G.R. No. 255266 - REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, VS. EDUARDO MANAHAN.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E-Library

Ruling

WHEREFORE, finding the application to be in order and impressed with merit judgment is hereby rendered declaring the application, EDUARDO MANAHAN, to be the owner in fee-simple of the subject three (3) parcels of land known as Lots 320, 4500 & 4526 with an area of 2,506, 2,620, & 2,890 square meters, respectively, and more particularly identified in the Survey Plan No. Ap-04-01-014026 with appurtenant Technical Descriptions and accordingly, his title thereto is hereto confirmed and registered under P.D. No. 1529, otherwise known as the Prope1iy Registration Decree. [28] The MTC held that Eduardo was able to sufficiently prove all the elements of a valid title over the subject lots in accordance with Section 14, paragraph 1 [29] of Presidential Decree No. 1529 or the Property Registration Decree, namely: (1) the applicant is a resident and a citizen of the Philippines; (2) the lands applied for are alienable and disposable at the time of the application; and (3) the applicant and his predecessor-­in-interest had been in open, continuous, exclusive, adverse possession and occupation under a bona fide claim of ownership since June 12, 1945, or earlier. [30] The MTC particularly determined that (1) Eduardo, a Filipino of legal age, was qualified for registration under the Property Registration Decree; (2) Eduardo and his predecessors-in-interest had been in possession of the subject lots as early as 1949; and (3) the subject lots were classified as alienable and disposable on March 11, 1927, per Land Classification Map No. 639, as stated in the CENRO Certification. The MTC further cited TCT Nos. 212401 and 212396, the Torrens certificates of title issued for the properties adjacent to the subject lots, as basis to conclude that the lots in question are similarly alienable and disposable. [31] The Republic, through the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), appealed the MTC Decision to the CA. [32] The Ruling of the CA In the assailed Decision, [33] the CA dismissed the Republic's appeal and affirmed the MTC Decision in toto , to wit: WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the appeal is hereby DISMISSED. The Decision dated December 6, 2011 of the Municipal Trial Court of San Mateo, Rizal, Fourth Judicial Region, in LRC Case No. 085-04 is AFFIRMED in toto . SO ORDERED.