FIRST DIVISION

G.R. No. L-38338 January 28, 1985

IN THE MATTER OF THE INTESTATE ESTATE OF ANDRES G. DE JESS
AND !I!IANA RO"AS DE JESS, SIMEON R. RO"AS # $EDRO RO"AS DE
JESS,petitioners,
vs.
ANDRES R. DE JESS, JR.,respondent.
Raul S. Sison Law Office for petitioners.
Rafael Dinglasan, Jr. for heir M. Roxas.
Ledesma, Gu!ing"o Velas"o and #sso"ia!es for Ledesa and #. R. de Jesus.

G$TI%RR%&, JR., J.:
This is a 'e!i!ion for "er!iorari !o se! aside !he order of res'onden! (on. Jose ). )ola"o,
*residing Judge )our! of Firs! Ins!an"e of Manila, +ran"h ,,I disallo-ing !he 'ro.a!e of !he
hologra'hi" /ill of !he de"eased +i.iana Roxas de Jesus.
The an!e"eden! fa"!s -hi"h led !o !he filing of !his 'e!i!ion are undis'u!ed.
#f!er !he dea!h of s'ouses #ndres G. de Jesus and +i.iana Roxas de Jesus, S'e"ial *ro"eeding
No. 01234 en!i!led 5In !he Ma!!er of !he In!es!a!e %s!a!e of #ndres G. de Jesus and +i.iana Roxas
de Jesus5 -as filed . 'e!i!ioner Simeon R. Roxas, !he .ro!her of !he de"eased +i.iana Roxas de
Jesus.
On Mar"h 67, 1894, 'e!i!ioner Simeon R. Roxas -as a''oin!ed adminis!ra!or. #f!er Le!!ers of
#dminis!ra!ion had .een gran!ed !o !he 'e!i!ioner, he deli:ered !o !he lo-er "our! a do"umen!
'ur'or!ing !o .e !he hologra'hi" /ill of !he de"eased +i.iana Roxas de Jesus. On Ma 67, 1894,
res'onden! Judge Jose )ola"o se! !he hearing of !he 'ro.a!e of !he hologra'hi" /in on Jul 61,
1894.
*e!i!ioner Simeon R. Roxas !es!ified !ha! af!er his a''oin!men! as adminis!ra!or, he found a
no!e.oo; .elonging !o !he de"eased +i.iana R. de Jesus and !ha! on 'ages 61, 66, 64 and 6<
!hereof, a le!!er=-in addressed !o her "hildren and en!irel -ri!!en and signed in !he hand-ri!ing of
!he de"eased +i.iana R. de Jesus -as found. The -ill is da!ed 5F%+.>71 5 and s!a!es? 5This is m
-in -hi"h I -an! !o .e res'e"!ed al!hough i! is no! -ri!!en . a la-er. ...
The !es!imon of Simeon R. Roxas -as "orro.ora!ed . !he !es!imonies of *edro Roxas de Jesus
and Manuel Roxas de Jesus -ho li;e-ise !es!ified !ha! !he le!!er da!ed 5F%+.>71 5 is !he
hologra'hi" /ill of !heir de"eased mo!her, +i.iana R. de Jesus. +o!h re"ogni@ed !he hand-ri!ing
of !heir mo!her and 'osi!i:el Iden!ified her signa!ure. The fur!her !es!ified !ha! !heir de"eased
mo!her unders!ood %nglish, !he language in -hi"h !he hologra'hi" /ill is -ri!!en, and !ha! !he
da!e 5F%+.>71 5 -as !he da!e -hen said /ill -as exe"u!ed . !heir mo!her.
Res'onden! Lu@ R. (enson, ano!her "om'ulsor heir filed an 5o''osi!ion !o 'ro.a!e5 assailing !he
'ur'or!ed hologra'hi" /ill of +i.iana R. de Jesus .e"ause a i! -as no! exe"u!ed in a""ordan"e
-i!h la-, A.B i! -as exe"u!ed !hrough for"e, in!imida!ion and>or under duress, undue influen"e and
im'ro'er 'ressure, and A"B !he alleged !es!a!rix a"!ed . mis!a;e and>or did no! in!end, nor "ould
ha:e in!ended !he said /ill !o .e her las! /ill and !es!amen! a! !he !ime of i!s exe"u!ion.
On #ugus! 6<, 1894, res'onden! Judge Jose ). )ola"o issued an order allo-ing !he 'ro.a!e of
!he hologra'hi" /ill -hi"h he found !o ha:e .een dul exe"u!ed in a""ordan"e -i!h la-.
Res'onden! Lu@ Roxas de Jesus filed a mo!ion for re"onsidera!ion alleging in!er alia !ha! !he
alleged hologra'hi" /ill of !he de"eased +i.iana R. de Jesus -as no! da!ed as reCuired .
#r!i"le 013 of !he )i:il )ode. She "on!ends !ha! !he la- reCuires !ha! !he /ill should "on!ain !he
da, mon!h and ear of i!s exe"u!ion and !ha! !his should .e s!ri"!l "om'lied -i!h.
On De"em.er 13, 1894, res'onden! Judge )ola"o re"onsidered his earlier order and disallo-ed
!he 'ro.a!e of !he hologra'hi" /ill on !he ground !ha! !he -ord 5da!ed5 has generall .een held !o
in"lude !he mon!h, da, and ear. The dis'osi!i:e 'or!ion of !he order reads?
/(%R%FOR%, !he do"umen! 'ur'or!ing !o .e !he hologra'hi" /ill of +i.iana Roxas de
Jesus, is here. disallo-ed for no! ha:ing .een exe"u!ed as reCuired . !he la-. The
order of #ugus! 6<, 1894 is here. se! aside.
The only issue is whether or not the date "FEB./61 " appearing on the holographic Will of
the deceased Biiana !o"as de #esus is a valid co$pliance with the %rticle &1' of the
(ivil (ode which reads)
#RT. 013. # 'erson ma exe"u!e a hologra'hi" -ill -hi"h mus! .e en!irel -ri!!en,
da!ed, and signed . !he hand of !he !es!a!or himself. I! is su.De"! !o no o!her form, and
ma .e made in or ou! of !he *hili''ines, and need no! .e -i!nessed.
The petitioners contend that while %rticle 6&* of the +panish (ivil (ode and %rticle 6&&
of the ,ld (ivil (ode re-uire the testator to state in his holographic Win the "year, $onth,
and day of its e"ecution," the present (ivil (ode o$itted the phrase %.o $es y dia and
si$ply re-uires that the holographic Will should e dated. The petitioners su$it that the
lieral construction of the holographic Will should prevail.
Res'onden! Lu@ (enson on !he o!her hand su.mi!s !ha! !he 'ur'or!ed hologra'hi" /ill is :oid for
non="om'lian"e -i!h #r!i"le 013 of !he Ne- )i:il )ode in !ha! !he da!e mus! "on!ain !he ear,
mon!h, and da of i!s exe"u!ion. The res'onden! "on!ends !ha! #r!i"le 013 of !he )i:il )ode -as
'a!!erned af!er Se"!ion 1699 of !he )alifornia )ode and Se"!ion 1200 of !he Louisiana )ode
-hose Su'reme )our!s had "onsis!en!l ruled !ha! !he reCuired da!e in"ludes !he ear, mon!h,
and da, and !ha! if an of !hese is -an!ing, !he hologra'hi" /ill is in:alid. The res'onden! fur!her
"on!ends !ha! !he 'e!i!ioner "anno! 'lead li.eral "ons!ru"!ion of #r!i"le 013 of !he )i:il )ode
.e"ause s!a!u!es 'res"ri.ing !he formali!ies !o .e o.ser:ed in !he exe"u!ion of hologra'hi" /ills
are s!ri"!l "ons!rued.
/e agree -i!h !he 'e!i!ioner.
This -ill no! .e !he firs! !ime !ha! !his )our! de'ar!s from a s!ri"! and li!eral a''li"a!ion of !he
s!a!u!or reCuiremen!s regarding !he due exe"u!ion of /ills. /e should no! o:erloo; !he li.eral
!rend of !he )i:il )ode in !he manner of exe"u!ion of /ills, !he 'ur'ose of -hi"h, in "ase of dou.!
is !o 're:en! in!es!a" E
The underling and fundamen!al o.De"!i:es 'ermea!ing !he 'ro:isions of !he la- on -igs
in !his *roDe"! "onsis!s in !he li.erali@a!ion of !he manner of !heir exe"u!ion -i!h !he end
in :ie- of gi:ing !he !es!a!or more freedom in ex'ressing his las! -ishes, .u! -i!h
suffi"ien safeguards and res!ri"!ions !o 're:en! !he "ommission of fraud and !he
exer"ise of undue and im'ro'er 'ressure and influen"e u'on !he !es!a!or.
This o.De"!i:e is in a""ord -i!h !he modem !enden" -i!h res'e"! !o !he formali!ies in
!he exe"u!ion of -ills. ARe'or! of !he )ode )ommission, '. 134B
/n #ustice (apistrano0s concurring opinion in 1eirs of Raymundo Castro v. Bustos234
+(!% 5346 he e$phasi7ed that)
xxx xxx xxx
... The la- has a !ender regard for !he -ill of !he !es!a!or ex'ressed in his las! -ill and
!es!amen! on !he ground !ha! an dis'osi!ion made . !he !es!a!or is .e!!er !han !ha!
-hi"h !he la- "an ma;e. For !his reason, in!es!a!e su""ession is no!hing more !han a
dis'osi!ion .ased u'on !he 'resumed -ill of !he de"eden!.
Thus, the prevailing policy is to re-uire satisfaction of the legal re-uire$ents in order to
guard against fraud and ad faith ut without undue or unnecessary curtail$ent of
testa$entary privilege Icasiano v. Icasiano, 11 +(!% 8336. /f a Will has een e"ecuted in
sustantial co$pliance with the for$alities of the law, and the possiility of ad faith and
fraud in the e"ercise thereof is oviated, said Win should e ad$itted to proate 2!ey v.
(artagena *6 9hil. 3&36. Thus,
xxx xxx xxx
... More !han an!hing else, !he fa"!s and "ir"ums!an"es of re"ord are !o .e "onsidered
in !he a''li"a!ion of an gi:en rule. If !he surrounding "ir"ums!an"es 'oin! !o a regular
exe"u!ion of !he -il! and !he ins!rumen! a''ears !o ha:e .een exe"u!ed su.s!an!iall in
a""ordan"e -i!h !he reCuiremen!s of !he la-, !he in"lina!ion should, in !he a.sen"e of
an sugges!ion of .ad fai!h, forger or fraud, lean !o-ards i!s admission !o 'ro.a!e,
al!hough !he do"umen! ma suffer from some im'erfe"!ion of language, or o!her non=
essen!ial defe"!. ... ALene@ :. Lene@ 70 *hil. 9<2B.
/f the testator, in e"ecuting his Will, atte$pts to co$ply with all the re-uisites, although
co$pliance is not literal, it is sufficient if the o:ective or purpose sought to e
acco$plished y such re-uisite is actually attained y the for$ followed y the testator.
The 'ur'ose of !he solemni!ies surrounding !he exe"u!ion of /ills has .een ex'ounded . !his
)our! in Abangan v. Abanga <3 *hil. <97, -here -e ruled !ha!?
The o.De"! of !he solemni!ies surrounding !he exe"u!ion of -ills is !o "lose !he door
agains! .ad fai!h and fraud, !o a:oid su.s!i!u!ion of -ills and !es!amen!s and !o guaran!
!heir !ru!h and au!hen!i"i!. ...
/n particular, a co$plete date is re-uired to provide against such contingencies as that of
two co$peting Wills e"ecuted on the sa$e day, or of a testator eco$ing insane on the
day on which a Will was e"ecuted 2;elasco v. <ope7, 1 9hil. 43'6. There is no such
contingency in this case.
/e ha:e "arefull re:ie-ed !he re"ords of !his "ase and found no e:iden"e of .ad fai!h and fraud
in i!s exe"u!ion nor -as !here an su.s!i!u!ion of /ins and Tes!amen!s. There is no Cues!ion !ha!
!he hologra'hi" /ill of !he de"eased +i.iana Roxas de Jesus -as en!irel -ri!!en, da!ed, and
signed . !he !es!a!rix herself and in a language ;no-n !o her. There is also no Cues!ion as !o i!s
genuineness and due exe"u!ion. #ll !he "hildren of !he !es!a!rix agree on !he genuineness of !he
hologra'hi" /ill of !heir mo!her and !ha! she had !he !es!amen!ar "a'a"i! a! !he !ime of !he
exe"u!ion of said /ill. The o.De"!ion in!er'osed . !he o''osi!or=res'onden! Lu@ (enson is !ha!
!he hologra'hi" /ill is fa!all defe"!i:e .e"ause !he da!e 5F%+.>71 5 a''earing on !he hologra'hi"
/ill is no! suffi"ien! "om'lian"e -i!h #r!i"le 013 of !he )i:il )ode. This o.De"!ion is !oo !e"hni"al !o
.e en!er!ained.
#s a general rule, !he 5da!e5 in a hologra'hi" /ill should in"lude !he da, mon!h, and ear of i!s
exe"u!ion. (o-e:er, -hen as in !he "ase a! .ar, !here is no a''earan"e of fraud, .ad fai!h, undue
influen"e and 'ressure and !he au!hen!i"i! of !he /ill is es!a.lished and !he onl issue is -he!her
or no! !he da!e 5F%+.>715 a''earing on !he hologra'hi" /ill is a :alid "om'lian"e -i!h #r!i"le 013
of !he )i:il )ode, 'ro.a!e of !he hologra'hi" /ill should .e allo-ed under !he 'rin"i'le of
su.s!an!ial "om'lian"e.
/(%R%FOR%, !he ins!an! 'e!i!ion is GR#NT%D. The order a''ealed from is R%V%RS%D and
S%T #SID% and !he order allo-ing !he 'ro.a!e of !he hologra'hi" /ill of !he de"eased +i.iana
Roxas de Jesus is reins!a!ed.
SO ORD%R%D.