FORGED SIGNATURES. Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal says she is willing to drop her petition to declare the will of her late aunt, Consuelo Madrigal, invalid if it is proven her aunt’s signature is not forged. She claims the signature was 'obviously' forged, which is a criminal offense. Video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia editorial assistant Abigail Kwok.
MANILA, Philippines -- “It’s not about the money.”
This was the reply of Senator Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal Friday, when asked why she was disputing the last will and testament of her late aunt, Consuelo “Chito” Madrigal-Collantes.
“Hindi ako naghahabol ng mana [I am not after the inheritance],” she added. “Yun yung misconception ng mga tao eh, pero ito rin ang pinaglalaban ng iba pa naming mga kamag-anak [This is the misconception of people, but this is also what our other kin are fighting for].”
On Friday, Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 began hearing the petition filed by Madrigal to have the will and other pertaining documents examined by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Lawyers Jose Gabriel Benedicto and Aileen Lerma, who represent Perry Pe and Aurelio Montinola III, the Bank of the Philippine Islands president, who are named executors of the will, said the examination of the document for possible forgery would be tantamount to "asking an expert to contradict the testimony of the actual testator herself."
Madrigal claimed Collantes’ signature on the will was “forged” as she showed media two samples of her aunt’s signature, pointing out what she described as signs of “obvious forging.”
Madrigal has accused her sister, Susana Madrigal-Eduque, and her cousin Gizela “Ging” Madrigal Gonzalez-Montinola, Montinola’s wife, of forging Collantes’ signature.
Benedicto cited four reasons they were opposing Madrigal’s omnibus motion: there is already an existing will; it was probated; the testator is dead; and Madrigal has no interest in the will because she was not named an heir.
“[The omnibus motion] is contrary to law and the wishes of the testator,” Benedicto said.
But after a heated exchange between Benedicto and Francisco, Benedicto finally agreed to file an opposition to the motion, which he would submit within 10 days.
Francisco stressed that the will was not probated because there was no certificate of allowance.
“Humarap lang ang testator sa [The testator only appeared before a] notary public and not before a judge. Saan ka nakakita ng ganun [Where can you find something like that]?” he said.
Madrigal said she is willing to withdraw the omnibus case and her petition to declare the will invalid if it can be proven her late aunt’s signature on the will is authentic.
“Ako pa mismo ang uurong sa kaso [I myself will withdraw the case],” she said.
“Kung walang problema ang will eh di i-submit natin sa NBI [If there is no problem with the will, then submit it to the NBI],” her lawyer Francisco said.
But Lerma, who spoke for Benedicto and the other lawyers, said there was no need to examine the will since "there is no better authority to authenticate the will than Dona Chito herself."
She insisted the will had been properly executed by Collantes herself two years ago, and that measures had even been put in to prevent anyone from contesting it.
Madrigal said other members of her family are supporting her.
“It’s not about the money. In fact, kung may makuha man ako dito [if I get something from this], I’m turning it over to the foundation. The question here is that some people are robbing the Filipino people of what belongs to them,” she added.
The childless Collantes died in her North Forbes Park, Makati residence on March 24 and left her fortune to her widower, former Foreign Affairs Minister Manuel Collantes, Jamby's elder sister Susana, a grandnephew, Vicente P. Gustav Warns, and a niece, Gizela M. Gonzalez-Montinola.
Collantes left none for her senator-niece.
DJ Yap, Inquirer
Copyright 2009 INQUIRER.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
