19480701 gr1627r inre rodriguez

8/13/2019 19480701 Gr1627r Inre Rodriguez

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[No. 1627-R. July 1, 1948]

Testate estate of the late Bernabe Rodriguez. MARTINA ARANIEGO, petitioner- and appellee, s. ANTONIO RO!RIG"E# ET A$., oppositors and appellants.

DECISION

%"GO, %.&Martina Araniego filed on %ul' (), ()*+, a petition in the ourt of irst Instan e of Bula an for the probateof the /ill of Bernabe Rodriguez /ho died on %ul' (*, ()*+, at Me' a/a'an, Bula an. Antonio, Trinidadand !olores, all surna0ed Rodriguez, brother and nie es, respe ti el', of the de eased and the heirs of

ran is o %a ier Rodriguez, another brother of the de eased, filed an opposition to said petition, allegingthat the /ill /as not e1e uted and /itnessed in a ordan e /ith la/2 that the testator had no 0ental

apa it' to e1e ute the /ill2 that it /as obtained b' 0eans of undue pressure and influen e2 and that thesaid /ill /as not the /ill of the testator. After trial the ourt issued an order ad0itting to probate as the last/ill and testa0ent of the de eased Bernabe Rodriguez the do u0ent 0ar3ed as E1hibit 4 -(, translationinto English5, and appointing Martina Araniego ad0inistratri1 upon the filing of a bond in the su0 of 67,888. ro0 said order the oppositors appealed.

In the repl'-0e0orandu0 of the oppositors-appellants dated ebruar' 77, ()*9, the appellants alleged asan additional ground of opposition that the /ill of the de eased Bernabe Rodriguez is oid for the reasonthat in said /ill, E1hibit , the de eased instituted his /ife, the petitioner Martina Araniego, his uni ersalheir and the latter, on the other hand, in her /ill, E1hibit !, de lared Bernabe Rodriguez her uni ersal heir2that is, the' /ere re ipro al benefi iaries in the t/o /ills, iting arti le ++) of the i il ode /hi h sa's&

:T/o or 0ore persons annot 0a3e a /ill on;ointl' or in the sa0e instr-i0ent, either for theirre ipro al benefit or for the benefit of a third person.:

The Rodriguez e1e uted the do u0ent E1hibit in Tagalog 4E1hibit -(,translation into English5, a language /hi h he 3ne/, as his last /ill and testa0ent, o0posed of onl' onepage, /hi h /as read before the testator and the /itnesses b' Att'. Teofilo Abe;o, upon the re=uest of thetestator and Martina Araniego, and signed b' the /itnesses in the presen e of the testator and of ea hother. The na0e of the testator /as /ritten in his presen e and in that of the other /itnesses b' the/itness Teodulo Iniguez b' the e1press dire tion of the testator, for the reason that the latter /as bl ind and

ould not sign hi0self.

The appellants ontend that Teodulo Iniguez /rote the na0e of the testator /ithout being re=uested to doso b' the latter. Testif'ing on this point, Teodulo Iniguez said&

:C. Ta0bien apare e en el do u0ento E1hibit =ue la fir0a =ue se lee fernabeRodriguez esta seguida on otra fir0a de Teodulo Iniguez. Cuede usted de ir Das

ir unstan ias ba;o las uales se esta0po esta fir0a de Bernabe Rodri uez6 :R. oesta0pd la fir0a =ue se lee Bernabe Rodriguez, a peti ion del difunto.

:C.


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does not ontradi t his testi0on' to the effe t that he /as re=uested b' the testator to sign the latterFsna0e. A 0an 0a' re0e0ber the substan e of /hat he is told but not the /ords used.

In the ross-e1a0ination of Rosendo !aez, he stated that there /as no on ersation during the o asionof the signing of the do u0ent, E1hibit . The /ord : on ersation: 0eans an e1 hange of /ords orre0ar3s bet/een t/o or 0ore persons. There /as no ne essit' for an' on ersation ;ust for the signing ofa /ill. To dire t a person to do so0ething is not on ersation. ebsterFs !i tionar' gi es the pertinent0eaning of : on ersation: and : on erse: as follo/s&

: on ersation- olo=uial dis ourse2 oral inter hange of senti0ents or obser ations2 also,an instan e of this2 tal32 ollo=u'2 as . Clease refresh 'our 0e0or', fro0 the ti0e this do u0ent E1hibit /as read up tothe ti0e the signing /as finished, /as there an' on ersation had bet/een and a0ongan' of the persons present6-A. There /as none.

:>. ro0 the ti0e that do u0ent E1h. /as read up to the ti0e the signing thereof /asfinished, 'ou 0ean to sa' there /as no on ersation at all a0ong or bet/een an' of thepersons present6A. After I signed I left.

:>. es, sir, but before 'ou left and beginning fro0 the ti0e this E1hibit /as read, did'ou re0e0ber if there /as an' on ersation bet/een and a0ong the parties present6-A.There /as none. 4fls. 7(-7 , id.5

:>. Not a /ord /as spo3en bet/een the parties6 A. I ha e not heard an'bod'.: 4Cage #,appellantsF brief.5

It /ould see0 fro0 the last ans/er that no /ord at all /as spo3en b' an'bod'. This is er', unli3el',be ause si1 persons annot 0eet in a pla e /ithout an'one uttering so0e /ords unless the' /ere alldu0b. hat the /itness 0ust ha e 0eant is that he d F not hear an' on ersation or e1 hange of re0ar3s.It, should be noted that the ans/er of the /itness :I ha e not heard an'bod': does not o0e i00ediatel'after the =uestion :Not a /ord spo3en bet/een the parties6:, a ording to the original trans ription of thestenographi notes. Bet/een said =uestion and ans/er there /as a great deal of dis ussion bet/een theattorne's, and finall' the ourt ordered the /itness to ans/er. Then the /itness said :I ha e not heardan'bod': /hi h 0ight ha e referred to the on ersation. The original re ord of the trans ription is asfollo/s&

:>. es, sir, but before 'ou left and beginning fro0 the tine this E1hibit /as read, did'ou re0e0ber if there /as an' on ersation bet/een and a0ong the parties present6

. Not a /ord /as spo3en bet/een the parties6


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Nos opone0os a la pregunta

Mr. Bustos&I /ithdra/ the =uestion.

Mr. Bustos&

:>. Are 'ou sure of that ans/er of 'ours, Mr. !aez6


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!e la Rosa and Caredes, %%., on ur.

%udg0ent affir0ed.

19480701 gr1627r inre rodriguez

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