Abangan v. Abangan

Summary

This 1919 Supreme Court case involved a probate dispute over Ana Abangan's will, where opponents challenged its validity based on alleged formal defects - specifically the absence of margin signatures and page numbering required under Act No. 2645. The Supreme Court affirmed the probate, establishing important precedent that when all testamentary dispositions are contained on a single sheet already signed by the testator and witnesses at the bottom, additional margin signatures and page numbering are unnecessary formalities. The Court emphasized that will formality requirements should be interpreted to prevent fraud while not unnecessarily restricting testamentary rights, and that the attestation clause belongs exclusively to witnesses, not the testator.