G.R. No. 132681.

December 3, 2001

QUILALA V. ALCANTARA

FACTS:

On February 20, 1981, Catalina Quilala executed a “Donation of Real Property nter !i"o#$ in fa"or of
!ioleta Quilala o"er a parcel of land located in %ta& Cru', (anila, and re)i#tered in *er na+e under C
-o& 1.21/ of t*e Re)i#ter of Deed# for (anila& The Do!"#$o! o% Re"& 'ro(er#) I!#er V$*o+ co!+$+#+
o% #-o ("e+. *e fir#t pa)e contain# t*e deed of donation it#elf, and i# #i)ned on t*e botto+ portion by
Catalina Quilala a# donor, !ioleta Quilala a# donee, and to in#tru+ental itne##e#& The +eco!/ ("e
co!#"$!+ #he Ac!o-&e/me!#, -h$ch +#"#e+ mere&) #h"# C"#"&$!" Q$&"&" (er+o!"& &) "((e"re/
be%ore #he !o#"r) (b&$c "!/ "c!o-&e /e/ #h"# #he /o!"#$o! -"+ her %ree "!/ *o&!#"r) "c# "!/
/ee/& *ere appear on t*e left*and +ar)in of t*e #econd pa)e t*e #i)nature# of Catalina Quilala and one
of t*e itne##e#, and on t*e ri)*t*and +ar)in t*e #i)nature# of !ioleta Quilala and t*e ot*er itne##&
*e deed of donation a# re)i#tered it* t*e Re)i#ter of Deed# and, in due cour#e, C -o& 1.21/ a#
cancelled and C -o& 1/013 a# i##ued in t*e na+ e of !ioleta Qui lala& On -o"e+ber ., 198,
Catalina Quilala died& !ioleta Quilala li4ei#e died on (ay 22, 198/& Petitioner Ric4y Quilala alle)e#
t*at *e i# t*e #ur"i"in) #on of !ioleta Quilala&
(ean*ile, re#pondent#, clai+in) to be Catalina5# only #ur"i"in) relati"e# it*in t*e fourt* ci"il
de)ree of con#an)uinity, executed a deed of extra6udicial #ettle+ent of e#tate, di"idin) and ad6udicatin)
unto t*e+#el"e# t*e abo"ede#cribed property& On %epte+ber 1, 198/, re#pondent# in#tituted a)ain#t
petitioner an "c#$o! %or #he /ec&"r"#$o! o% !&&$#) o% #he /o!"#$o! inter vivos, "!/ %or #he c"!ce&&"#$o!
o% TCT No. 1301 $! #he !"me o% V$o&e#" Q$&"&" & *e trial court found t*at t*e deed of donation ,
alt*ou)* #i)ned by bot* Catalina and !ioleta, a# ac4noled)ed before a notary public only by t*e
donor, Catalina& Con#e7u ently, #here -"+ !o "cce(#"!ce b) V$o&e#" o% #he /o!"#$o! $! " (b&$c
$!+#rme!#, #h+ re!/er$!  #he /o!"#$o! !&& "!/ *o$/ & *e trial court rendered 6ud)+ent declarin)
null and "oid t*e deed of donation of real property inter "i"o# executed by Catalina in fa"or of !ioleta&
C affir+ed&
%%:; <=- t*e deed of donat ion of real prope rty inter "i"o# of Catali na in fa"our of !iole ta i# not
re)i#trable on t*e )round t*at !ioleta5# acceptance a# not +ade in a public in#tru+ent and *ence, t*e
#aid donation i# not "alid
>:?D;
*e deed i# re)i#trable&
*e donee5# acceptance of t*e donation a# explicitly +anife#ted in t*e penulti+ate para)rap* of t*e
deed, *ic* read#;
That the DONEE hereby receives and accepts the gift and donation made in her favor by the
DONOR and she hereby expresses her appreciation and gratefulness for the kindness and
generosity of the DONOR.
@elo t*e ter+# and #tipulation# of t*e donation, t*e donor, donee and t*eir itne##e# affixed t*eir
#i)nature& >oe"er, t*e c4no led)+ent appearin) on t*e #econd pa)e +entioned only t*e donor,
Catalina Quilala&

The (er#$!e!# (ro*$+$o! $+ Sec#$o! 112, ("r"r"(h 2 o% 're+$/e!#$"& Decree No. 124, -h$ch +#"#e+:
Deeds, conveyances, encumbrances, discharges, powers of attorney and other voluntary instruments,
whether affecting registered or unregistered land, executed in accordance with law in the form of public
instruments shall be registrable: Provided, that, every such instrument shall be signed by the person or
persons executing the same in the presence of at least two witnesses who shall likewise sign thereon, and
shall be acknowledged to be the free act and deed of the person or persons executing the same before a
notary public or other public officer authorized by law to take acknowledgment. Where the instrument so
acknowledged consists of two or more pages including the page whereon acknowl edgment is written,
each page of the copy which is to be registered in the office of the egister of Deeds, or if registration is
not contemplated, each page of the copy to be kept by the notary public, except the page where the
signatures already appear at the foot of the instrument, shall be signed on the left margin thereof by the
person or persons executing the instrument and their witnesses, and all the pages sealed with the notarial
seal, and this fact as well as the number of pages shall be stated in the acknowledgment. Where the
instrument acknowledged relates to a sale, transfer, mortgage or encumbrance of two or more parcels of
land, the number thereof shall likewise be set forth in said acknowledgment.!

# #tated abo"e, t*e #econd pa)e of t*e deed of donation, on *ic* t*e c4noled)+ent appear#,
a# #i)ned by t*e donor and one itne## on t*e left*and +ar)in, and by t*e donee and t*e ot*er itne##
on t*e ri)*t*and +ar)in& Sre&), #he re5$reme!# #h"# #he co!#r"c#$! ("r#$e+ "!/ #he$r -$#!e++e+
+ho&/ +$! o! #he &e%#h"!/ m"r$! o% #he $!+#rme!# $+ !o# "b+o&#e & *e intend+ent of t*e la
+erely i# to en#ure t*at eac* and e"ery pa)e of t*e in#tru+ent i# aut*enticated by t*e partie#& *e
re7uire+ent i# de#i)ned to a"oid t*e fal#ification of t*e contract after t*e #a+e *a# already been duly
executed by t*e partie#& >ence, a contractin) party affixe# *i# #i)nature on eac* pa)e of t*e in#tru+ent to
certify t*at *e i# a)reein) to e"eryt*in) t*at i# ritten t*ereon at t*e ti+e of #i)nin)&
%i+ply put, t*e #pecification of t*e location of t*e #i)nature i# +erely directory& The %"c# #h"# o!e
o% #he ("r#$e+ +$!+ o! #he -ro! +$/e o% #he ("e, #h"# /oe+ !o# $!*"&$/"#e #he /ocme!#. *e
purpo#e of aut*enticatin) t*e pa)e i# #er"ed, and t*e re7uire+ent in t*e abo"e7uoted pro"i#ion i#
dee+ed #ub#tantially co+plied it*&
I! #he +"me *e$!, #he &"c o% "! "c!o-&e/me!# b) #he /o!ee be%ore #he !o#"r) (b&$c /oe+
!o# "&+o re!/er #he /o!"#$o! !&& "!/ *o$/& *e in#tru+ent #*ould be treated in it# entirety& t cannot
be con#idered a pri"ate docu+ent in part and a public docu+ent in anot*er part& *e fact t*at it a#
ac4noled)ed before a notary public con"ert# t*e deed of donation in it# entirety a public
in#tru+ent& The %"c# #h"# #he /o!ee -"+ !o# me!#$o!e/ b) #he !o#"r) (b&$c $! #he "c!o-&e/me!#
$+ o% !o mome!#. o be #ure, it i# t*e con"eyance t*at #*ould be ac4noled)ed a# a free and "oluntary
act& n any e"ent, t*e donee #i)ned on t*e #econd pa)e, *ic* contain# t*e c4noled)+ent only& 7er
"cce(#"!ce, -h$ch $+ e(&$c$#&) +e# %or#h o! #he %$r+# ("e o% #he !o#"r$9e/ /ee/ o% /o!"#$o!, -"+
m"/e $! " (b&$c $!+#rme!#.