PAN PACIFIC INDUSTRIAL SALES CO., INC. v.

sale of the subject lot to Cruz, as the sale had already been
COURT OF APPEALS and NICOLAS CAPISTRANO consummated.
G.R. No. 125283 February 10, 2006
Capistrano’s contention: Capistrano asserts that the legal
On 10 September 1982, Capistrano executed a Special Power of presumption of regularity of public documents does not obtain
Attorney authorizing Cruz to mortgage the subject lot in favor of in this case as the documents in question were not properly
Associated Bank (the Bank) as security for the latter's loan notarized. He adds that the parties never appeared before the
accommodation. notary public as in fact the deed had only been delivered by
Capistrano to the house of Cruz's mother.
Shortly, by virtue of the SPA, Cruz obtained a loan in the
amount of P500,000.00 from the Bank. Furthermore, Capistrano maintains that his spouse's signature
on the Marital Consent is a forgery as it was virtually impossible
for her to have signed the same.
Capistrano and Cruz then executed a letter-agreement dated 23
September 1982 whereby Cruz agreed to buy the subject lot for
the price of P350,000.00. Issue: Whether or not Capistrano failed to present evidence of
the forgery that is enough to overcome the presumption of
authenticity. YES
On 15 March 1983, Capistrano executed the Deed of Absolute
Sale over the subject lot in favor of Cruz. Two (2) days later, on
17 March 1983, Notary Public Vicente J. Benedicto (Benedicto) A notarized document carries the evidentiary weight conferred
notarized the deed. However, it was earlier or on 9 March upon it with respect to its due execution, and it has in its favor
1983 that Capistrano's wife, Josefa Borromeo the presumption of regularity which may only be rebutted by
Capistrano, signed the Marital Consent evidencing her evidence so clear, strong and convincing as to exclude all
conformity in advance to the sale. The Marital Consent controversy as to the falsity of the certificate. Absent such, the
was also sworn to before Benedicto. presumption must be upheld. The burden of proof to overcome
the presumption of due execution of a notarial document lies on
the one contesting the same. Furthermore, an allegation of
In May 1987, with the mortgage on the subject lot then being in forgery must be proved by clear and convincing evidence, and
danger of foreclosure by the Bank, Cruz filed a case with the RTC whoever alleges it has the burden of proving the same.
of Manila to enjoin the foreclosure.
Evidently, as he impugns the genuineness of the documents,
In 1988, the Bank executed a Cancellation of Real Estate Capistrano has the burden of making out a clear-cut
Mortgage. On even date, Cruz executed a Deed of Absolute Sale case that the documents are bogus. However, Capistrano
over the subject lot in favor of Pan Pacific, attaching thereto the failed to present evidence of the forgery that is enough to
previous Deed of Absolute Sale executed by Capistrano in favor overcome the presumption of authenticity.
of Cruz.
To support the allegation of the spuriousness of his signature on
On 20 October 1988, Capistrano filed a Revocation of Special the Deed of Absolute Sale and that of his wife on the Marital
Power of Attorney with the Register of Deeds of Manila. Consent, Capistrano relied heavily on his bare denial, at the
same time taking sanctuary behind other circumstances which
Pan Pacific, which bought the subject lot from the Cruz supposedly cast doubt on the authenticity of the documents.
spouses, was allowed to intervene in the proceedings Capistrano did not bother to present corroborating witnesses
and joined Cruz, et al. much less an independent expert witness who could declare with
authority and objectivity that the challenged signatures are
On 24 April 1992, a Decision was rendered by the trial court in forged.
favor of Capistrano on both causes of action
Corollarily, he who disavows the authenticity of his signature on
To arrive at the conclusion that the first Deed of a public document bears the responsibility to present evidence
Absolute Sale and the Marital Consent are spurious, to that effect. Mere disclaimer is not sufficient. At the very
the trial court mainly relied on Capistrano's disavowal least, he should present corroborating witnesses to prove his
of his signature and that of his wife's, together with assertion. At best, he should present an expert witness.
extrinsic factors which in its opinion evinced the
spuriousness. The courts may have forgotten that on Capistrano lies the
burden to prove with clear and convincing evidence that the
Pan Pacific and the Cruz spouses contended that Capistrano notarized documents are spurious. Nothing in law or
failed to present clear and convincing evidence to overturn the jurisprudence reposes on Cruz the obligation to prove that the
presumption of regularity of public documents like the documents are genuine and duly executed. Hence it is not
documents in question. incumbent upon Cruz to call the notary public or an expert
witness. In contrast, Capistrano should have called the expert
witness, the notary public himself or the witnesses to the
Pan Pacific’s contention: Pan Pacific filed the instant document to prove his contention that he never signed the deed
Petition solely concerning the first cause of action in the of sale, that its subscribing witnesses never saw him sign the
Amended Complaint. Pan Pacific contends that the genuineness same, and that he never appeared before the notary public
and due execution of the Deed of Absolute Sale and Marital before whom the acknowledgment was made.
Consent cannot be overridden by the self-serving testimony of
Capistrano. It stresses that the trial court cannot rely on
irrelevant extrinsic factors to rule against the genuineness of the In fact, there is no evidence that the notarization of the
deed. Finally, it points out that Capistrano cannot contest the documents did not take place. All that Capistrano could say on
this matter was that he had not seen Benedicto, the notary
public.

Apart from Capistrano's abject failure to overcome the

presumption of regularity and genuineness with which the Deed
of Absolute Sale is impressed as a public document, Capistrano's
cause is eviscerated by his own acts in writing before and after
the execution of the deed. Said written acts constitute indelible
recognition of the existence and genuineness of the Deed of
Absolute Sale.

AS TO THE MARITAL CONSENT. The fact that the document

contains a jurat, not an acknowledgment, should not affect its
genuineness or that of the related document of conveyance
itself, the Deed of Absolute Sale. In this instance, a jurat suffices
as the document only embodies the manifestation of the
spouse's consent,a mere appendage to the main document.

The use of a jurat, instead of an acknowledgement does not

elevate the Marital Consent to the level of a public document but
instead consigns it to the status of a private writing. The lack of
acknowledgment, however, does not render a deed invalid. The
necessity of a public document for contracts which transmit or
extinguish real rights over immovable property, as mandated by
Article 1358 of the Civil Code, is only for convenience; it is not
essential for validity or enforceability.

From the perspective of the law on evidence, however, the

presumption of regularity does not hold true with respect to the
Marital Consent which is a private writing. It is subject to the
requirement of proof under Section 20, Rule 132 of the Rules of
Court which states:

Section 20. Proof of private document. - Before any private document

offered as authentic is received in evidence, its due execution and
authenticity must be proved either:

(a) By anyone who saw the document executed or written; or

(b) By evidence of the genuineness of the signature or handwriting of

the maker.

Any other private document need only be identified as that which is

claimed to be.

The requirement of proof of the authenticity of the Marital

Consent was adequately met, in this case, through the testimony
of Cruz to the effect that, together with the other witnesses to the
document, he was present when Capistrano's wife affixed her
signature thereon before notary public Benedicto. Viewed
against this positive declaration, Capistrano's negative and self-
serving assertions that his wife's signature on the document was
forged because "(i)t is too beautiful" and that his wife could not
have executed the Marital Consent because it was executed on
her natal day and she was somewhere else, crumble and become
unworthy of belief.

That the Marital Consent was executed prior to the Deed of

Absolute Sale also does not indicate that it is phoney. A fair
assumption is that it was executed in anticipation of the Deed of
Absolute Sale which was accomplished a scant six (6) days later.