Property

(31) Del Rosario-Igbeten v. Republic

G. R. No. 158449 22 October 2004

Section 44 of the Public Land Act, as amended by RA No. 6940, which po!ides fo a pescipti!e peiod 
of thity "#0$ yeas possession, applies only to applications fo fee patents%

FACTS. On 08 Januar
Januaryy 1998,
1998, petit
petition
ioners
ers file !it"
!it" t"e
t"e trial
trial court
court an applic
applicati
ation
on #or
#or
re$istration o# lan uner Presiential %ecree &P%' No. 1529, ot"er!ise (no!n as t"e Property
Re$istration %ecree. )"e application co*ere a parcel o# lan situate in +aran$ay alaba$, -ilan$,
a*ite. Petitioners alle$e t"at t"ey ac/uire t"e -ubect Property by purc"ase, an t"at t"ey, by
t"e
t"ese
sel*
l*es
es an
an t"ro
t"rou$
u$"" t"ei
t"eirr pre
preec
eces
esso
sors
rsi
in
nin
inte
tere
rest
st,, "a
"a been
been in actuactual
al,, cont
contin
inuo
uous
us,,
uninterrupte, open, public, an a*erse possession
possession o# t"e -ubect Property in t"e concept o# o!ner
#or ore t"an 30 years.

No opposition !as file a$ainst t"e application an so petitioners proceee !it" t"e
presentation o# t"eir e*ience. )"e -tate !as represente in t"e proceein$s by ssistant Pro*incial
Prosecutor Jose . elasco, Jr.

+ase on t"e testionial an ocuentary e*ience presente. )eooro alano$ cae into
possession o# t"e -ubect Property in 1968. 7n t"e sae year, t"e -ubect Property !as trans#erre
to spouses l#reo )onio an $atona alano$. #ter t"e eise o# $atona alano$, t"e rest o# t"e
)onio #aily
#aily,, consistin$
consistin$ o# l#reo
l#reo an "is c"ilren
c"ilren,, -auel,
-auel, liabet"
liabet",, +enain,
+enain, 7ela an
st"er, s"are possession o# t"e -ubect Property. On 21 No*eber 1995, t"e )onio #aily sol t"e
-ubect Property to petitioners, as e*ience by a %ee o# bsolute -ale.

)"e "istory o# possession o# t"e -ubect Property !as supporte by ta: eclarations in t"e
nae o# petitioners an t"eir preecessorsininterest #ro 1958 to 1998. )"e trial court renere
a ecision appro*in$ petitioners; application #or re$istration o# t"e -ubect Property.
Property.

)"e Republic o# t"e P"ilippines, represente by t"e O#fice o# t"e -olicitor General, appeale
t"e ecision o# t"e trial court to t"e ourt o# ppeals. )"e ourt o# ppeals renere a ecision
settin$ asie t"e ecision o# t"e trial court, an isissin$ t"e application #or re$istration o# 
petitioners.

ID.,
ID., AR!"
AR!"#$T#$T %F T&# '#TITI%$
'#TITI%$#R.#R. 7n t"e ori$inal application file by petitioners
be#ore t"e trial court, t"ey clai t"at t"ey are entitle to confiration an re$istration o# t"eir title
to t"e -ubect Property in accorance !it" -ection 14 o# t"e Property Re$istration
Re$istration %ecree.

ID., D#F#$S#
D#F#$S# %F T&# R#S'%$D#$
R#S'%$D#$T T. )"e Republic alle$e t"at t"e petitioner #aile to
pro*e open, continuous, e:clusi*e
e:clusi*e an notorious possession an occupation o# t"e -ubect Property
since
since 12 June
June 1945,
1945, or earlie
earlierr, as re/ui
re/uire
re
 by -ecti
-ection
on 48&b'
48&b' o# oon
oon!e !ealt
alt"
" ct No. 141,
141,
ot"er!ise (no!n as t"e Public <an ct, as aene by P% No. 10=3. oreo*er, petitioners also

Pa$e 1 o# 
 Property

#aile to prouce unients o# title to tac( t"eir possession to t"ose o# t"eir preecessorsin
interest in copliance !it" t"e prescripti*e perio re/uire by la!.

ISS!#. >"et"er or not t"e petitioners "a*e coplie !it" t"e perio o# possession an
occupation re/uire by t"e Public <an ct.

R!I$. No. -ection 44 o# t"e Public <an ct, as aene by R No. 6940, !"ic" pro*ies
#or a prescripti*e perio o# t"irty &30' years possession, applies only to applications #or #ree
patents. On t"e ot"er "an, t"e uicial application #or confiration o# an iper#ect or incoplete
title o*er t"e -ubect Property is co*ere by -ection 48&b' o# t"e Public <an ct. 7n t"e case at bar,
t"e earliest perio t"at t"e applicants coul clai o!ners"ip o*er t"e property is in 1958, !"ic" is
t"e earliest ate Justina ?into$, t"e pre*ious o!ner@occupant, eclare t"e property #or ta:ation
purposes. )"is is #ar later t"an June 12, 1945, t"e ate prescribe by la! t"at t"e applicants;
possession uner clai o# o!ners"ip s"oul "a*e be$un at t"e latest. -ection 48&b' o# t"e Public
<an ct re/uires #or uicial confiration o# an iper#ect or incoplete title t"e continuous
possession o# t"e lan since 12 June 1945, or earlier, !"ic" petitioners "erein #aile to coply !it".

)"ere#ore, t"e petitioners "a*e #aile to coply !it" t"e perio o# possession an
occupation o# t"e -ubect Property, as re/uire by bot" t"e Property Re$istration %ecree an t"e
Public <an ct.

)"e petition is "ereby %N7% #or lac( o# erit.

Puno, "&haiman$, Austia'(atine), &alle*o, S., an +ina, --., concur

Pa$e  o# 