Republic vs East Silver Lane March 26, 2014 Ponente: Leonardo-De Castro Brigola, Janica SUMM!": SUMM!": !es#ondent #$rchased a lot %ro& its #redecessors-in-interest #redecessors-in-int erest and tried to ca$se the registration o% the sa&e' (t )as o##osed *+ the !e#$*lic arg$ing arg$ing that the #redecessors #redecessors did not #ossess the land in the &anner and %or the length o% ti&e re$ired re$ired $nder Section 4 .*/ o% Co&&on)ealth ct o' 141 a''a' P$*lic Land ct .PL/, and Sec' 14 o% PD 123' SC r$led in %aor o% the !e#$*lic' !e#$*lic' D5C!(7: 8or one one to ino ino e the the #ro #rois isio ions ns o% Sect Sectio ion n 14 .2/ .2/ o% PD 123 123,, and and set set $# ac$isitie #rescri#tion #rescri#tion against the State, the %ollo)ing r$les &$st *e o*sered: ' he stat$s o% the #ro#ert+ as #atri&onial #atri&onial &$st 9rst 9rst *e esta*lished B' (n deter&in deter&ining ing the co&#le co&#letio tion n o% the #rescr #rescri#t i#tie ie #eriod, #eriod, the #eriod #eriod o% #ossessi #ossession on shall shall *e recon reconed ed onl+ a%ter the #ro#ert+ #ro#ert+ )as classi9ed classi9ed as #atri&onial'
8CS: his inoles a #arcel o% land sit$ated at Misa&is 5rt;l sold to res#ondent res#ondent 7ast Siler Lance *+ .1/ 8rancisca 8rancisca 5ca and .2/ Li&s and ans' Material dates: Dece&* Dece&*er er <1, 132 132 - he s$*=ec s$*=ectt land land )as )as s$##o s$##osed sedl+ l+ decla declare red d alien aliena*l a*le e and dis#osa*le' J$ne 12, 134 > it )as clai&ed that the res#ondent;s res#ondent;s #redecessors-in-inter #redecessors-in-interest est had *een in o#en, notorio$s, contin$o$s and e?cl$sie #ossession #ossession o% the s$*=ect #ro#ert+ since this date' 5cto*er 16, 1330- it )as conerted conerted %ro& agric$lt$ral agric$lt$ral to ind$strial' ind$strial' 1330 and 1331 - !es#ondent 7ast Silerlane Silerlane #$rchased the s$*=ect land 1334@133 .e?act +ear not &entioned in the case/ - !es#ondent then 9led )ith the !C an a##lication %or land registration o% the s$*=ect #ro#ert+' !C: grante granted d the res#o res#onde ndent; nt;s s #etiti #etition on %or regis registra tratio tion, n, #$rs$a #$rs$ant nt to PD 123 123 .Pro#ert+ !egistration Decree/' C: C: $#held $#held !C;s r$ling r$ling'' (t %$rthe %$rtherr r$led r$led that that res#o res#onde ndent nt co&#li co&#lied ed )ith )ith all all the re$isites %or land registration, to )it: .1/ the land is aliena* aliena*le le #$*lic land .the re#ort re#ort and certi9cati certi9cation on iss iss$ed $ed *+ the D7! sho) that the s$*=ect land )as )ithin the aliena*le and dis#osa*le Aone' he re#ort re#ort and certi9ca certi9cation tion constit$te constit$te a #ositie #ositie goern&en goern&entt act, an ad&inist ad&inistrati ratie e action, alidl+ classi%+ing the land in $estion'/ .2/ the the a##li a##licant cant;s ;s o#en, contin$o$s contin$o$s,, e?cl e?cl$si $sie e and and notori notorio$s o$s #ossessi #ossession on and and occ$#ation thereo% &$st *e since J$ne 12, 134, or earlier .!es#ondent sho)ed ta? declarations )hich are good indicia o% the #ossession in the conce#t o% o)ner .al*eit
not concl$sie/' he+ constit$te at least #roo% that the holder has a clai& o% title oer the #ro#ert+'/ .
8irst, )hat is #atri&onial #ro#ert+F s #er rticle 420 o% the Ciil Code, the G #ro#erties are o% #$*lic do&inion: .a/ hose intended %or #$*lic $se, s$ch as roads, canals, riers, torrents, #orts and *ridges constr$cted *+ the State, *ans, shores, roadsteads and others o% si&ilar character .*/ hose )hich *elong to the State, )itho$t *eing %or #$*lic $se, and are intended %or so&e #$*lic serice or %or the deelo#&ent o% the national )ealth'
ll other #ro#erties o% the State not &entioned in rticle 420 are considered #atri&onial #ro#ert+ s$sce#ti*le to ac$isitie #rescri#tion'
##l+ing this to the case at *arH
Ehile the s$*=ect land )as s$##osedl+ declared aliena*le and dis#osa*le on Dece&*er <1, 132, it )as conerted %ro& agric$lt$ral to ind$strial onl+ on 5cto*er 16, 1330' here%ore, it )as onl+ in )002 that the subect property had been declared patrimonial and it is only then that the prescriptive period be!an to run' he res#ondent cannot *ene9t %ro& the alleged #ossession o% its #redecessors-in-interest *eca$se #rior to the )ithdra)al o% the s$*=ect #ro#ert+ %ro& the #$*lic do&ain, it &a+ not *e ac$ired *+ #rescri#tion'
Prescri#tie Periods $nder the La) -he 9rst PL @ ct o' 326 -re$ired a #ossession and occ$#ation %or a #eriod o% 10 +ears #rior to its eGectiit+ on J$l+ 26, 1304, or on J$l+ 26, 134 !e#$*lic ct o' 1342 enacted on J$ne 22, 13I > a&ended PL@ ct 326 it#roided %or a #eriod o% thirt+ .<0/ +ears' P'D' o' 10I< enacted on Jan$ar+ 2, 13II - #ossession and occ$#ation sho$ld co&&ence on J$ne 12, 134'
ota*l+, the res#ondent;s a##lication )as 9led a%ter onl+ %o$r +ears %ro& the ti&e the s$*=ect #ro#ert+ &a+ *e considered #atri&onial' his onl+ sho)s lac o% #ossession )hether %or ordinar+ or e?traordinar+ #rescri#tie #eriod' Moreoer, #ossession and occ$#ation o% an aliena*le and dis#osa*le #$*lic land %or the #eriods #roided $nder the Ciil Code do not a$to&aticall+ conert said #ro#ert+ into #riate #ro#ert+ or release it %ro& the #$*lic do&ain' here &$st *e an e?#ress declaration that the #ro#ert+ is no longer intended %or #$*lic serice or deelo#&ent o% national )ealth' Eitho$t s$ch e?#ress declaration, the #ro#ert+, een i% classi9ed as aliena*le or dis#osa*le, re&ains #ro#ert+ o% the State, and th$s, &a+ not *e ac$ired *+ #rescri#tion' .eirs o% Mala*anan/ .ote: !atio os' 2 to 4 are not so releant to the to#ic, *$t the+ )ere additional reasons %or the SC to r$le that the eidence o% res#ondent )as not s$cient/ 2' he 2< a? Declarations %or a clai&ed #ossession o% &ore than %ort+-si? .46/ +ears .134-1334/ do not $ali%+ as co&#etent eidence o% act$al #ossession and occ$#ation' Citing Eee s !e#$*lic, he SC r$led that the ta? decs onl+ constit$te s#oradic and inter&ittent assertion o% o)nershi# and is not #roo% o% o#en, contin$o$s, e?cl$sie and notorio$s #ossession and occ$#ation' 2' icente 5co;s testi&on+ does not s$##le&ent the inherent inade$ac+ o% the ta? declarations' (t is sel%-sering and hearsa+' <' he #resence o% 13 cocon$t trees at the ti&e a a? Declaration )as 9led in 134 )ill not s$ce as eidence that #ossession co&&enced #rior to J$ne 12, 134 in the a*sence o% eidence that the #redecessor #lanted and c$ltiated the&' 7en then,
considering that siAe o% the lot, haing onl+ 13 trees #lanted thereon can onl+ *e considered cas$al c$ltiationK' 4' that #lants )ere on the s$*=ect #ro#ert+ )itho$t an+ eidence that it )as the res#ondent;s #redecessors-in-interest )ho #lanted the& and that act$al c$ltiation or haresting )as &ade does not constit$te )ell-nigh incontroerti*le eidenceK o% act$al #ossession and occ$#ation'
D(SP5S((7: Petition is !7D' he C decision is !77!S7D and S7 S(D7 and the res#ondent;s a##lication %or registration o% title is D7(7D %or lac o% &erit'
