EMILIO TAN vs. COURT OF APPEALS

EMILIO TAN vs. COURT OF APPEALS G.R. No. 48049, 29 June 1989

FACTS: Tan Lee Siong, father of herein petitioners, applied for life insurance in the amount of P80,000.00 with respondent company Philippine American Life Insurance Company. Said application was approved and a corresponding policy was issued effective November 5, 1973, with petitioners as the beneficiaries. On April 26, 1975, Tan Lee Siong died of hepatoma. Hence, petitioners filed with respondent company their claim for the proceeds of the life insurance policy. However, the insurance company denied the said claim and rescinded the policy by reason of the alleged misrepresentation and concealment of material facts made by the deceased Tan Lee Siong in his application for insurance. The premiums paid on the policy were thereupon refunded. The petitioners contend that the respondent company no longer had the right to rescind the contract of insurance as rescission must allegedly be done during the lifetime of the insured within two years and prior to the commencement of action.

 

ISSUE: Whether or not the insurance company has the right to rescind the contract of insurance despite the presence of an incontestability clause

 

HELD:

 

YES. The so-called “incontestability clause” precludes the insurer from raising the defenses of false representations or concealment of material facts insofar as health and previous diseases are concerned if the insurance has been in force for at least two years during the insured’s lifetime. The phrase “during the lifetime” found in Section 48 of the Insurance Law simply means that the policy is no longer considered in force after the insured has died. The key phrase in the second paragraph of Section 48 is “for a period of two years”. The policy was issued on November 6, 1973 and the insured died on April 26, 1975. The policy was thus in force for a period of only one year and five months. Considering that the insured died before the two-year period has lapsed, respondent company is not, therefore, barred from proving that the policy is void ab initio by reason of the insured’s fraudulent concealment or misrepresentation. Moreover, respondent company rescinded the contract of insurance and refunded the premiums paid on November 11, 1975, previous to the commencement of this action on November 27, 1975. WHEREFORE, the petition is hereby DENIED for lack of merit. The questioned decision of the Court of Appeals is AFFIRMED.