Case Digest (G.R. No. 57112-21)
Facts:
- The Republic of the Philippines, represented by the Director of Lands, is the petitioner.
- Respondents include Judge Sinforoso Fangonil and several individuals: Modesta Paris, Lagya Paris, Samuel Baliwan, Pablo Ramos, Jr., Josephine Abanag, Menita T. Victor, Emiliano Bautista, and Odi Dianson.
- The case originated from a 1912 petition regarding the Baguio Townsite Reservation, recorded as Expediente de Reserva No. 1, GLRO Reservation Record No. 211.
- After the Land Registration Court was abolished in 1914, the case was transferred to the Court of First Instance (CFI) of Benguet.
- The case aimed to determine which portions of the Baguio Townsite Reservation were private and eligible for registration under Act No. 496, as per Section 62 of Act No. 926.
- A notice was issued on July 22, 1915, requiring claims for lots within the reservation to be filed within six months.
- On June 13, 1922, the General Land Registration Office reported on registration applications, leading to a ruling by Judge C. M. Villareal on November 13, 1922.
- The ruling declared all lands within the Baguio Townsite Reservation as public lands, with exceptions for public use and adjudicated private property.
- Claims for private lands not registered within the specified period were permanently barred.
- From 1972 to 1976, respondents filed applications for registration, claiming rights under Section 48(b) and (c) of the Public Land Law due to long possession.
- The Director of Lands opposed these applications, citing lack of jurisdiction, prescription, and res judicata, and filed motions to dismiss.
- The trial judge refused to dismiss the applications, prompting the Solicitor General to seek certiorari.
Issue:
- (Unlock)
Ruling:
- The Supreme Court reversed and set aside the trial court's order denying the motions to dismiss.
- The application...(Unlock)
Ratio:
- The Supreme Court found that the trial court erred in requiring evidence regarding the notice under Act No. 627, as records from Case No. 211 were destroyed during the war.
- The burden of proof was on the applicants to show that their predecessors had visible possession of the lands in 1915 and had not received any notice.
- The appl...continue reading
Case Digest (G.R. No. 57112-21)
Facts:
The case at hand involves the Republic of the Philippines, represented by the Director of Lands, as the petitioner against Judge Sinforoso Fangonil of the Court of First Instance (CFI) of Baguio and Benguet, along with several respondents: Modesta Paris, Lagya Paris, Samuel Baliwan, Pablo Ramos, Jr., Josephine Abanag, Menita T. Victor, Emiliano Bautista, and Odi Dianson. The events leading to this case began with a petition filed in 1912 concerning the Baguio Townsite Reservation, which was recorded as Expediente de Reserva No. 1, GLRO Reservation Record No. 211. Following the abolition of the Land Registration Court in 1914, the case was transferred to the CFI of Benguet. The primary objective of this case was to definitively determine which portions of the Baguio Townsite Reservation were private and thus eligible for registration under Act No. 496, as stipulated in Section 62 of Act No. 926. A notice was issued on July 22, 1915, requiring all individuals claiming lots within the reservation to file their registration petitions within six months.
On June 13, 1922, the General Land Registration Office submitted a report regarding the applications for registration, leading to a decision by Judge C. M. Villareal on November 13, 1922. The ruling established that all lands within the Baguio Townsite Reservation were public lands, with exceptions for lands reserved for public use and those adjudicated as private property. The court ruled that claims for private lands not registered within the specified period were barred forever. This decision effectively rendered the Baguio Townsite Reservation as public domain, and subsequent attempts to register lots within th...