MANILA, Philippines - Former senator and defeated presidential candidate Jamby Madrigal won a reprieve from the Supreme Court after the high tribunal issued a status quo ante order allowing her to take part in the distribution of her late aunt's wealth amounting to billions of pesos.

Madrigal earlier petitioned the Supreme Court to uphold a Makati court’s ruling allowing her and other heirs of Chito Madrigal-Collantes to share in her late aunt’s estate without allowing the executors of her last will and testament to appeal the decision.

The February 12, 2009 ruling of the Makati City regional trial court earlier recognized Madrigal’s legal personality to participate in probate proceedings as an heir to her aunt’s estate.

The Court of Appeals Third Division, however, upheld the appeal of Perry Pe and Aurelio Montinola as executors and trustees of Collantes's last will and testament.

Court records show Collantes died in March 2008 at the age of 87, leaving her husband, former foreign minister Manuel Collantes, as her lone compulsory heir since they did not have children.

Madrigal was left out in Collantes’ last will and testament, prompting her to question its validity before the court.