Facts:

• The case involves a disputed land known as Lot No. 79 of the San Lazaro Friar Lands Estate located in Manila.
• The petitioner, Manila Pencil Company, Inc., and Dominador P. Canlas, sought to purchase the land, which was ordered to be sold to them by the Court of First Instance of Manila in a mandamus case.
• The respondents, led by Concordio Trazo, filed a petition to enjoin the Director of Lands from selling the land to the petitioner and to command the Director to sell it to them instead.
• The respondents claimed to be war sufferers and fire victims who had been occupying portions of the land since before 1954.
• They argued that they were entitled to purchase the portions they occupied under Republic Act 1268.

Issue:

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Ruling:

• The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the trial court, which declared that the respondents have a better right to purchase the land and ordered the Director of Lands to sell it to them instead of the petitioner.
• The court held that the legislative intent of Republic Act 1268 was to sell the land to actual occupants, not to the owner of the buildings constructed on the land.
• The court found that the petitioner, as the owner of the building...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The court based its decision on the legislative intent of Republic Act 1268, which aimed to solve the social problems faced by the occupants of the disputed land.
• The court interpreted the term "actual occupants" in the law to refer to individuals and their families who had occupied the land for residential purposes immediately after the liberation of Manila.
• The court emphasized that the law was intended to benef...continue reading