G.R. No.

L-38338 January 28, 1985

ROXAS vs. DE JESUS, JR.
FACTS
After the death of spouses Andres G. de Jesus and Bibiana Roxas de Jesus, Special Proceeding entitled
"In the atter of the Intestate !state of Andres G. de Jesus and Bibiana Roxas de Jesus" "as filed b#
petitioner Si$eon R. Roxas, the brother of the deceased Bibiana Roxas de Jesus. %n arch &', ()*+,
petitioner Si$eon R. Roxas "as appointed ad$inistrator. After ,etters of Ad$inistration had been
granted to the petitioner, !" #"$%&"r"# 'o '!" $o("r )our' a #o)u*"n' +ur+or'%n, 'o -" '!"
!o$o,ra+!%) .%$$ o/ '!" #")"a0"# 1%-%ana Ro2a0 #" J"0u0. %n a# &', ()*+, respondent Judge Jose
-ola#co set the hearing of the probate of the holographic .ill on Jul# &(, ()*+. Petitioner Si$eon R.
Roxas testified that after his appoint$ent as ad$inistrator, he found a noteboo/ belonging to the deceased
Bibiana R. de Jesus and that on pages &(, &&, &+ and &0 thereof, a letter1"ill addressed to her children and
entirel# "ritten and signed in the hand"riting of the deceased Bibiana R. de Jesus "as found. T!" (%$$ %0
#a'"# 3FE1.451 3 an# 0'a'"0 3T!%0 %0 *y (%$$ (!%)! 6 (an' 'o -" r"0+")'"# a$'!ou,! %' %0 no'
(r%''"n -y a $a(y"r. ...
2he testi$on# of Si$eon R. Roxas "as corroborated b# the testi$onies of Pedro Roxas de Jesus and
anuel Roxas de Jesus "ho li/e"ise testified that the letter dated "3!B.4'( " is the holographic .ill of
their deceased $other, Bibiana R. de Jesus. Both recogni5ed the hand"riting of their $other and
positivel# identified her signature. 2he# further testified that their deceased $other understood !nglish,
the language in "hich the holographic .ill is "ritten, and that the date "3!B.4'( " "as the date "hen
said .ill "as executed b# their $other.
Respondent ,u5 R. 6enson, another co$pulsor# heir filed an "opposition to probate" assailing the
purported holographic .ill of Bibiana R. de Jesus because a it "as not executed in accordance "ith la",
7b8 it "as executed through force, inti$idation and4or under duress, undue influence and i$proper
pressure, and 7c8 the alleged testatrix acted b# $ista/e and4or did not intend, nor could have intended the
said .ill to be her last .ill and testa$ent at the ti$e of its execution.
%n August &0, ()*+, respondent Judge Jose -. -ola#co issued an order a$$o(%n, '!" +ro-a'" of the
holographic .ill "hich he found to have been dul# executed in accordance "ith la". %n 9ece$ber (:,
()*+, respondent Judge -ola#co r")on0%#"r"# !%0 "ar$%"r or#"r an# #%0a$$o("# '!" +ro-a'" of the
holographic .ill on the ground that the "ord "dated" has generall# been held to include the $onth, da#,
and #ear.
ISS;!< .4= the date "3!B.4'( " appearing on the holographic .ill of the deceased Bibiana Roxas de
Jesus is a valid co$pliance "ith the Article >(: of the -ivil -ode
6!,9< ?es, if the testator, in executing his .ill, atte$pts to co$pl# "ith all the re@uisites, although
co$pliance is not literal, it is sufficient if the obAective or purpose sought to be acco$plished b# such
re@uisite is actuall# attained b# the for$ follo"ed b# the testator.
2he purpose of the sole$nities surrounding the execution of .ills has been expounded b# this -ourt
in Abangan v. Abanga 0: Phil. 0*', "here "e ruled that<
2he obAect of the sole$nities surrounding the execution of "ills is to close the door
against bad faith and fraud, to avoid substitution of "ills and testa$ents and to guarant#
their truth and authenticit#. ...
6n +ar'%)u$ar, a )o*+$"'" #a'" %0 r"7u%r"# 'o +ro&%#" a,a%n0' 0u)! )on'%n,"n)%"0 a0 '!a' o/ '(o
)o*+"'%n, .%$$0 "2")u'"# on '!" 0a*" #ay, or o/ a '"0'a'or -")o*%n, %n0an" on '!" #ay on (!%)! a
.%$$ (a0 "2")u'"# 89"$a0)o &. Lo+":, 1 ;!%$. <2=>. T!"r" %0 no 0u)! )on'%n,"n)y %n '!%0 )a0".
2his "ill not be the first ti$e that this -ourt departs fro$ a strict and literal application of the statutor#
re@uire$ents regarding the due execution of .ills. .e should not overloo/ the liberal trend of the -ivil
-ode in the $anner of execution of .ills, the purpose of "hich, in case of doubt is to prevent intestac#
B 2he underl#ing and funda$ental obAectives per$eating the provisions of the la" on "igs in this
ProAect consists in the liberali5ation of the $anner of their execution "ith the end in vie" of giving the
testator $ore freedo$ in expressing his last "ishes, but "ith sufficient safeguards and restrictions to
prevent the co$$ission of fraud and the exercise of undue and i$proper pressure and influence upon the
testator. 2his obAective is in accord "ith the $ode$ tendenc# "ith respect to the for$alities in the
execution of "ills. 7Report of the -ode -o$$ission, p. (:+8
T!u0, '!" +r"&a%$%n, +o$%)y %0 'o r"7u%r" 0a'%0/a)'%on o/ '!" $",a$ r"7u%r"*"n'0 %n or#"r 'o ,uar#
a,a%n0' /rau# an# -a# /a%'! -u' (%'!ou' un#u" or unn")"00ary )ur'a%$*"n' o/ '"0'a*"n'ary
+r%&%$"," (Icasiano v. Icasiano, (( S-RA 0&&8. If a .ill has been executed in substantial co$pliance
"ith the for$alities of the la", and the possibilit# of bad faith and fraud in the exercise thereof is
obviated, said .ill should be ad$itted to probate 7Re# v. -artagena C' Phil. &>&8. 2hus,
.e have carefull# revie"ed the records of this case and found no evidence of bad faith and fraud in its
execution nor "as there an# substitution of .ills and 2esta$ents. T!"r" %0 no 7u"0'%on '!a' '!"
!o$o,ra+!%) .%$$ o/ '!" #")"a0"# 1%-%ana Ro2a0 #" J"0u0 (a0 "n'%r"$y (r%''"n, #a'"#, an# 0%,n"# -y
'!" '"0'a'r%2 !"r0"$/ an# %n a $an,ua," ?no(n 'o !"r. 2here is also no @uestion as to its genuineness
and due execution. All the children of the testatrix agree on the genuineness of the holographic .ill of
their $other and that she had the testa$entar# capacit# at the ti$e of the execution of said .ill. 2he
obAection interposed b# the oppositor1respondent ,u5 6enson is that the holographic .ill is fatall#
defective because the date "3!B.4'( " appearing on the holographic .ill is not sufficient co$pliance "ith
Article >(: of the -ivil -ode. 2his obAection is too technical to be entertained.
A0 a ,"n"ra$ ru$", '!" 3#a'"3 %n a !o$o,ra+!%) .%$$ 0!ou$# %n)$u#" '!" #ay, *on'!, an# y"ar o/ %'0
"2")u'%on. @o("&"r, (!"n a0 %n '!" )a0" a' -ar, '!"r" %0 no a++"aran)" o/ /rau#, -a# /a%'!, un#u"
%n/$u"n)" an# +r"00ur" an# '!" au'!"n'%)%'y o/ '!" .%$$ %0 "0'a-$%0!"# an# '!" on$y %00u" %0 (!"'!"r
or no' '!" #a'" 3FE1.4513 a++"ar%n, on '!" !o$o,ra+!%) .%$$ %0 a &a$%# )o*+$%an)" (%'! Ar'%)$" 81=
o/ '!" C%&%$ Co#", +ro-a'" o/ '!" !o$o,ra+!%) .%$$ 0!ou$# -" a$$o("# un#"r '!" +r%n)%+$" o/
0u-0'an'%a$ )o*+$%an)".