G.R. No.

189984, November 12, 2012

LOPEZ vs. LOPEZ
FACTS:
On June 21, 1999, Enrique S. Lopez (Enrique) died leaving his wife, end!, and "heir four legi"i#a"e
$hildren, na#el!, pe"i"ioner %i$hard and "he responden"s &iana, 'ar!(e"h and )i$"oria as $o#pulsor!
heirs. *efore Enrique+s dea"h, he e,e$u"ed a Las" ill and -es"a#en" on .ugus" 1/, 1990 and $ons"i"u"ed
%i$hard as his e,e$u"or and ad#inis"ra"or. On Sep"e#(er 21, 1999, %i$hard filed a pe"i"ion for "he
pro(a"e of his fa"her2s Las" ill and -es"a#en" (efore "he %-3 of 'anila wi"h pra!er for "he issuan$e of
le""ers "es"a#en"ar! in his favor. Marbe!" o##o$e% !"e #e!&!&o' (o'!e'%&') !"a! !"e #*r#or!e% +a$!
,&++ a'% !e$!ame'! ,a$ 'o! e-e(*!e% a'% a!!e$!e% a$ re.*&re% b +a,, and "ha" i" was pro$ured (!
undue and i#proper pressure and influen$e on "he par" of %i$hard. -he said opposi"ion was also adop"ed
(! )i$"oria. .f"er su(#i""ing proofs of $o#plian$e wi"h 4urisdi$"ional require#en"s, %i$hard presen"ed
"he a""es"ing wi"nesses and "he no"ar! pu(li$ who no"arized "he will, .""!. 5olas$o. -he ins"ru#en"al
wi"nesses "es"ified "ha" af"er "he la"e Enrique read and signed "he will on ea$h and ever! page, "he! also
read and signed "he sa#e in "he la""er2s presen$e and of one ano"her. 6ho"ographs of "he in$iden" were
"a7en and presen"ed during "rial. One of "he wi"nesses, 'analo, fur"her "es"ified "ha" she was "he one who
prepared "he draf"s and revisions fro# Enrique (efore "he final $op! of "he will was #ade.
Li7ewise, .""!. 5olas$o $lai#ed "ha" Enrique had (een his $lien" for #ore "han 2/ !ears. 6rior "o .ugus"
1/, 1990, "he la""er $onsul"ed hi# in "he prepara"ion of "he su(4e$" will and furnished hi# "he lis" of his
proper"ies for dis"ri(u"ion a#ong his $hildren. 8e prepared "he will in a$$ordan$e wi"h Enrique2s
ins"ru$"ion and "ha" (efore "he la""er and "he a""es"ing wi"nesses signed i" in "he presen$e of one ano"her,
he "ransla"ed "he will whi$h was wri""en in English "o 9ilipino and added "ha" Enrique was in good heal"h
and of sound #ind a" "ha" "i#e.
:n "he &e$ision da"ed .ugus" 20, 2//;, "he %-3 disallowed "he pro(a"e of "he will for failure "o $o#pl!
wi"h .r"i$le </; of "he 3ivil 3ode whi$h requires a s"a"e#en" in "he a""es"a"ion $lause of "he nu#(er of
pages used upon whi$h "he will is wri""en. :" held "ha" while .r"i$le </9 of "he sa#e 3ode requires #ere
su(s"an"ial $o#plian$e of "he for# laid down in .r"i$le </; "hereof, "he rule onl! applies if "he nu#(er of
pages is refle$"ed so#ewhere else in "he will wi"h no eviden$e aliunde or e,"rinsi$ eviden$e required.
/"&+e !"e a(0'o,+e%)me'! #or!&o' $!a!e% !"a! !"e ,&++ (o'$&$!$ o1 2 #a)e$ &'(+*%&') !"e #a)e o'
,"&(" !"e ra!&1&(a!&o' a'% a(0'o,+e%)me'! are ,r&!!e', !"e RTC ob$erve% !"a! &! "a$ 8 #a)e$
&'(+*%&') !"e a(0'o,+e%)me'! #or!&o'. .s su$h, i" disallowed "he will for no" having (een e,e$u"ed
and a""es"ed in a$$ordan$e wi"h law. 3. affir#ed. -he 3. found no valid reason "o devia"e fro# "he
findings of "he %-3 "ha" "he failure "o s"a"e "he nu#(er of pages of "he will in "he a""es"a"ion $lause was
fa"al. :" no"ed "ha" while .r"i$le </9 of "he 3ivil 3ode san$"ions #ere su(s"an"ial $o#plian$e wi"h "he
for#al require#en"s se" for"h in .r"i$le </; "hereof, "here was a "o"al o#ission of su$h fa$" in "he
a""es"a"ion $lause. 'oreover, while "he a$7nowledg#en" of "he will #ade #en"ion of =1 pages in$luding
"he page on whi$h "he ra"ifi$a"ion and a$7nowledg#en" are wri""en,= !"e ,&++ "a% a(!*a++ 8 #a)e$
&'(+*%&') !"e a(0'o,+e%)me'! #or!&o' !"*$, 'e(e$$&!a!&') !"e #re$e'!a!&o' o1 ev&%e'(e a+&*'%e !o
e-#+a&' !"e %&$(re#a'(.
:SS>E? @5 "he will should (e allowed on "he ground "ha" i" has $o#plied su(s"an"iall! wi"h "he for#al
require#en"s of "he law even if i" failed "o s"a"e "he nu#(er of pages of "he will in "he a""es"a"ion $lause
8EL&? -he will should (e disallowed.
T"e +a, &$ (+ear !"a! !"e a!!e$!a!&o' m*$! $!a!e !"e '*mber o1 #a)e$ *$e% *#o' ,"&(" !"e ,&++ &$
,r&!!e'. -he purpose of "he law is "o safeguard agains" possi(le in"erpola"ion or o#ission of one or so#e
of i"s pages and preven" an! in$rease or de$rease in "he pages.
hile .r"i$le </9 allows su(s"an"ial $o#plian$e for defe$"s in "he for# of "he a""es"a"ion $lause, %i$hard
li7ewise failed in "his respe$". T"e $!a!eme'! &' !"e A(0'o,+e%)me'! #or!&o' o1 !"e $*b3e(! +a$! ,&++
a'% !e$!ame'! !"a! &! 4(o'$&$!$ o1 2 #a)e$ &'(+*%&') !"e #a)e o' ,"&(" !"e ra!&1&(a!&o' a'%
a(0'o,+e%)me'! are ,r&!!e'4 (a''o! be %eeme% $*b$!a'!&a+ (om#+&a'(e. T"e ,&++ a(!*a++ (o'$&$!$
o1 8 #a)e$ &'(+*%&') &!$ a(0'o,+e%)me'! whi$h dis$repan$! $anno" (e e,plained (! #ere e,a#ina"ion
of "he will i"self (u" "hrough "he presen"a"ion of eviden$e aliund. On "his s$ore is "he $o##en" of Jus"i$e
J.*.L. %e!es regarding "he appli$a"ion of .r"i$le </9, "o wi"?
, , , -he rule #us" (e li#i"ed "o disregarding "hose defe$"s "ha" $an (e supplied (! an e,a#ina"ion of "he
will i"self? whe"her all "he pages are $onse$u"ivel! nu#(eredA whe"her "he signa"ures appear in ea$h and
ever! pageA whe"her "he su(s$ri(ing wi"nesses are "hree or "he will was no"arized. .ll "hese are fa$"s "ha"
"he will i"self $an reveal, and defe$"s or even o#issions $on$erning "he# in "he a""es"a"ion $lause $an (e
safel! disregarded. *u" "he "o"al nu#(er of pages, and whe"her all persons required "o sign did so in "he
presen$e of ea$h o"her #us" su(s"an"iall! appear in "he a""es"a"ion $lause, (eing "he onl! $he$7 agains"
per4ur! in "he pro(a"e pro$eedings.