G.R. No. L-62943 - Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System vs. Court of Appeals

The Roman Catholic Archbishop (RCA) of San Fernando, Pampanga, represented by the incumbent Archbishop Most Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto, claimed ownership of a large tract of land near the Catholic Church at Poblacion, Macabebe, Pampanga.
The RCA’s ownership was based on Original Certificate of Title (OCT) No. 17629, issued on February 21, 1929, by the Registry of Deeds of San Fernando.
Several individuals, alleged unlawful occupants including Eduardo Soriano, Jr., Edna Yalun, Evangelina Ablaza, Felicidad Y. Urbina, Felix Salenga, among others, were occupying the land and refused to vacate.

RCA filed an ejectment case (Civil Case No. 2000(23)) before the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of Macabebe-Masantol to recover possession.
Defendants counterclaimed that RCA’s title was spurious and asserted ownership through thirty years’ continuous possession (acquisitive prescription).
MCTC ruled in favor of RCA on September 28, 2001, affirming validity of OCT No. 17629 unless declared void by competent court.
Defendants appealed to the Regional Trial Court (RTC), which dismissed the appeal for failure to file the appeal memorandum.
Their petition for certiorari to the Court of Appeals (CA) was dismissed for late filing.
RCA obtained an immediate writ of execution from the MCTC to implement the decision, ordering defendants to vacate and enforcing payment of reasonable rent.

During the pendency of the ejectment case, some defendants filed a separate Civil Case No. 01-1046(M) in RTC Macabebe for Quieting of Title and Declaration of Nullity of Title against RCA.
Defendants alleged actual possession as owners and that OCT No. 17629 was fake and spurious due to apparent erasures and improper certificate descriptions.
RCA moved to dismiss citing noncompliance with condition precedent to filing a suit, laches, and collateral attack on title; RTC denied the motions.
RCA appealed to the CA via petition for certiorari and preliminary injunction; CA dismissed the petition on March 18, 2002, and denied reconsideration on May 30, 2002.

Benjamin Guinto, Jr., one of the defendants, filed a Petition for Injunction before the Supreme Court to enjoin the implementation of the Writ of Execution issued by the MCTC.

Whether the RTC committed grave abuse of discretion in denying RCA’s motion to dismiss Civil Case No. 01-1046(M) alleging Quieting of Title and Nullity of Title.

Whether the Civil Case No. 01-1046(M) constitutes a prohibited collateral attack on RCA’s duly registered title.

Whether a preliminary injunction should have been issued to prevent execution of the MCTC decision evicting the defendants from the property.