Facts:

• Garcia Samson filed a complaint in the Municipal Court of Zamboanga City against Ramon Enriquez and Fermin Filoteo.
• Samson sought the recovery of possession of Lot No. 422, damages, and other relief.
• Samson claimed to have a contract of tenancy with the owners of the land, allowing him to possess and cultivate it in exchange for 25 cavanes of palay payable annually.
• Samson alleged that the defendants forcibly deprived him of the land's possession and caused damage to his bamboo groves.
• The defendants denied the plaintiff's claims and argued that Samson was a mere cropper on the land and did not have a written contract with the owners.
• The defendants also contended that Samson's alleged right to possess the land was on a year-to-year basis and had expired.
• The defendants filed a counterclaim for moral damages and attorney's fees, alleging that Samson's suit was malicious and unfounded.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Court of Agrarian Relations has jurisdiction ...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• When a plaintiff alleges being deprived of possession of an agricultural land under a contract of tenancy, the Court of Agrarian Relations has jurisdiction.
• Samson claimed to have a contract of tenancy with the owners of the land, which entitled him to possess and cultivate it.
• Therefore, the Court of Agrarian Relations has jurisdiction over the dispute.
• The...continue reading