JAGUALING JAGUALING vs. CA GR No. 94283 – March 4, 1991 Gancayco SUBJECT: Accession; Art. 465 FACTS: Priva rivate te reso eson! n!en entt "ani "anita ta #!$a #!$ave ve c%ai c%ai&s &s that that sh she e inhe inheri rite te! ! the the !is$t !is $te! e! %an! %an! 'ro& 'ro& his 'ather 'ather,, (e%o&in e%o&ino o (act$ra act$ra,, an! ac)$ir ac)$ire! e! so%e so%e o*nershi o' the roerty +y virt$e o' a ee! o' #-tra "$!icia% Partition *ith sa%e. A%so, the %an! is !ec%are! 'or ta- $roses. n 1964, the %an! *as ero!e! !$e to tyhoon nen/, !estroyin/ the +i//er ortion an! the i&rove&ents i&rove&ents %eavin/ on%y a cocon$t tree. n 1966, !$e to the &ove&ent o' the river !eosits on the %an! that *as not ero!e! increase! the area to a%&ost ha%' a hectare. n 190, the ae%%ant starte! to %ant +ananas. n 1903, the etitioners ase! etitioners er&ission to %ant corn an! +ananas rovi!e! that they revent s)$atters to co&e to the area. he PR en/a/e! the services o' a s$rveyor *ho con!$cte! a s$rvey an! %ace! concrete &on$&ents over the %an!. he a%so ai! ta-es on the !is$te! %an!, an! &ort/a/e! the %an! to the $7on $rety an! o.. A%so, an a%ication 'or concession *ith the $rea$ o' Mines to e-tract /rave% *as /rante! to the PR. PR :%e! *ith the R an action to )$iet tit%e an!or re&ove a c%o$! over the roerty in )$estion a/ainst etitioners. •
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R< !is&isse! the co&%aint. R$%e! that the is%an! is a !e%ta 'or&in/ art o' the river +e! *hich the /overn&ent &ay $se to rero$te, re!irect or contro% the co$rse o' the a/a%oan River, hence, o$tsi!e the co&&erce o' &an an! art o' the $+%ic !o&ain =Art. 42.> A< reverse! the Rs !ecision. R$%e! that the is%an! *as 'or&e! +y the +ranchin/ o? o' the a/o%oan River an! s$+se)$ent thereto the acc$&$%ation o' a%%$ a%%$vi via% a% !eo !eosi sits ts.. ec% ec%ar are! e! PR as the the %a*' %a*'$% $% an! tr$e tr$e o*ne o*ners rs o' the the !is$te! %an! an! or!ere! or!ere! etitioner to vacate. ISSUE: @hether the one *ho has act$a% ossession o' an is%an! that 'or&s in a nonnavi/a+%e an! nonBoata+%e river an! the o*ner o' the %an! a%on/ the &ar/in nearest the is%an! ha! a +etter ri/ht o' o*nershi. HELD HELD:: he o*ner o' the %an! a%on/ the &ar/in nearest the is%an! ha! a +etter ri/ht. he tria% co$rt !isre/ar!e! !isre/ar!e! the testi&ony o' the rivate reson!ents =ay& =ay&ent ent o' %an! %an! ta-es, ta-es, &on$&e &on$&ents nts %ace %aces s +y the s$rvey s$rveyor, or, a/ree& a/ree&ent ent ente enterre! into into to e-tra -tract ct /rav /rave% e% an! an! san!, san!, res resen enta tati tion on in evi! evi!en ence ce the the testi&ony o' 2 *itnesses> *itho$t e-%ainin/ *hy it !o$+te! their cre!i+i%ity an! instea! &ere%y &ere%y re%ie! on the se%'servin/ se%'servin/ !enia% o' etitioners.
he A roer%y a%ie! Art. 463 1 o' the the ivi ivi%% o!e o!e *hic *hich h a%%o a%%o*s *s the the o*nershi over a ortion o' %an! searate! or iso%ate! +y river &ove&ent to +e retaine! +y the o*ner thereo' rior to s$ch searation or iso%ation. t is c%ear etitioners !o not !is$te that the %an! in %iti/ation is an is%an! that aears in a nonBota+%e an! nonnavi/a+%e river; they instea! anchor 1 CArt. 463. @henever the c$rrent o' a river !ivi!es itse%' into +ranches, %eavin/ a iece o' %an! or art thereo' iso%ate!, the o*ner o' the %an! retains his o*nershi. De a%so retains it i' a ortion o' %an! is searate! 'ro& the estate +y the c$rrent. C
their c%ai& on a!verse ossession 'or a+o$t 15 years. t is not even controverte! that PR are the o*ners o' a arce% o' %an! a%on/ the &ar/in o' the river an! oosite the is%an!. En the other han!, rivate reson!ents !o not !is$te that the is%an! in )$estion has +een in the act$a% hysica% ossession o' etitioners; rivate reson!ents insist on%y that s$ch ossession +y etitioners is in the concet o' caretaers thereo' *ith the er&ission o' rivate reson!ents. Art. 4652 o' the ivi% o!e a%y in the case. Fn!er this rovision, the is%an! +e%on/s to the o*ner o' the %an! a%on/ the nearer &ar/in as so%e o*ner thereo'; or &ore acc$rate%y, +eca$se the is%an! is %on/er than the roerty o' rivate reson!ent, they are ipso jure to +e the o*ners o' that ortion *hich correson!s to the %en/th o' their roerty a%on/ the &ar/in o' the river. t is *e%%sett%e! that %an!s 'or&e! +y accretion +e%on/ to the riarian o*ner. his re'erentia% ri/ht is, $n!er Art. 465, a%so /rante! the o*ners o' the %an! %ocate! in the &ar/in nearest the 'or&e! is%an! 'or the reason that they are in the +est osition to c$%tivate an! atten! to the e-%oitation o' the sa&e. n 'act, no seci:c ossession over the accretion is re)$ire!. ' ho*ever, the riarian o*ner 'ai%s to assert his c%ai& thereo', the sa&e &ay yie%! to the a!verse ossession o' 3r! arties. the etitioners, ho*ever, cannot ac)$ire the sai! roerty +y a!verse ossession 'or the re)$ire! n$&+er o' years $n!er the !octrine o' ac)$isitive rescrition +eca$se the %atter is not in /oo! 'aith in occ$yin/ the %an!. Dence, not )$a%i'yin/ as ossessors in /oo! 'aith, they &ay ac)$ire o*nershi over the is%an! on%y thro$/h $ninterr$te! a!verse ossession 'or a erio! o' 3 years. y their o*n a!&ission, etitioners have +een in ossession o' the roerty 'or on%y a+o$t 15 years. h$s, the is%an! cannot +e a!$!icate! in their 'avor. ince the case is not +et*een arties as oosin/ riarian o*ners contestin/ o*nershi over an accession +$t rather +et*een a riarian o*ner an! the one in ossession o' the is%an!, there is no nee! to &ae :na% !eter&ination re/ar!in/ the ori/ins o' the is%an!.
2 CArt. 465. s%an!s *hich thro$/h s$ccessive acc$&$%ation o' a%%$via% !eosits are 'or&e! in nonnavi/a+%e an! non Bota+%e rivers, +e%on/ to the o*ners o' the &ar/ins or +ans nearest to each o' the&, or to the o*ners o' +oth &ar/ins i' the is%an! is in the &i!!%e o' the river, in *hich case it sha%% +e !ivi!e! %on/it$!ina%%y in ha%ves. ' a sin/%e is%an! th$s 'or&e! +e &ore !istant 'ro& one &ar/in than 'ro& the other, the o*ner o' the nearer &ar/in sha%% +e the so%e o*ner thereo'. C