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VOL. 226, SEPTEMBER 14, 1993 347

Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

*
G.R. No. 74695. September 14, 1993.

In the Matter of the Probate of the Last Will and

Testament of the Deceased Brigido Alvarado, CESAR
ALVARADO, petitioner, vs. HON. RAMON G. GAVIOLA,
JR., Presiding Justice, HON. MA. ROSARIO QUETULIO
LOSA and HON. LEONOR INES LUCIANO, Associate
Justices, Intermediate Appellate Court, First Division
(Civil Cases), and BAYANI MA. RINO, respondents.

Civil Law; Wills; Article 808 applies not only to blind testators
but also, to those who, for one reason or another, are “incapable of
reading their wills.”—Clear from the foregoing is that Art. 808
applies not only to blind testators but also to those who, for one
reason or another, are “incapable of reading the(ir) will(s).” Since
Brigido Alvarado was incapable of reading the final drafts of his
will and codicil on the separate occasions of their execution due to
his “poor,” “defective,” or “blurred” vision, there can be no other
course for us but to conclude that Brigido Alvarado comes within
the scope of the term “blind” as it is used in Art. 808. Unless the
contents were read to him, he had no way of ascertaining whether
or not the lawyer who drafted the will and codicil did so
conformably with his instructions.
Same; Same; Same; The purpose of reading the will twice is to
make known to the incapacitated testator the contents of the
document before signing and to give him an opportunity to object if
anything is contrary to his instructions.—Article 808 requires that
in case of testators like Brigido Alvarado, the will shall be read
twice; once, by one of

_______________

* FIRST DIVISION.

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348 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

the instrumental witnesses and, again, by the notary public

before whom the will was acknowledged. The purpose is to make
known to the incapacitated testator the contents of the document
before signing and to give him an opportunity to object if anything
is contrary to his instructions.
Same; Same; Same; Same; Court held in a number of
occasions that substantial compliance is acceptable where the
purpose of the law has been satisfied.—This Court has held in a
number of occasions that substantial compliance is acceptable
where the purpose of the law has been satisfied, the reason being
that the solemnities surrounding the execution of wills are
intended to protect the testator from all kinds of fraud and
trickery but are never intended to be so rigid and inflexible as to
destroy the testamentary privilege.
Same; Same; Same; Same; Although there should be strict
compliance with the substantial requirements of the law in order
to insure the authenticity of the will, the formal imperfections
should be brushed aside when they do not affect its purpose and
which, when taken into account, may only defeat the testator’s will.
—The spirit behind the law was served though the letter was not.
Although there should be strict compliance with the substantial
requirements of the law in order to insure the authenticity of the
will, the formal imperfections should be brushed aside when they
do not affect its purpose and which, when taken into account, may
only defeat the testator’s will.

PETITION for review on certiorari of the decision of the

Court of Appeals.

The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

     Vicente R. Redor for petitioner.
     Bayani Ma. Rino for and in his own behalf.

BELLOSILLO, J.:

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Before
1
us is an appeal from the Decision dated 11 April
1986 of the First Civil Cases Division of the then
Intermediate Appellate Court, now Court 2of Appeals, which
affirmed the Order dated 27 June 1983 of the Regional
Trial Court of Sta. Cruz,

_______________

1 Rollo, pp. 29-37.

2 Penned by Judge Maximiano C. Asuncion, Original Records, pp.

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VOL. 226, SEPTEMBER 14, 1993 349

Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

3
Laguna, admitting
4
to probate the last will and testament
with codicil of the late Brigido Alvarado.
On 5 November 1977, the 79-year old Brigido Alvarado
executed a notarial will entitled “Huling Habilin” wherein
he disinherited an illegitimate son (petitioner) and
expressly revoked a previously executed holographic will at
the time awaiting probate before Branch 4 of the Regional
Trial Court of Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
As testified to by the three instrumental witnesses, the
notary public and by private respondent who were present
at the execution, the testator did not read the final draft of
the will himself. Instead, private respondent, as the lawyer
who drafted the eightpaged document, read the same aloud
in the presence of the testator, the three instrumental
witnesses and the notary public. The latter four followed
the reading with their own respective copies previously
furnished them.
Meanwhile, Brigido’s holographic will was subsequently
admitted to probate on 9 December 1977. On the 29th day
of the same month, a codicil entitled “Kasulatan ng
Pagbabago sa Ilang Pagpapasiya na Nasasaad sa Huling
Habilin na May Petsa Nobiembre 5, 1977 ni Brigido
Alvarado” was executed changing some dispositions in the
notarial will to generate cash for the testator’s eye
operation. Brigido was then suffering from glaucoma. But
the disinheritance and revocatory clauses were unchanged.
As in the case of the notarial will, the testator did not

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personally read the final draft of the codicil. Instead, it was

private respondent who read it aloud in his presence and in
the presence of the three instrumental witnesses (same as
those of the notarial will) and the notary public who
followed the reading using their own copies.
A petition for the probate of the notarial will and codicil
was filed upon the testator’s death on 3 January 1979 by
private respondent as executor with the Court of First5
Instance, now Regional Trial Court, of Siniloan, Laguna.
Petitioner, in turn, 214-224.

_______________

3 Exhibit “D”, Folder of Exhibits, pp. 65-72.

4 Exhibit “E,” Id., pp. 73-77.
5 Subsequently transferred to the Regional Trial Court, Br. 26, Sta.
Cruz, Laguna.

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filed an Opposition on the following grounds: that the will

sought to be probated was not executed and attested as
required by law; that the testator was insane or otherwise
mentally incapacitated to make a will at the time of its
execution due to senility and old age; that the will was
executed under duress, or influence of fear or threats; that
it was procured by undue and improper pressure and
influence on the part of the beneficiary who stands to get
the lion’s share of the testator’s estate; and lastly, that the
signature of the testator was procured by fraud or trick.
When the oppositor (petitioner) failed to substantiate
the grounds relied upon in the Opposition, a Probate Order
was issued on 27 June 1983 from which an appeal was
made to respondent court. The main thrust of the appeal
was that the deceased was blind within the meaning of the
law at the time his “Huling Habilin” and the codicil
attached thereto were executed; that since the reading
required by Art. 808 of the Civil Code was admittedly not
complied with, probate of the deceased’s last will and
codicil should have been denied.

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On 11 April 1986, the Court of Appeals rendered the

decision under review with the following findings: that
Brigido Alvarado was not blind at the time his last will and
codicil were executed; that assuming his blindness, the
reading requirement of Art. 808 was substantially complied
with when both documents were read aloud to the testator
with each of the three instrumental witnesses and the
notary public following the reading with their respective
copies of the instruments. The appellate court then
concluded that although Art. 808 was not followed to the
letter, there was substantial compliance since its purpose
of making known to the testator the contents of the drafted
will was served.
The issues now before us can be stated thus: Was
Brigido Alvarado blind for purposes of Art. 808 at the time
his “Huling Habilin” and its codicil were executed? If so,
was the doublereading requirement of said article complied
with?
Regarding the first issue, there is no dispute on the
following facts: Brigido Alvarado was not totally blind at
the time the will and codicil were executed. However, his
vision on both eyes was only of “counting fingers at three
(3) feet” by reason of the glaucoma which he had been
suffering from for several years and even prior to his first
consultation with an eye specialist on 14 December 1977.

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VOL. 226, SEPTEMBER 14, 1993 351

Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

The point of dispute is whether the foregoing circumstances

would qualify Brigido as a “blind” testator under Art. 808
which reads:

“Art. 808. If the testator is blind, the will shall be read to him
twice; once, by one of the subscribing witnesses, and again, by the
notary public before whom the will is acknowledged.”

Petitioner contends that although his father was not totally

blind when the will and codicil were executed, he can be so
considered within the scope of the term as it is used in Art.
808. To support his stand, petitioner presented before the
trial court a medical certificate issued by Dr. Salvador R.
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Salceda, Director of the Institute 6

of Opthalmology
(Philippine Eye Research Institute), the contents of which
were interpreted in layman’s terms by Dr. Ruperto Roasa, 7
whose expertise was admitted by private respondent. Dr.
Roasa explained that although the testator could visualize
fingers at three (3) feet, he could no longer read either
printed or handwritten matters8 as of 14 December 1977,
the day of his first consultation.
On the other hand, the Court of Appeals, contrary to the
medical testimony, held that the testator could still read on
the day the will and the codicil were9 executed but chose not
to do so because of “poor eyesight.” Since the testator was
still capable of reading at that time, the court a quo
concluded that Art. 808 need not be complied with.
We agree with petitioner in this respect.
Regardless of respondent’s staunch contention that the
testator was still capable of reading at the time his will and
codicil were prepared, the fact remains and this was
testified to by his witnesses,
10
that 11Brigido did not
12
do so
because of his “poor,” “defective,” or “blurred” vision
making it necessary for private

_______________

6 Folder of Exhibits p. 78.

7 TSN, 3 August 1982, p. 6.
8 Id., pp. 7-8.
9 Rollo, p. 36.
10 TSN, 18 June 1981, p. 3; 20 August 1981, p. 4; 16 September 1981, p.
5; 1 October 1981, p. 4.
11 TSN, 18 June 1981, p. 3; 1 October 1981, p. 9.
12 TSN, 20 August 1981, p. 4; 5 November 1981, pp. 15-16; 14

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352 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

respondent to do the actual reading for him. 13

The following pronouncement in Garcia vs. Vasquez
provides an insight into the scope of the term “blindness”
as used in Art. 808, to wit:

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“The rationale behind the requirement of reading the will to the

testator if he is blind or incapable of reading the will himself (as
when he is illiterate), is to make the provisions thereof known to
him, so that he may be able to object if they are not in accordance
with his wishes x x x x”

Clear from the foregoing is that Art. 808 applies not only to
blind testators but also to those who, for one reason or
another, are “incapable of reading the(ir) will(s).” Since
Brigido Alvarado was incapable of reading the final drafts
of his will and codicil on the separate occasions of their
execution due to his “poor,” “defective,” or “blurred” vision,
there can be no other course for us but to conclude that
Brigido Alvarado comes within the scope of the term “blind”
as it is used in Art. 808. Unless the contents were read to
him, he had no way of ascertaining whether or not the
lawyer who drafted the will and codicil did so conformably
with his instructions. Hence, to consider his will as validly
executed and entitled to probate, it is essential that we
ascertain whether Art. 808 had been complied with.
Article 808 requires that in case of testators like Brigido
Alvarado, the will shall be read twice; once, by one of the
instrumental witnesses and, again, by the notary public
before whom the will was acknowledged. The purpose is to
make known to the incapacitated testator the contents of
the document before signing and to give him an
opportunity to object if anything is contrary to his
instructions.
That Art. 808 was not followed strictly is beyond cavil.
Instead of the notary public and an instrumental witness,
it was the lawyer (private respondent) who drafted the
eight-paged will and the five-paged codicil who read the
same aloud to the testator, and read them only once, not
twice as Art. 808 requires. Private respondent however
insists that there was substantial January 1982, p. 16.

_______________

13 No. L-26884, 30 April 1970, 32 SCRA 490, 502-503.

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compliance and that the single reading suffices for

purposes of the law. On the other hand, petitioner
maintains that the only valid compliance is a strict
compliance or compliance to the letter and since it is
admitted that neither the notary public nor an
instrumental witness read the contents of the will and
codicil to Brigido, probate of the latter’s will and codicil
should have been disallowed.
We sustain private respondent’s stand and necessarily,
the petition must be denied.
This Court has held in a number of occasions that
substantial compliance is acceptable where the purpose of
the law has been satisfied, the reason being that the
solemnities surrounding the execution of wills are intended
to protect the testator from all kinds of fraud and trickery
but are never intended to be so rigid14
and inflexible as to
destroy the testamentary privilege.
In the case at bar, private respondent read the testator’s
will and codicil aloud in the presence of the testator, his
three instrumental witnesses, and the notary public. Prior
and subsequent thereto, the testator affirmed, upon being
asked, that the contents read corresponded with his
instructions. Only then did the signing and
acknowledgement take place. There is no evidence, and
petitioner does not so allege, that the contents of the will
and codicil were not sufficiently made known and
communicated to the testator. On the contrary, with
respect to the “Huling Habilin,” the day of the execution
was not the first time that Brigido had affirmed the truth
and authenticity of the contents of the draft. The
uncontradicted testimony of Atty. Rino is that Brigido
Alvarado already acknowledged that the will was drafted
in accordance with his expressed wishes even prior to 5
November 1977 when Atty. Rino went to the testator’s
residence precisely for 15
the purpose of securing his
conformity to the draft.
Moreover, it was not only Atty. Rino who read the
documents on 5 November and 29 December 1977. The
notary public and the

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14 Icasiano v. Icasiano, No. L-18979, 30 June 1964, 11 SCRA 422, 429-

430; Abangan v. Abangan, 40 Phil. 476, 479 (1919); Rey v. Cartagena, 56
Phil. 282, 284-285 (1931); Rodriguez v. Yap, 68 Phil. 126, 128 (1939);
Leynez v. Leynez, 68 Phil. 745, 750 (1939); Roxas v. De Jesus, Jr., No. L-
38338, 28 January 1985, 134 SCRA 245, 249.
15 TSN, 18 June 1981, p. 4.

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three instrumental witnesses likewise read the will and

codicil, albeit silently. Afterwards, Atty. Nonia de la Pena
(the notary public) and Dr. Crescente O. Evidente (one of
the three instrumental witnesses and the testator’s
physician) asked the testator whether the contents of the
documents were16 of his own free will. Brigido answered in
the affirmative. With four persons following the reading
word for word with their own copies, it can be safely
concluded that the testator was reasonably assured that
what was read to him (those which he affirmed were in
accordance with his instructions), were the terms actually
appearing on the typewritten documents. This is especially
true when we consider the fact that the three instrumental
witnesses were persons known to the testator, one being
his physician (Dr. Evidente) and another (Potenciano C.
Ranieses) being known to him since childhood.
The spirit behind the law was served though the letter
was not. Although there should be strict compliance with
the substantial requirements of the law in order to insure
the authenticity of the will, the formal imperfections should
be brushed aside when they do not affect its purpose and
which, when 17taken into account, may only defeat the
testator’s will.
As a final word to convince petitioner of the propriety of
the trial court’s Probate Order and its affirmance by the
Court of Appeals, we 18 quote the following pronouncement in
Abangan v. Abangan, to wit:

“The object of the solemnities surrounding the execution of wills is

to close the door against bad faith and fraud, to avoid the
substitution of wills and testaments and to guaranty their truth
and authenticity. Therefore the laws on the subject should be
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interpreted in such a way as to attain these primordial ends. But,

on the other hand, also one must not lose sight of the fact that it
is not the object of the law to restrain and curtail the exercise of the
right to make a will. So when an interpretation already given
assures such ends, any other interpretation whatsoever, that adds
nothing but demands more requisites entirely unnecessary, useless
and frustrative of the testator’s will, must be

_______________

16 TSN, 16 September 1981, pp. 4-5; 14 January 1982, pp. 6, 12.

17 Rodriguez v. Yap, 68 Phil. 126, 128 (1939).
18 40 Phil. 477, 479 (1919).

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Alvarado vs. Gaviola, Jr.

disregarded” (italics supplied).

Brigido Alvarado had expressed his last wishes in clear and

unmistakable terms in his “Huling Habilin” and the codicil
attached thereto. We are unwilling to cast these aside for
the mere reason that a legal requirement intended for his
protection was not followed strictly when such compliance
had been rendered unnecessary by the fact that the
purpose of the law, i.e., to make known to the incapacitated
testator the contents of the draft of his will, had already
been accomplished. To reiterate, substantial compliance
suffices where the purpose has been served.
WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED and the assailed
Decision of respondent Court of Appeals dated 11 April
1986 is AFFIRMED. Considering the length of time that
this case has remained pending, this decision is
immediately executory. Costs against petitioner.
SO ORDERED.

          Cruz (Chairman), Griño-Aquino, Davide, Jr. and

Quiason, JJ., concur.

Petition denied. Appealed decision affirmed.

Note.—When the authenticity of the will is not being

questioned, there is no necessity of presenting the three
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witnesses required under Article 811 of the Civil Code

(Rivera vs. Intermediate Appellate Court, 182 SCRA 322).

——o0o——

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