SEANGIO vs. REYES
DY YIENG SEANGIO, BARBARA D. SEANGIO
and VIRGINIA D. SEANGIO vs.
HON. AMOR A. REYES, ALFREDO D.
SEANGIO, ALBERTO D. SEANGIO, ELISA D. SEANGIO-SANTOS, VICTOR D. SEANGIO,
ALFONSO D. SEANGIO, SHIRLEY D. SEANGIO-LIM, BETTY D. SEANGIO-OBAS and JAMES D.
SEANGIO
G.R. Nos. 140371-72 November 27, 2006
AZCUNA, J.:
Facts:
On September 21, 1988, private
respondents filed a petition for the settlement of the intestate estate of the
late Segundo Seangio. Petitioners Dy Yieng, Barbara and Virginia, all surnamed
Seangio, opposed the petition. They contended that: 1) Dy Yieng is still very
healthy and in full command of her faculties; 2) the deceased Segundo executed
a general power of attorney in favor of Virginia giving her the power to manage
and exercise control and supervision over his business in the Philippines; 3)
Virginia is the most competent and qualified to serve as the administrator of
the estate of Segundo because she is a certified public accountant; and, 4)
Segundo left a holographic will, dated September 20, 1995, disinheriting one of
the private respondents, Alfredo Seangio, for cause. In view of the purported
holographic will, petitioners averred that in the event the decedent is found
to have left a will, the intestate proceedings are to be automatically
suspended and replaced by the proceedings for the probate of the will. On April
7, 1999, a petition for the probate of the holographic will of Segundo, was
filed by petitioners before the RTC.
The
document that petitioners refer to as Segundo’s holographic will is entitled
as: “Kasulatan sa pag-aalis ng mana”
Issue:
Whether or not there is preterition
in the case at bar
Ruling:
The Court believes that the
compulsory heirs in the direct line were not preterited in the will. It was, in
the Court’s opinion, Segundo’s last expression to bequeath his estate to all
his compulsory heirs, with the sole exception of Alfredo. Also, Segundo did not
institute an heir to the exclusion of his other compulsory heirs. The mere
mention of the name of one of the petitioners, Virginia, in the document did
not operate to institute her as the universal heir. Her name was included
plainly as a witness to the altercation between Segundo and his son, Alfredo. Considering
that the questioned document is Segundo’s holographic will, and that the law
favors testacy over intestacy, the probate of the will cannot be dispensed
with. Article 838 of the Civil Code provides that no will shall pass either
real or personal property unless it is proved and allowed in accordance with
the Rules of Court. Thus, unless the will is probated, the right of a person to
dispose of his property may be rendered nugatory.
Adjudication:
WHEREFORE, the petition is GRANTED
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