遗产继承中，遗嘱执行人并非万能：临时赡养费、财产分配需谨慎
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G.R. No. 118671, January 29, 1996
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想象一下，一位老人去世，留下了包含房产、现金的遗嘱。他的儿子被指定为遗嘱执行人，本应顺利进行的遗产分配却因家庭纠纷而变得复杂。孙辈是否能获得临时赡养费？遗产何时可以提前分配？遗嘱执行人的权限范围又是什么？这些问题不仅关乎法律条文，更牵动着每个家庭的利益。本案将深入剖析菲律宾最高法院对此类问题的裁决，为遗产继承中的常见争议提供明确的法律指引。
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遗产继承中的临时赡养费、财产分配与遗嘱执行人权限
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本案的核心在于厘清在遗产继承诉讼期间，法院在哪些情况下可以批准从遗产中支付临时赡养费，以及何时可以进行财产的提前分配。同时，案件也明确了遗嘱执行人在遗产管理中的权限范围，强调其职责是为所有继承人的利益服务，而非个人利益。
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法律背景：遗产继承与相关法规
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在菲律宾，遗产继承受到《民法典》和《民事诉讼规则》的严格规范。理解这些法规对于处理遗产纠纷至关重要。
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《民事诉讼规则》第83条第3款规定了遗孀和未成年或无行为能力子女在遗产清算期间获得赡养费的权利。该条款明确指出：
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“Sec. 3. Allowance to widow and family. – The widow and minor or incapacitated children of a deceased person, during the settlement of the estate, shall receive therefrom under the direction of the court, such allowance as are provided by law.”
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然而，《民法典》第188条（现为《家庭法》第133条）则将临时赡养费的范围扩大到所有子女，无论其年龄、婚姻状况或是否有收入。例如，即使子女已成年并工作，在遗产清算期间，他们仍有权获得必要的赡养费。
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关于遗产分配，《民事诉讼规则》第90条规定，只有在偿还所有债务、丧葬费、管理费用、遗孀赡养费和遗产税后，才能进行遗产的分配。除非继承人提供担保，保证在法院规定的时间内支付上述债务。
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“Sec. 1. When order for distribution of residue made. – When the debts, funeral charges, and expenses of administration, the allowance to the widow, and inheritance tax, if any, chargeable to the estate in accordance with law, have been paid, the court, on the application of the executor or administrator, or of a person interested in the estate, and after hearing upon notice, shall assign the residue of the estate to the persons entitled to the same, naming them and the proportions, or parts, to which each is entitled, and such persons may demand and recover their respective shares from the executor or administrator, or any other person having the same in his possession. If there is a controversy before the court as to who are the lawful heirs of the deceased person or as to the distributive shares to which each person is entitled under the law, the controversy shall be heard and decided as in ordinary cases.
No distribution shall be allowed until the payment of the obligations above-mentioned has been made or provided for, unless the distributees, or any of them, give a bond, in a sum to be fixed by the court, conditioned for the payment of said obligations within such time as the court directs.”
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这意味着，遗产分配并非遗嘱执行人可以随意决定的，必须严格遵守法律程序。
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案件回顾：Ruiz 遗产案的曲折经过
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Hilario M. Ruiz 先生立下了一份亲笔遗嘱，指定其儿子 Edmond Ruiz 为遗嘱执行人，并将其财产分配给儿子、养女和三个孙女。然而，在 Ruiz 先生去世后，遗产分配却陷入了困境：
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- Edmond Ruiz initially opposed the probate of the will, claiming undue influence.
- Edmond 将遗嘱中指定给孙女们的房产出租，引发了关于租金收益分配的争议。
- 尽管 Edmond 最终撤回了对遗嘱的异议，但他对法院关于临时赡养费和财产分配的裁决提出了质疑。
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本案历经地区法院和上诉法院的审理，最终上诉至菲律宾最高法院。最高法院的裁决对遗产继承中的关键问题做出了明确的解释。
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最高法院强调，临时赡养费的受益人仅限于遗孀和子女，不包括孙子女。法院指出：
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“Be that as it may, grandchildren are not entitled to provisional support from the funds of the decedent’s estate. The law clearly limits the allowance to