Title
Republic vs. Guinto-Aldana
Case
G.R. No. 175578
Decision Date
Aug 11, 2010
Respondents sought land registration, proving possession since 1937 via tax records and technical descriptions. SC upheld CA, ruling substantial compliance with P.D. No. 1529 and valid ownership claim.

Case Summary (G.R. No. 175578)

Background of the Case

Respondents filed for land registration on April 3, 2002, claiming to be co-owners of the properties acquired by succession from their parents, Sergio Guinto and Lucia Rivera-Guinto. They maintained that their predecessors had previously secured these lands through a 1969 legal document. Respondents asserted that they have continuously and exclusively possessed the properties in a manner consistent with ownership and have declared the properties for taxation purposes.

Application and Initial Court Decision

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Las Piñas City initially found the application sufficient and ordered compliance with publication and notification requirements. However, opposition from the petitioner claimed that the properties were inalienable lands of the public domain and that respondents failed to prove their prior possession. Ultimately, on July 10, 2003, the RTC denied the application, concluding that respondents did not satisfactorily establish the identity of the lots and failed to prove their claims of ownership based on the necessary evidence.

Appeal to the Court of Appeals

Respondents appealed the RTC's decision to the Court of Appeals, which reversed the RTC's ruling on March 30, 2006. The appellate court found that respondents had sufficiently demonstrated their claims regarding the identity of the land and their longstanding possession. The petitioner’s motion for reconsideration was denied, prompting the current petition.

Legal Arguments and Contentions

The primary contention from the petitioner is that respondents did not comply with the requirement of presenting the original tracing cloth plan necessary for establishing the property’s identity as mandated by Section 17 of Presidential Decree No. 1529. The petitioner further argued that the evidence presented by the respondents was insufficient to demonstrate continuous possession of the land for the required 30 years.

Respondents counter-argued that the petitioner’s claims merely reiterated issues previously addressed by the Court of Appeals and highlighted that errors attributed to the lower courts lack merit, as substantial compliance with the submission requirements was achieved through submitted documentation.

Court of Appeals Decision

The Court of Appeals found that the blueprint submitted by the respondents, although not the original tracing cloth plan, was duly executed and provided sufficient identification of the properties. The court emphasized that the absence of an objection from the petitioner regarding the submitted evidence lent support to the respondents' claims and facilitated their substantial compliance with legal requirements.

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