Valiao vs Republic of the Philippines G.R. No. 170757. November 28, 2011. Nature Rule Nature Rule 45 - Petition for review on certiorari. !acts Valiao et al. led with the RTC of Kabankalan, Negro !""idental an a##li"ation for regitration of a #ar"el of in $arrio %ali"ia, &uni"i#alit' of (log, Negro !""idental. )owever it wa o##oed the regitration b' the #rivate o##oitor &a"ario *afra and &anuel +ua' and the Re#ubli" of the Phili##ine Re#ubli", through the !"e of the /oli"itor %eneral !/%. (n u##or u##ortt of their their "lai "lai0 0 of #oe #oeio ion n over over the ub1e" ub1e"tt #ro#e #ro#ert' rt',, #etiti #etitione oner r ub0itted in eviden"e Ta2 3e"laration No. 56 dated /e#te0ber 6, 78 under the na0e of the heir of $ailio &illare9. R"# $ecisio R"# $ecision n Grante Grante% % petiti petitione oners& rs& applic applicati ation on for re'istr re'istrati ation on of the sub(ect propert). propert). Thu #rivate o##oitor and the the Re#ubli" Re#ubli" a##eal a##eal with the C:. #* $ecision Reverse% the trial court&s +n%in's an% $#-*R the sub(ect parcel of lan% to be inalienable an% in%isposable lan% belon'in' to the public %omain. :""or :""ordin dingto gto C:, the "la "lai" i"at ation ion of land land of the #ubli" #ubli" do0ai do0ain n i an e2"l e2"lui uive ve #rerogative of the e2e"utive de#art0ent of the govern0ent and in the aben"e of u"h "lai"ation, the land re0ain a un"laied until it i releaed therefro0 and rendered o#en to di#oition. ;urther, there e2it a #rior "adatral "ae involving the a0e #artie herein and the a0e uent a"tion for land regitration. (t alo ruled that the ub1e"t #ro#ert' i #art of the inalienable land of the #ubli" do0ain and #etitioner failed to #rove that the' and their #rede"eor-in-interet had been in o#en, "ontinuou, e2"luive and notoriou #oeion of the land in >uetion in"e ?une 76, 745 or earlier ssues 7. @!N the ub1e" ub1e"tt lot i alienable alienable and and di#oable di#oable land land of #ubli" do0ain. do0ain. 6. @!N the the "lai0 "lai0 of #re"ri# #re"ri#tion tion b' the a##li a##li"ant "ant will will lie on the the ub1e"t ub1e"t lot. =. @!N @!N the C:A C:A de"i de"iion ion "ont "ontitu itute te res judicata a far a thi a##li"ation i "on"erned. 4. @!N @!N the allege alleged d #oe #oeio ion n of the a##li" a##li"ant ant throug through h #rede #rede"e "eo or r-in -in-in -inter teret et i u"ient to utain their "lai0 for #re"ri#tion. /el% 7. N. "he sub(ect lot is not alienable an% %isposable lan% of public %omain. /e" 74#ar 7 of P3 756 re>uire re>uire the #etitioner to #rove thatB 7 the land for0 #art of the alienable and di#oable land of the #ubli" do0ain and 6 the', b' the0elve or through their #rede"eor-in-interet, have been in o#en, "ontinuou, e2"luive, and notori notoriou ou #oe #oeio ion n and o""u#a o""u#atio tion n of the ub1e ub1e"t "t land land under under a bona fde "lai0 of ownerhi# fro0 ?une 76, 745 or earlier. Thee the #etitioner 0ut #rove b' no le than "lear, #oitive and "onvin"ing eviden"e.
"here must be a positive act %eclarin' lan% of the public %omain as alienable an% %isposable. "o prove that the lan% sub(ect of an application for re'istration is alienable, the applicant must establish the eistence of a positive act of the 'overnment, such as a presi%ential proclamation or an eecutive or%er an a%ministrative action investi'ation reports of 3ureau of -an%s investi'ators an% a le'islative act or a statute. "he applicant ma) also secure a certi+cation from the 'overnment that the lan% claime% to have been possesse% for the re4uire% number of )ears is alienable an% %isposable. (n the "ae at bar, no u"h eviden"e wa oDered b' the #etitioner to how that the land in >uetion ha been "laied a alienable and di#oable land of the #ubli" do0ain. (n the aben"e of in"ontrovertible eviden"e to #rove that the ub1e"t #ro#ert' i alread' "laied a alienable and di#oable, we 0ut "onider the a0e a till inalienable #ubli" do0ain. 2. N. "he claim of prescription b) the applicant ill not lie on the sub(ect lot. Ender the Regalian do"trine, all land of the #ubli" do0ain belong to the /tate, whi"h i the our"e of an' aerted right to an' ownerhi# of land. :ll land not a##earing to be "learl' within #rivate ownerhi# are #reu0ed to belong to the /tate. :""ordingl', #ubli" land not hown to have been re"laied or releaed a alienable agri"ultural land or alienated to a #rivate #eron b' the /tate re0ain #art of the inalienable #ubli" do0ain. Enle #ubli" land i hown to have been re"laied a alienable or di#oable to a #rivate #eron b' the /tate, it re0ain #art of the inalienable #ubli" do0ain. Propert) of the public %omain is be)on% the commerce of man an% not susceptible of private appropriation an% ac4uisitive prescription. ccupation thereof in the concept of oner no matter ho lon' cannot ripen into onership an% be re'istere% as a title. The burden of #roof in over"o0ing the #reu0#tion of /tate ownerhi# of the land of the #ubli" do0ain i on the #eron a##l'ing for regitration or "lai0ing ownerhi#, who 0ut #rove that the land ub1e"t of the a##li"ation i alienable or di#oable. To over"o0e thi #reu0#tion, in"ontrovertible eviden"e 0ut be etablihed that the land ub1e"t of the a##li"ation or "lai0 i alienable or di#oable. 6. N. "he (u%'ment %oes not constitute res judicata that bars a subse4uent action for lan% re'istration. (n thi "ae, wa "ited the "ae of Director o Lands v. Court o Appeals, the #ourt hel% that a (u%icial %eclaration that a parcel of lan% is public, %oes not preclu%e even the same applicant from subse4uentl) seein' a (u%icial con+rmation of his title to the same lan%, provi%e% he thereafter complies ith the provisions of ection 98 of #ommonealth *ct No. 191, as amen%e%, an% as lon' as sai% public lan%s remain alienable an% %isposable. (n the "ae at bar, not onl' did the #etitioner fail to #rove that the ub1e"t land i #art of the alienable and di#oable #ortion of the #ubli" do0ain, the' failed to de0ontrate that the' b' the0elve or through their #rede"eor-in-interet have #oeed and o""u#ied the ub1e"t land in"e ?une 76, 745 or earlier a 0andated b' the law . 9. N. "he alle'e% possession of the applicants throu'h pre%ecessors:in: interest is not su;cient to sustain their claim for prescription. The #etitionerA #oeion of the land in >uetion fro0 748 to 7, #etitioner "ould onl' u##ort the a0e with a ta2 de"laration dated /e#te0ber 6, 78. :t bet, #etitioner "an onl' #rove #oeion in"e aid date. @hat i re>uired i o#en, e2"luive, "ontinuou and notoriou #oeion b' #etitioner and their #rede"eor-ininteret, under a bona fde "lai0 of ownerhi#, since June 12, 1945 or earlier. Petitioner failed to e2#lain wh', de#ite their "lai0 that their #rede"eor-in-interet
have #oeed the ub1e"t #ro#ertie in the "on"e#t of an owner even before ?une 76, 745, it wa onl' in 78 that the' tarted to de"lare the a0e for #ur#oe of ta2ation. &oreover, ta %eclarations an% receipts are not conclusive evi%ence of onership or of the ri'ht to possess lan% hen not supporte% b) an) other evi%ence. The di#uted #ro#ert' 0a' have been de"lared for ta2ation #ur#oe in the na0e of the a##li"ant for regitration, or of their #rede"eor-in-interet, but it doe not ne"earil' #rove ownerhi#. The' are 0erel' indicia of a "lai0 of ownerhi#. upreme #ourt Rulin' $enie% the Petition.