G.R. No. 169272 - NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'IS OF THE PHILIPPINES, REPRESENTED BY ITS SECRETARY GENERAL, VS. ALFREDO S. PASCUAL, IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE REGIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, REGIONAL OFFICE NO. 02.D E C I S I O N - Supreme Court E

Ruling

WHEREFORE, the Miscellaneous Sales Application Nos. V-65683, V-75134 and (II-2) 1047 of Marcelina Ordoño, Armando Valdez and Ricardo Gonzaga are hereby rejected forfeiting in favor of the government any amount paid on account thereof. Respondents Marcelina Ordoño, Armando Valdez, and Dionisio Gonzaga and all those in privity with them including the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahais shall, within sixty (60) days from receipt of a copy hereof, vacate Lots 3, 360 and 361 of Ccs-116 and remove their improvements thereon. One District Land Officer concerned shall thereafter take control and administration of the aforementioned lot until such time that the same can be disposed of in accordance with law. Protestant Silverio Songcuan shall file his appropriate public land application for Lot 361, Ccs-116 immediately upon the finality of this order. x x x x 11. A Motion for Reconsideration was filed on the aforementioned Decision, but the same was denied in an Order dated June 30, 1986. x x x; 12. Both the December 4, 1985 Decision and the Order dated June 30, 1986 were appealed by herein plaintiff to the Office of the Secretary of the DENR. However, the appeal was dismissed and the Decision and Order appealed from [were] affirmed in a Decision dated February 7, 1989. x x x. That Ricardo Gonzagas recourse to the [O]ffice of the President was likewise unavailing; 13. Subsequently Alias Writs of Execution were issued pursuant to the above Decision, one such writ is dated December 10, 1996, while the other one is dated June 6, 2000. x x x; x x x x PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court, after due notice and hearing to issue judgment: Decision 8 G.R. No. 169272 1. Declaring the plaintiff to be the true and lawful x x x possessor of Lots 3 and 361 all situated in Victory Sur, Santiago City; 2. Declaring defendants[] claims, documents or proceedings particularly the above quoted Decision and subsequent Writs of Execution issued by the DENR and/or Bureau of Lands [.] to be null and void and having no effect whatsoever as far as plaintiffs rights of possession, ownership over Lots 3 and 361[.] [15] From these allegations, we find it clear that the petitioner no longer had any legal or equitable title to or interest in the lots. The petitioners status as possessor and owner of the lots had been settled in the final and executory December 4, 1985 decision of the Bureau of Lands that the DENR Secretary and the OP affirmed on appeal. Thus, the petitioner is not entitled to the possession and ownership of the lots. Jurisprudence teaches us that the decisions and orders of administrative agencies, such as the Bureau of Lands, rendered pursuant to their quasi-judicial authority, upon finality, have the force and binding effect of a final judgment within the purview of the doctrine of res judicata . [16] The foundation principle upon which the doctrine rests is that the parties ought not to be permitted to litigate the same is