(CASIANO V CA, 158 SCRA 451) Testate Testate Estate of Adriana Maloto Maloto vs Co!rt of A""eals No #$%&4&4 'er!ar *+, 1+88 TESTA TESTATE ESTA ESTATE O' T-E #ATE #ATE A.RIANA MA#OTO, A#.INA A#.INA MA#OTO MA#OTO CASIANO, CONSTANCIO MA#OTO, /0RI'ICACION MIRA'#OR, ROMAN CAT-O#IC C-0RC- O' MO#O, AN. ASI#O .E MO#O, "etitioners, vs CO0RT O' A//EA#S, /AN'I#O MA#OTO AN. 'E#INO MA#OTO, res"ondents Civil #a2 3ills2 Revoation of 3ill2 To onstit!te an eetive revoation, t6e "6sial at of destr!tion of a ill 7!st e o!"led it6 ani7!s revoandi revoandi on t6e "art of t6e testatorIt is lear t6at t6e "6sial at of destr!tion of a ill, li9e !rnin: in t6is ase, does not "er se onstit!te an eetive revoation, !nless t6e destr!tion is o!"led it6 ani7!s revoandi on t6e "art of t6e testator It is not i7"erative t6at t6e "6sial destr!tion e done t6e testator 6i7self It 7a e "erfor7ed anot6er "erson !t !nder t6e e;"ress diretion and in t6e "resene of t6e testator Of o!rse, it :oes it6o!t sain: t6at t6e do!7ent destroed 7!st e t6e ill itself Sa7e2 Sa7e2 Sa7e2 Sa7e2 Intention to revo9e 7!st e ao7"anied overt "6sial at of !rnin:, !rnin:, tearin:, oliteratin: or anellin: t6e ill t6e testator or anot6er "erson in 6is "resene and !nder 6is e;"ress diretionIn t6is ase, 6ile ani7!s revoandi, or t6e intention to revo9e, 7a e oneded, for t6at is a state of 7ind, et t6at res 7aid, ?!adal!"e, as not satisfatoril estalis6ed to e a ill at all, 7!6 less t6e ill of Adriana Maloto 'or anot6er, t6e !rnin: as not "roven to 6ave een done !nder t6e e;"ress diretion of Adriana And t6en, t6e !rnin: as not in 6er "resene @ot6 itnesses, ?!adal!"e and Eladio, ere one in statin: t6at t6e ere t6e onl ones "resent at t6e "lae 6ere t6e stove ("res!7al in t6e 9it6en) as loated in 6i6 t6e "a"ers "roferred as a ill ere !rned Civil /roed!re2 Res Ad!diata2 .otrine of res ad!diata Bnds no a""liation in t6e ase at ar2 Res ill is onerned'or one, t6ere is et, stritl s"ea9in:, no Bnal !d:7ent rendered insofar as t6e "roate of Adriana Maloto>s ill
is onerned T6e deision of t6e trial o!rt in S"eial /roeedin: No 1%D&, alt6o!:6 Bnal, involved onl t6e intestate Settle7ent of t6e estate of Adria iana As s!6, t6at !d:7ent o!ld not in an 7anner e onstr!ed to e Bnal it6 res"et to t6e "roate of t6e s!ses ill -ene, on t6ese :ro!nds alone, t6e "osition of t6e "rivate res"ondents on t6is sore an not e s!stained /ETITION for ertiorari to revie t6e deision of t6e Co!rt of A""eals T6e fats are stated in t6e o"inion of t6e Co!rt SARMIENTO, F T6is is not t6e Brst ti7e t6at t6e "arties to t6is ase o7e to !s In fat, to ot6er ases diretl related to t6e "resent one and involvin: t6e sa7e "arties 6ad alread een deided !s in t6e "ast In ?R No #$D4%+,1 6i6 as a "etition for ertiorari and 7anda7!s instit!ted t6e "etitioners 6erein, e dis7issed t6e "etition r!lin: t6at t6e 7ore a""ro"riate re7ed of t6e "etitioners is a se"arate "roeedin: for t6e "roate of t6e ill in s order and direted it to "roeed to 6ear t6e ase on t6e 7erits T6e trial o!rt, after 6earin:, fo!nd t6e ill to 6ave alread een revo9ed t6e testatri; Adriana Maloto, and t6!s, denied t6e "etition T6e "etitioners a""ealed t6e trial o!rt>s deision to t6e Inter7ediate A""ellate Co!rt 6i6, on F!ne %, 1+85, a=r7ed t6e order T6e "etitioners> 7otion for reonsideration of t6e adverse deision "roved to e of no avail, 6ene, t6is "etition 'or a etter !nderstandin: of t6e ontrovers, a fat!al ao!nt o!ld e a :reat 6el" On Otoer *, 1+&D, Adriana Maloto died leavin: as 6eirs 6er niee and ne"6es, t6e "etitioners Aldina Maloto$Casiano and Constanio Maloto, and t6e "rivate res"ondents /anBlo Maloto and 'elino Maloto @elievin: t6at t6e deeased did not leave e6ind a last ill and testa7ent, t6ese fo!r 6eirs o77ened on Nove7er 4, 1+&D an intestate "roeedin: for t6e settle7ent of t6eir a!nt>s estate T6e ase as
instit!ted in t6e t6en Co!rt of 'irst Instane of Iloilo and as do9eted as S"eial /roeedin: No 1%D& -oever, 6ile t6e ase as still in "ro:ress, or to e e;at on 'er!ar 1, 1+&4, t6e "artiesAldina, Constanio, /anBlo, and 'elinoe;e!ted an a:ree7ent of e;tra!diial settle7ent of Adriana>s estate T6e a:ree7ent "rovided for t6e division of t6e estate into fo!r es o!nsel, t6e late Att Eliseo -ervas, disovered a do!7ent entitled GHATA/0SAN N?A /A?@0#0T$AN (Testa7ento),G dated Fan!ar D, 1+4, and "!r"ortin: to e t6e last ill and testa7ent of Adriana Att /al7a lai7ed to 6ave fo!nd t6e testa7ent, t6e ori:inal o", 6ile 6e as :oin: t6ro!:6 so7e 7aterials inside t6e ainet draer for7erl !sed Att -ervas T6e do!7ent as s!7itted to t6e o=e of t6e ler9 of t6e Co!rt of 'irst Instane of Iloilo on A"ril 1, 1+&% Inidentall, 6ile /anBlo and 'elino are still na7ed as 6eirs in t6e said ill, Aldina and Constanio are es residene, t6e testatri; :oin: to t6e residene of Att -ervas to retrieve a o" of t6e ill left in t6e latter>s "ossession, and, 6er see9in: t6e servies of Att /al7a in order to 6ave a ne ill dran !" 'or reasons s6ortl to e e;"lained, e do not vie s!6 fats, even onsidered olleti vel, as s!=ient ases for t6e onl!sion t6at Adriana Maloto>s ill 6ad een eetivel revo9ed T6ere is no do!t as to t6e testa7entar a"ait of t6e testatri; and t6e d!e e;e!tion of t6e ill T6e 6eart of t6e ase lies on t6e iss!e as to 6et6er or not t6e ill as revo9ed Adriana
T6e "rovisions of t6e ne Civil Code "ertinent to t6e iss!e an e fo!nd in Artile 8D Art 8D No ill s6all e revo9ed e;e"t in t6e folloin: ases (1) @ i7"liation of la2 or (*) @ so7e ill, odiil, or ot6er ritin: e;e!ted as "rovided in ase of ills2 or (D) @ !rnin:, tearin:, anellin:, or oliteratin: t6e ill it6 t6e intention of revo9in: it, t6e testator 6i7self, or so7e ot6er "erson in 6is "resene, and 6is e;"ress diretion If !rned, torn, anelled, or oliterated so7e ot6er "erson, it6o!t t6e e;"ress diretion of t6e testator, t6e ill 7a still e estalis6ed, and t6e estate distri!ted in aordane t6ereit6, if its ontents, and d!e e;e!tion, and t6e fat of its !na!t6oriJed destr!tion, anellation, or oliteration are estalis6ed aordin: to t6e R!les of Co!rt (Italis S!""lied) It is lear t6at t6e "6sial at of destr!tion of a ill, li9e !rnin: in t6is ase, does not "er se onstit!te an eetive revoation, !nless t6e destr!tion is o!"led it6 ani7!s revoandi on t6e "art of t6e testator It is not i7"erative t6at t6e "6sial destr!tion e done t6e testator 6i7self It 7a e "erfor7ed anot6er "erson !t !nder t6e e;"ress diretion and in t6e "resene of t6e testator Of o!rse, it :oes it6o!t sain: t6at t6e do!7ent destroed 7!st e t6e ill itself In t6is ase, 6ile ani7!s revoandi, or t6e intention to revo9e, 7a e oneded, for t6at is a state of 7ind, et t6at res 7aid, ?!adal!"e, as not satisfatoril estalis6ed to e a ill at all, 7!6 less t6e ill of Adriana Maloto 'or anot6er, t6e !rnin: as not "roven to 6ave een done !nder t6e e;"ress diretion of Adriana And t6en, t6e !rnin: as not in 6er "resene @ot6 itnesses, ?!adal!"e and Eladio, ere one in statin: t6at t6e ere t6e onl ones "resent at t6e "lae 6ere t6e stove ("res!7al in t6e 9it6en) as loated in 6i6 t6e "a"ers "roered as a ill ere !rned T6e res"ondent a""ellate o!rt in assessin: t6e evidene "resented t6e "rivate res"ondents as o""ositors in t6e trial o!rt, onl!ded t6at t6e testi7on of t6e to itnesses 6o testiBed in favor of t6e ill>s revoation a""ear Ginonl!siveG 3e s6are t6e sa7e vie No6ere in t6e reords efore !s does it a""ear t6at t6e to itnesses, ?!adal!"e Vda de Corral and Eladio It6on, ot6 illiterates, ere !nes ill ?!adal!"e, e t6in9, elieved t6at t6e "a"ers s6e destroed as t6e ill onl ea!se, aordin: to 6er, Adriana told 6er so Eladio, on t6e ot6er 6and, otained 6is infor7ation t6at t6e !rned do!7ent as t6e ill ea!se ?!adal!"e told 6i7 so, t6!s, 6is testi7on on t6is "oint is do!le 6earsa
At t6is !nt!re, e reiterate t6at G(it) is an i7"ortant 7atter of "!li interest t6at a "!r"orted ill is not denied le:aliJation on d!io!s :ro!nds Ot6erise, t6e ver instit!tion of testa7entar s!ession ill e s6a9en to its ver fo!ndations ; ; ;G4 T6e "rivate res"ondents in t6eir id for t6e dis7issal of t6e "resent ation for "roate instit!ted t6e "etitioners ar:!e t6at t6e sa7e is alread arred res ad!diata T6e lai7 t6at t6is ar as ro!:6t ao!t t6e "etitioners> fail!re to a""eal ti7el fro7 t6e order dated Nove7er 1&,1+&8 of t6e trial o!rt in t6e intestate "roeedin: (S"eial /roeedin: No 1%D&) denin: t6eir ("etitioners>) 7otion to reo"en t6e ase, and t6eir "raer to ann!l t6e "revio!s "roeedin:s t6erein and to allo t6e last ill and testa7ent of t6e late Adriana Maloto T6is is !ntenale T6e dotrine of res ad!diata Bnds no a""liation in t6e "resent ontrovers 'or a !d:7ent to e a ar to a s!ses ill is onerned T6e deision of t6e trial o!rt in S"eial /roeedin: No 1%D&, alt6o!:6 Bnal, involved onl t6e intestate settle7ent of t6e estate of Adriana As s!6, t6at !d:7ent o!ld not in an 7anner e onstr!ed to e Bnal it6 res"et to t6e "roate of t6e s!ses ill -ene, on t6ese :ro!nds alone, t6e "osition of t6e "rivate res"ondents on t6is sore an not e s!stained One last note T6e "rivate res"ondents "oint o!t t6at revoation o!ld e inferred fro7 t6e fat t6at G(a) 7aor and s!stantial !l9 of t6e "ro"erties 7entioned in t6e ill 6ad een dis"osed of 6ile an insi:niBant "ortion of t6e "ro"erties re7ained at t6e ti7e of deat6 (of t6e testatri;)2 and, f!rt6er7ore, 7ore val!ale "ro"erties 6ave een a
3-ERE'ORE, !d:7ent is 6ere rendered REVERSIN? and SETTIN? ASI.E t6e .eision dated F!ne %, 1+85 and t6e Resol!tion dated Otoer **, 1+8&, of t6e res"ondent Co!rt of A""eals, and a ne one ENTERE. for t6e alloane of Adriana Maloto>s last ill and testa7ent Costs a:ainst t6e "rivate res"ondents T6is .eision is IMME.IATE#K ELEC0TORK, SO OR.ERE. Ka" (C6air7an), Melenio$-errera, and /aras FF, on!r /adilla, F, no "art in t6e delieration F!d:7ent reversed and set aside Notes0nder Artile 15& of t6e Civil Code of 18++ 6i6 :overns t6is ase a "erson d!rin: 6is lifeti7e 7a "artition 6is "ro"ert a7on: 6is 6eirs ta9e eet after 6is deat6 and t6is deed is neit6er a ill or a donation (Man:$o vs Co!rt of A""eals, 144 SCRA DD) Ri:6ts to in6eritane of a "erson 6o died after t6e Ne Civil Code too9 eet s6all e :overned said Code (Ka" vs Co!rt of A""eals, 145 SCRA **+) oo Testate Estate of Adriana Maloto vs Co!rt of A""eals, 158 SCRA 451, No #$%&4&4 'er!ar *+, 1+88