer: [ x ] Yes [ ] No.”

On November 15, 1983, Grepalife issued Certificate No. B­

18558, as insurance coverage of Dr. Leuterio, to the extent
of his DBP mortgage indebtedness amounting to eighty­six
thousand, two hundred (P86,200.00) pesos.
On August 6, 1984, Dr. Leuterio died due to “massive
cerebral hemorrhage.” Consequently, DBP submitted a
death claim to Grepalife. Grepalife denied the claim
alleging that Dr. Leuterio was not physically healthy when
he applied for an insurance coverage on November 15,
1983. Grepalife insisted that Dr. Leuterio did not disclose
he had been suffering from hypertension, which caused his
death. Allegedly, such non­disclosure constituted
concealment that justified the denial of the claim.
On October 20, 1986, the widow of the late Dr. Leuterio,
respondent Medarda V. Leuterio, filed a complaint with the
Regional Trial Court of Misamis Oriental, Branch 18,
against Grepalife
5
for “Specific Performance with
Damages.” During the trial, Dr. Hernando Mejia, who
issued the death certificate, was called to testify. Dr.
Mejia’s findings, based partly from the information given
by the respondent widow, stated that Dr. Leuterio
complained of headaches presumably due to high blood
pressure. The inference was not conclusive because Dr.
Leuterio was not autopsied, hence, other causes were not
ruled out.

_______________

4 Id. at 37.
5 Civil Case 10788.

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On February 22, 1988, the trial court rendered a decision

in favor of respondent widow and against Grepalife. On
May 17, 1993, the Court of Appeals sustained the trial
court’s decision. Hence, the present petition. Petitioners
interposed the following assigned errors:

“1. THE LOWER COURT ERRED IN HOLDING

DEFENDANT­APPELLANT LIABLE TO THE
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES
(DBP) WHICH IS NOT A PARTY TO THE CASE
FOR PAYMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF A
MORTGAGE REDEMPTION INSURANCE ON
THE LIFE OF PLAINTIFF’S HUSBAND
WILFREDO LEUTERIO ONE OF ITS LOAN
BORROWERS, INSTEAD OF DISMISSING THE
CASE AGAINST DEFENDANT­APPELLANT
[Petitioner Grepalife] FOR LACK OF CAUSE OF
ACTION.
2. THE LOWER COURT ERRED IN NOT
DISMISSING THE CASE FOR WANT OF
JURISDICTION OVER THE SUBJECT OR
NATURE OF THE ACTION AND OVER THE
PERSON OF THE DEFENDANT.
3. THE LOWER COURT ERRED IN ORDERING
DEFENDANT­APPELLANT TO PAY TO DBP THE
AMOUNT OF P86,200.00 IN THE ABSENCE OF
ANY EVIDENCE TO SHOW HOW MUCH WAS
THE ACTUAL AMOUNT PAYABLE TO DBP IN
ACCORDANCE WITH ITS GROUP INSURANCE
CONTRACT WITH DEFENDANT­APPELLANT.
4. THE LOWER COURT ERRED IN HOLDING
THAT THERE WAS NO CONCEALMENT OF
MATERIAL INFORMATION ON THE PART OF
WILFREDO LEUTERIO IN HIS APPLICATION
FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE GROUP LIFE
INSURANCE PLAN BETWEEN DEFENDANT­
APPELLANT OF THE INSURANCE CLAIM
ARISING FROM 6
THE DEATH OF WILFREDO
LEUTERIO.”

Synthesized below are the assigned errors for our

resolution:

_______________

6 Rollo, pp. 18­19.

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1. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in holding

petitioner liable to DBP as beneficiary in a group
life insurance contract from a complaint filed by the
widow of the decedent/mortgagor?
2. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in not finding
that Dr. Leuterio concealed that he had
hypertension, which would vitiate the insurance
contract?
3. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in holding
Grepalife liable in the amount of eighty six
thousand, two hundred (P86,200.00) pesos without
proof of the actual outstanding mortgage payable by
the mortgagor to DBP.

Petitioner alleges that the complaint was instituted by the

widow of Dr. Leuterio, not the real party in interest, hence
the trial court acquired no jurisdiction over the case. It
argues that when the Court of Appeals affirmed the trial
court’s judgment, Grepalife was held liable to pay the
proceeds of insurance contract in favor of DBP, the
indispensable party who was not joined in the suit.
To resolve the issue, we must consider the insurable
interest in mortgaged properties and the parties to this
type of contract. The rationale of a group insurance policy
of mortgagors, otherwise known as the “mortgage
redemption insurance,” is a device for the protection of both
the mortgagee and the mortgagor. On the part of the
mortgagee, it has to enter into such form of contract so that
in the event of the unexpected demise of the mortgagor
during the subsistence of the mortgage contract, the
proceeds from such insurance will be applied to the
payment of the mortgage debt, thereby relieving7
the heirs
of the mortgagor from paying the obligation. In a similar
vein, ample protection is given to the mortgagor under such
a concept so that in the event of death; the mortgage
obligation will be extinguished by the application of the8
insurance proceeds to the mortgage indebtedness.
Consequently, where the mortgagor pays the insurance
premium under the group insurance policy, making the loss
payable to the mortgagee, the insurance is on the
mortgagor’s interest,

_______________

7 Serrano vs. Court of Appeals, 130 SCRA 327, 335 (1984).

8 Ibid.

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and the mortgagor continues to be a party to the contract.

In this type of policy insurance, the mortgagee is simply an
appointee of the insurance fund, such loss­payable 9clause
does not make the mortgagee a party to the contract.
Section 8 of the Insurance Code provides:

“Unless the policy provides, where a mortgagor of property effects

insurance in his own name providing that the loss shall be
payable to the mortgagee, or assigns a policy of insurance to a
mortgagee, the insurance is deemed to be upon the interest of the
mortgagor, who does not cease to be a party to the original
contract, and any act of his, prior to the loss, which would
otherwise avoid the insurance, will have the same effect, although
the property is in the hands of the mortgagee, but any act which,
under the contract of insurance, is to be performed by the
mortgagor, may be performed by the mortgagee therein named,
with the same effect as if it had been performed by the
mortgagor.”

The insured private respondent did not cede to the

mortgagee all his rights or interests in the insurance, the
policy stating that: “In the event of the debtor’s death
before his indebtedness with the Creditor [DBP] shall have
been fully paid, an amount to pay the outstanding
indebtedness shall first be paid to the creditor and the
balance of sum assured, if there is any, shall then10be paid
to the beneficiary/ies designated by the debtor.” When
DBP submitted the insurance claim against petitioner, the
latter denied payment thereof, interposing the defense of
concealment committed by the insured. Thereafter, DBP
collected the debt from the mortgagor and took the
necessary action of11 foreclosure on the residential lot of
private respondent. In 12
Gonzales La O vs. Yek Tong Lin
Fire & Marine Ins. Co. we held:

_______________

9 43 Am Jur 2d, Insurance Section 766; citing Hill vs. International

Indem. Co. 116 Kan 109, 225 P 1056, 38 ALR 362.
10 Rollo, p. 12.
11 Id. at 180.
12 55 Phil. 386 (1930), citing Corpus Juris, volume 26 pages 483 et seq.

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Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

“Insured, being the person with whom the contract was made, is
primarily the proper person to bring suit thereon. * * * Subject to
some exceptions, insured may thus sue, although the policy is
taken wholly or in part for the benefit of another person named or
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unnamed, and although it is expressly made payable to another

as his interest may appear or otherwise. * * * Although a policy
issued to a mortgagor is taken out for the benefit of the mortgagee
and is made payable to him, yet the mortgagor may sue thereon
in his own name, especially where the mortgagee’s interest is less
than the full amount recoverable under the policy, * * *.’
And in volume 33, page 82, of the same work, we read the
following:
‘Insured may be regarded as the real party in interest,
although he has assigned the policy for the purpose of collection,
or has assigned as collateral security any judgment he may
13
obtain.”

And since a policy of insurance upon life or health may

pass by transfer, will or succession to any person, whether
he has an insurable interest or not, and such person14may
recover it whatever the insured might have recovered, the
widow of the decedent Dr. Leuterio may file the suit
against the insurer, Grepalife.
The second assigned error refers to an alleged
concealment that the petitioner interposed as its defense to
annul the insurance contract. Petitioner contends that Dr.
Leuterio failed to disclose that he had hypertension, which
might have caused his death. Concealment exists where
the assured had knowledge of a fact material to the risk,
and honesty, good faith, and fair dealing requires that he
should communicate it to the assured, 15
but he designedly
and intentionally withholds the same.

_______________

13 Id. at 391, citing Corpus Juris, volume 26 pages 483 et seq.

14 Section 181, Philippine Insurance Code.
15 Argente vs. West Coast Life Insurance Co., 51 Phil. 725, 731 (1928).
Section 26, Philippine Insurance Code.—A neglect to communicate that
which a party knows and ought to communicate is called a concealment.

686

686 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

Petitioner merely relied on the testimony of the attending

physician, Dr. Hernando Mejia, as supported by the
information given by the widow of the decedent. Grepalife
asserts that Dr. Mejia’s technical diagnosis of the cause of
death of Dr. Leuterio was a duly documented hospital
record, and that the widow’s declaration that her husband
had “possible hypertension several years ago” should not be
considered as hearsay, but as part of res gestae.
On the contrary the medical findings were not
conclusive because Dr. Mejia did not conduct an autopsy on
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the body of the decedent. As the attending physician, Dr.

Mejia stated that he had no knowledge
16
of Dr. Leuterio’s
any previous hospital confinement. Dr. Leuterio’s death
certificate stated that hypertension was only “the possible
cause of death.” The private respondent’s statement, as to
the medical history of her husband, was due to her
unreliable recollection of events. Hence, the statement of
the physician was properly considered by the trial court as
hearsay.
The question of whether there was concealment was
aptly answered by the appellate court, thus:

“The insured, Dr. Leuterio, had answered in his insurance

application that he was in good health and that he had not
consulted a doctor or any of the enumerated ailments, including
hypertension; when he died the attending physician had certified
in the death certificate that the former died of cerebral
hemorrhage, probably secondary to hypertension. From this
report, the appellant insurance company refused to pay the
insurance claim. Appellant alleged that the insured had concealed
the fact that he had hypertension.
Contrary to appellant’s allegations, there was no sufficient
proof that the insured had suffered from hypertension. Aside from
the statement of the insured’s widow who was not even sure if the
medicines taken by Dr. Leuterio were for hypertension, the
appellant had not proven nor produced any witness who could
attest to Dr. Leuterio’s medical history . . .
xxx

_______________

16 Rollo, p. 40.

687

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Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

Appellant insurance company had failed to establish that there

was concealment made by the insured, hence, it cannot refuse
17
payment of the claim.”

The fraudulent intent on the part of the insured must be 18

established to entitle the insurer to rescind the contract.
Misrepresentation as a defense of the insurer to avoid
liability is an affirmative defense and the duty to establish
such defense by satisfactory
19
and convincing evidence rests
upon the insurer. In the case at bar, the petitioner failed
to clearly and satisfactorily establish its defense, and is
therefore liable to pay the proceeds of the insurance.
And that brings us to the last point in the review of the
case at bar. Petitioner claims that there was no evidence as
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to the amount of Dr. Leuterio’s outstanding indebtedness to

DBP at the time of the mortgagor’s death. Hence, for
private respondent’s failure to establish the same, the
action for specific performance should be dismissed.
Petitioner’s claim 20is without merit. A life insurance policy
is a valued policy. Unless the interest of a person insured
is susceptible of exact pecuniary measurement, the
measure of indemnity under a policy of insurance
21
upon life
or health is the sum fixed in the policy. The mortgagor
paid the premium according to the coverage of his
insurance, which states that:

“The policy states that upon receipt of due proof of the Debtor’s
death during the terms of this insurance, a death benefit in the
amount of P86,200.00 shall be paid.
In the event of the debtor’s death before his indebtedness with
the creditor shall have been fully paid, an amount to pay the out­

_______________

17 Id. at 39­40.
18 Ng Gan Zee vs. Asian Crusader Life Assurance Corp., 122 SCRA 461, 466
(1983).
19 Ibid.
20 Third Edition, Lohel A. Martirez, Philippine Insurance Code Annotated, p.
380, citing Belvin vs. Connecticut Mutual Life Ins., 23 Comm. 244.
21 Section 183. Philippine Insurance Code.

688

688 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Great Pacific Life Assurance Corp. vs. Court of Appeals

standing indebtedness shall first be paid to the Creditor and the

balance of the Sum Assured, if there is any shall then be paid to
22
the beneficiary/ies designated by the debtor.” (Emphasis
omitted)

However, we noted that the Court of Appeals’ decision was

promulgated on May 17, 1993. In private respondent’s
memorandum, she states that DBP foreclosed in 1995 their
residential lot, in satisfaction of mortgagor’s outstanding
loan. Considering this supervening event, the insurance
proceeds shall inure to the benefit of the heirs of the
deceased person or his beneficiaries. Equity dictates that
DBP should not unjustly enrich itself at the expense of
another (Nemo cum alterius detrimenio protest). Hence, it
cannot collect the insurance proceeds, after it already
foreclosed on the mortgage. The proceeds now rightly
belong to Dr. Leuterio’s heirs represented by his widow,
herein private respondent Medarda Leuterio.

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WHEREFORE, the petition is hereby DENIED. The

Deci sion and Resolution of the Court of Appeals in CA­
G.R. CV 18341 is AFFIRMED with MODIFICATION that
the petitioner is ORDERED to pay the insurance proceeds
amounting to Eighty­six thousand, two hundred
(P86,200.00) pesos to the heirs of the insured, Dr. Wilfredo
Leuterio (deceased), upon presentation of proof of prior
settlement of mortgagor’s indebtedness to Development
Bank of the Philippines. Costs against petitioner.
SO ORDERED.

     Mendoza, Buena and De Leon, Jr., JJ., concur.

     Bellosillo (Chairman), J., On official leave.

Petition denied; Reviewed decision and resolution

affirmed with modification.

_______________

22 Rollo, p. 12.

689

VOL. 316, OCTOBER 13, 1999 689

People vs. Manegdeg

Notes.—Matters relating to the health of the insured

are material and relevant to the approval and issuance of
the life insurance policy as these definitely affect the
insurer’s action on the application. (Sunlife Assurance
Company of Canada vs. Court of Appeals, 245 SCRA 268
[1995])
Where the insurance policy specifies as a condition the
disclosure of existing co­insurers, non­disclosure thereof is
a violation that entitles the insurer to avoid the policy.
(American Home Assurance Company vs. Chua, 309 SCRA
250 [1999])

——o0o——

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