Facts:

• The case involves the Spouses Ricardo Imbat and Lilia Imbat as petitioners against the Spouses Medardo Soliven and Florentina Narvasa, along with Vinez Hortaleza as respondents.
• The dispute began with a forcible entry action filed by the respondents against the petitioners, recorded as Civil Case No. 700 (SF-94) in the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of San Fabian-San Jacinto, Pangasinan.
• On March 29, 1995, the MCTC ruled in favor of the respondents, ordering the Imbat brothers to vacate two parcels of riceland in Barangay Anonang, San Fabian, Pangasinan.
• The petitioners appealed to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Dagupan, which upheld the MCTC's ruling, noting the petitioners only denied allegations without presenting affirmative defenses.
• The MCTC's decision became final, leading to a writ of execution; however, the Imbat brothers re-occupied the premises, resulting in a contempt ruling against them.
• An alias writ of execution was issued, and they eventually vacated the property.
• On July 24, 1998, Ricardo Imbat and his wife filed a complaint for quieting of title against the respondents in the RTC of Dagupan after a similar complaint was dismissed by the MCTC for lack of jurisdiction.
• This new complaint, Civil Case No. 98-02478-D, claimed the petitioners were the absolute owners of a parcel of irrigated riceland donated to them by their parents.
• The respondents countered with an Absolute Sale of Unregistered Land dated December 22, 1975, executed in their favor.
• The RTC ruled in favor of the respondents on April 12, 2002, dismissing the petitioners' complaint for lack of cause of action and affirming the respondents' ownership.
• The petitioners appealed to the Court of Appeals, arguing the property claimed by the respondents was in Barrio Binday, not Barrio Anonang.
• The appellate court found evidence supporting the respondents' ownership claim, leading to a denied motion for reconsideration and the present Petition for Review.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, affirming the decisions of the lower courts.
• The Court held that the evidence supported the respondents' claim of ownership ...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Supreme Court's ruling relied on the factual findings of the lower courts, confirming that the land claimed by the respondents was the same land involved in the forcible entry case.
• The appellate court ...continue reading