Cases Summary:

1. Alvarez – Heirs paid the obligation of the decedent

 Predecessor fraudulently disposed of the prop. during litigation. SC held that heirs cannot
escape liability for their father's transactions w/c gave way to this claim for damages.
Even though they did not inherit the prop., the monetary equivalent thereof was devolved
into the mass of the estate w/c the heirs inherited. Hereditary estates are always liable
in their totality for the payments of the debts of the estate. Whatever payment made by
the estate is ultimately a payment by the heirs because these payments decrease their
inheritance.

2. Lopez v. Liboro – Validity of will despite omission of page; Thumbmark can be used by testator as
a means of authenticating the will; No statutory requirement that such knowledge of language by
testator be expressly stated in the will itself.
 In the present case, the omission to put a page number on the first sheet, if that be
necessary, is supplied by other forms of identification more trustworthy than the
conventional numerical words or characters.
 there is nothing curious or suspicious in the fact that the testator chose the use of mark
as the means of authenticating his will. It was a matter of taste or preference. Both ways
are good. A statute requiring a will to be "signed" is satisfied if the signature is made by
the testator's mark.

3. Suroza v. Honrado – Void will. Language used in the will not known to illiterate testatrix; Judge
Honrado guilty of negligence and dereliction of duty
 In the opening paragraph of the will, it was stated that English was a language
"understood and known" to the testatrix. But in its concluding paragraph, it was stated
that the will was read to the testatrix "and translated into Filipino language".
 hasty preparation of the will is shown in the attestation clause and notarial
acknowledgment where Marcelina Salvador Suroza is repeatedly referred to as the
"testator" instead of "testatrix". Had respondent judge been careful and observant, he
could have noted not only the anomaly as to the language of the will but also that there
was something wrong in instituting the supposed granddaughter as sole heiress and
giving nothing at all to her supposed father who was still alive

4. Abangan v. Abangan – Valid will. Will composed of 2 pages not signed in the left margin by testator
and 3 witnesses in the first page is valid.
 But when these dispositions are wholly written on only one sheet signed at the bottom
by the testator and three witnesses (as the instant case), their signatures on the left
margin of said sheet would be completely purposeless.

5. Payad v. Tolentino - Valid will. Duly signed in accordance with the law using testator’s
thumbmark.
  The testatrix approved all the contents of the document and requested Attorney Almario
to write her name where she had to sign by means of her thumbmark in view of the fact
that her fingers no longer had the necessary strength to hold a pen. She did after having
taken the pen and tried to sign without anybody's help.
 It is clear therefor that it was not necessary that the attestation clause in question should
state that the testatrix requested Attorney Almario to sign her name inasmuch as the
testatrix signed the will in question in accordance with law.

6. Matias v. Salud – Valid will. Validity of the thumbprints as signature by a sick testator (herpes
zoster in the right arm)
 Validity of thumbprints should not be limited in cases of illness or infirmity. A thumbprint
is considered as a valid and sufficient signature in complying with the requirements of the
article

7. Garcia v. Lacuesta - Cross is not the usual signature of testate; Attestation clause is fatally
defective ;
 It is not here pretended that the cross appearing on the will is the usual signature of
Antero Mercado or even one of the ways by which he signed his name
 the attestation clause is fatally defective for failing to state that Antero Mercado caused
Atty. Florentino Javier to write the testator's name under his express direction, as
required by section 618 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

8. Barut v. Cabacungan
9. Nera v. Rimando
10. Javellana v. Ledesma
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