Marcela Rodelas v Amparo Aranza, 119 SCRA16, December 7, 1982

Facts: n !an"ar# 11, 1977, appellant $%led a pet%t%on &%t' t'e Co"rt o$ F%rst (nstance o$
R%zal $or t'e probate o$ t'e 'olo)rap'%c &%ll o$ R%cardo *+ *on%lla and t'e %ss"ance o$
letters testamentar# %n 'er $avor+ S"c' pet%t%on, &as opposed b# t'e appellees Amparo
Aranza *on%lla, ,%l$er%ne *on%lla , -re#es ./ped%ta *on%lla Fr%as and .p'ra%m *on%lla+
-'e# alle)ed t'at t'e 'olo)rap'%c &%ll &as not a &%ll b"t merel# an %nstr"ct%on as to t'e
mana)ement and %mprovement o$ t'e sc'ools and colle)es $o"nded b# decedent R%cardo
*+ *on%lla, and t'at t'e lost or destro#ed 'olo)rap'%c &%lls cannot be proved b#
secondar# ev%dence "nl%0e ord%nar# &%lls+
(ss"e: ,'et'er or not a p'otostat%c cop# o$ t'e 'olo)rap'%c &%ll be probated %n case t'e
or%)%nal doc"ment &as lost or %s not $o"nd+
R"l%n): 1es+
2"rs"ant to Art%cle 811 o$ t'e C%v%l Code, probate o$ 'olo)rap'%c &%lls %s t'e
allo&ance o$ t'e &%ll b# t'e co"rt a$ter %ts d"e e/ec"t%on 'as been proved+ -'e probate
ma# be "ncontested or not+ ($ "ncontested, at least one (dent%$#%n) &%tness %s re3"%red
and, %$ no &%tness %s ava%lable, e/perts ma# be resorted to+ ($ contested, at least t'ree
(dent%$#%n) &%tnesses are re3"%red+ 4o&ever, %$ t'e 'olo)rap'%c &%ll 'as been lost or
destro#ed and no ot'er cop# %s ava%lable, t'e &%ll can not be probated beca"se t'e best
and onl# ev%dence %s t'e 'and&r%t%n) o$ t'e testator %n sa%d &%ll+ (t %s necessar# t'at t'ere
be a compar%son bet&een sample 'and&r%tten statements o$ t'e testator and t'e
'and&r%tten &%ll+ *"t, a p'otostat%c cop# or /ero/ cop# o$ t'e 'olo)rap'%c &%ll ma# be
allo&ed beca"se compar%son can be made &%t' t'e standard &r%t%n)s o$ t'e testator+
(n t'e case o$ 5am vs+ 1ap, 167 24(8+ 969, t'e Co"rt r"led t'at :t'e e/ec"t%on
and t'e contents o$ a lost or destro#ed 'olo)rap'%c &%ll ma# not be proved b# t'e bare
test%mon# o$ &%tnesses &'o 'ave seen and;or read s"c' &%ll+ -'e &%ll %tsel$ m"st be
presented< ot'er&%se, %t s'all prod"ce no e$$ect+ -'e la& re)ards t'e doc"ment %tsel$ as
mater%al proo$ o$ a"t'ent%c%t#+: *"t, %n Footnote 8 o$ sa%d dec%s%on, %t sa#s t'at :2er'aps %t
ma# be proved b# a p'oto)rap'%c or p'otostat%c cop#+ .ven a m%meo)rap'ed or carbon
cop#< or b# ot'er s%m%lar means, %$ an#, &'ereb# t'e a"t'ent%c%t# o$ t'e 'and&r%t%n) o$
t'e deceased ma# be e/'%b%ted and tested be$ore t'e probate co"rt,: .v%dentl#, t'e
p'otostat%c or /ero/ cop# o$ t'e lost or destro#ed 'olo)rap'%c &%ll ma# be adm%tted
beca"se t'en t'e a"t'ent%c%t# o$ t'e 'and&r%t%n) o$ t'e deceased can be determ%ned b# t'e
probate co"rt+
=ame: Mar>or%e D+ 2orc%na
*atc' 2 S"ccess%on Case D%)est