G.R. No.

L-28946 Forms of Wills January 16, 1929

In re estate of Piraso, deceased.
SIXTO ACOP, petitioner-appellant,
v.
SALMING PIRASO, ET AL., opponents-appellees.
FACTS:
!is appeal "as ta#en from t!e $u%&ment of t!e 'ourt of First
(nstan)e of *en&uet, %enyin& t!e pro+ate of t!e last "ill an% testament
of t!e %e)ease% ,iraso.
!e "ill "as "ritten in -n&lis! "!i)! t!e suppose% testator
,iraso %i% not #no" t!us t!e proponent-appellant )onten%s t!at t!e "ill
is not .ali% for it "as not "ritten in a %iale)t un%erstoo% +y t!e
testator. !e proponent-appellant furt!er )onten%s t!at t!e "ill s!oul%
!a.e +een in t!e (lo)ano %iale)t, t!e %iale)t t!at is #no"n to t!e
testator.
!e proponent-appellant assi&ns t!e follo"in& as alle&e% errors
of t!e lo"er )ourt/
1. (n !ol%in& t!at in or%er to +e .ali% t!e "ill in 0uestion s!oul%
!a.e +een %ra"n up in t!e (lo)ano %iale)t.
2. (n not !ol%in& t!at t!e testator ,iraso %i% not #no" t!e (lo)ano
%iale)t "ell enou&! to un%erstan% a "ill %ra"n up in sai% %iale)t.
1. (n refusin& to a%mit t!e "ill in 0uestion to pro+ate.
!e fun%amental errors assi&ne% refer )!ie2y to t!e part of t!e
$u%&ment "!i)! rea%s as follo"s/
3The evidence shows that Piraso knew how to speak the
Ilocano dialect, although imperfectly, and could make himself
understood in that dialect, and the court is of the opinion that his
will should have been written in that dialect.4
ISSUE:
W!et!er or not t!e "ill !erein is .ali%.
EL!:
N5. !e fa)t t!at t!e "ill "as "ritten in -n&lis! "!i)! t!e
suppose% testator ,iraso %i% not #no", is su6)ient to in.ali%ate sai%
"ill a))or%in& to t!e )lear an% positi.e pro.isions of t!e la", an%
ine.ita+ly pre.ents its pro+ate.
7e)tion 628 of t!e 'o%e of 'i.il ,ro)e%ure, stri)tly pro.i%es t!at/
"No will, except as provides in the preceding section" as
to wills executed by a !paniard or a resident of the Philippine
Islands, before the present "ode of "ivil Procedure went into
e#ect$, "shall be valid to pass any estate, real or personal, nor
,a&e " of #
G.R. No. L-28946 Forms of Wills January 16, 1929
charge or a#ect the same, unless it be written in the language or
dialect known by the testator," etc.
8oreo.er, t!e presumption in fa.our of t!e "ill esta+lis!e% +y
t!is )ourt in 9+an&an .s. 9+an&an :4; ,!il., 4<6=, to t!e e>e)t t!at t!e
testator is presume% to #no" t!e %iale)t of t!e lo)ality "!ere !e
resi%es, unless t!ere is proof to t!e )ontrary, )annot +e applie% in t!is
)ase +e)ause, in t!e instant )ase, not only is it not pro.en t!at -n&lis!
is t!e lan&ua&e of t!e 'ity of *a&uio "!ere t!e %e)ease% ,iraso li.e%
an% "!ere t!e "ill "as %ra"n, +ut t!at t!e re)or% )ontains positi.e
proof t!at sai% ,iraso #ne" no ot!er lan&ua&e t!an t!e (&orot %iale)t,
"it! a smatterin& of (lo)ano.
,a&e # of #