Facts:

The case of Laurente Baldovino vs. Pedro Amenos et al. revolves around a dispute over the ownership of an 80-hectare tract of land known as the estate of Pangpang, located in Ambos Camarines. The plaintiff, Laurente Baldovino, served as the administrator of the estate of Agustin Lukban de San Miguel, who passed away in 1881. Among the heirs of Agustin Lukban was Vicente Lukban, one of the defendants in this case. The plaintiff claimed that the property belonged to the heirs of the deceased and sought to recover possession from Vicente Lukban and Pedro Amenos.

In 1894, Vicente Lukban initiated proceedings before a justice of the peace to obtain possessory information for the estate of Pangpang and 34 other parcels of land. The justice approved the possessory information on August 21, 1894, and the documents were recorded on September 7, 1894. Vicente claimed ownership of the property, asserting that he had been in possession since 1881, having inherited it from his father. ...

Facts:

1. Background of the Case:

   • The plaintiff, Laurente Baldovino, as the administrator of the estate of Agustin Lukban de San Miguel (deceased in 1881), filed a case to recover possession of an 80-hectare land known as the estate of Pangpang in Ambos Camarines.
   • The defendants were Vicente Lukban (one of the heirs) and Pedro Amenos.
   • The plaintiff claimed the land belonged to the heirs of Agustin Lukban, including Vicente Lukban.

2. Possessory Information and Ownership Claims:

   • In 1894, Vicente Lukban filed for a possessory information over the land and 34 other parcels, claiming ownership since 1881 through inheritance from his father, Agustin Lukban.
   • The possessory information was approved on August 21, 1894, and recorded on September 7, 1894.

3. Judicial Sale of the Property:

   • In 1885, Vicente Lukban was in possession of the Pangpang estate.
   • The property was attached as his in a court case, and after a judgment against him, it was sold at a judicial sale to Ildefonso Moreno on April 22, 1896.
   • A deed was executed in Vicente Lukban’s name and delivered to Moreno on December 24, 1896, and recorded on January 2, 1897.
   • Moreno sold the property to Pedro Amenos on January 4, 1897, and the deed was recorded on January 21, 1897.

4. Plaintiff’s Evidence:

   • The plaintiff presented a copy of Agustin Lukban’s will, which did not specifically describe the Pangpang estate.
   • The will was probated in 1881, but no evidence was presented regarding the partition of the estate among the heirs.
   • The plaintiff relied on testimonies from Esteban Calleja, Juan Pimentel, and Vicente Lukban, but these did not sufficiently prove that the property was undivided among the heirs.

5. Defendant’s Evidence:

   • Vicente Lukban’s prior declarations in legal documents and proceedings consistently stated he was the sole owner of the property.
   • The defendant, Pedro Amenos, relied on the judicial sale and subsequent transactions to establish his ownership.

Issue:

1. Whether Pedro Amenos is the rightful owner of the Pangpang estate based on the judicial sale and subsequent transactions.
2. Whether the plaintiff’s evidence was sufficient to overcome the prima facie ownership established by Vicente Lukban’s possessory information and the judicial sale.
3. Whether the defendant Amenos, as an administrator, violated Article 1459 of the Civil Code by purchasing the property through an intermediary.

Ruling:

• (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

• (Subscriber-Only)