7. MARCO REFERENCIAL:
7.3 MARCO LEGAL E INSTITUCIONAL
7.3.2 Instrumentos para la gestiónambiental sectorial
GR No L?0 No)em;er @ /02
FACTS4
Applicant Alipio Alinsunurin soug!t t!e registration of title under Act >/ a &ast tract of land, containing an area of -/,<00 !ectares, "ore or less, situated at t!e "unicipalit# of Laur, pro&ince of $ue&a 2cija.n Ma# 4, -//, t!e Director of Lands, Director of orestr#, and t!e Ar"ed orces of t!e P!ilippines opposed t!e application, clai"ing t!at t!e applicant as it!out sufficient title and as not in open, e+clusi&e, continuous and notorious possession and occupation of t!e land in %uestion for at least t!irt# );0* #ears i""ediatel# preceding t!e filing of t!e applicationK t!at appro+i"atel# -;,4? !ectares of said land consist of t!e "ilitar# reser&ation of ort Magsa#sa# establis!ed under Procla"ation $o. ;?.
n -//, t!e applicant Alipio Alinsunurin filed a "otion for substitution of parties, re%uesting t!at t!e Paraa%ue n&est"ent and De&elop"ent Corporation be considered as t!e applicant in !is place, it !a&ing ac%uired all !is rig!ts, interests, oners!ip and do"inion o&er t!e propert#
t is clai"ed b# t!e applicant t!at Melecio Padilla ac%uired t!e land b# &irtue of a possessor# infor"ation title issued during t!e Spanis! regi"e and upon !is deat! in -00, !e trans"itted t!e oners!ip and possession t!ereof to !is daug!ter and sole !eir, Maria Padilla. T!e latter in turn continued to culti&ate t!e land t!ru tenants and utiliEed portions for pasture, until !er deat! so"eti"e in ->>.
T!e loer court rendered decision !olding t!at t!e parcel of land applied for is adjudicated to and ordered to be registered in fa&or of Paraa%ue n&est"ent and De&elop"ent Corporation ); of t!e land as adjudicated to PDC*, and t!e re"aining -; portion to Ta"a#o.
ISS3E4
7$ PDC or its predecessorsHinHinterest !a&e been in C2$P of t!e subject propert# )$*HELD4
T!e applicant relies on a purported titulo de infor"acion posesoria issued in t!e na"e of Melecio Padilla. (oe&er, neit!er t!e original of t!e said titulo de infor"acion posesoria, nor a dul# aut!enticated cop# t!ereof, as sub"itted in e&idence, and t!ere are serious flas on t!e faces of t!e alleged copies of t!e docu"ent.Moreo&er, according to t!e official records of t!e Register of Deeds, on t!e basis of t!e 1List of Possessor# nfor"ation Titles )Spanis! Titles* of $ue&a 2cija1, t!e corresponding supporting docu"ents of !ic! are @ept in t!e &ault of said office, t!e na"e of Melecio Padilla does not appear a"ong t!ose listed as !olders of infor"acion posesoria titles. T!ere is anot!er factor !ic! eig!s !ea&il# against t!e clai" of t!e applicant. T!e alleged infor"acion posesoria co&ers an area of 1seis "il %uiiones, poco "as e "enos1 or an e%ui&alent of -/,<00 !ectares. =nder t!e Ro#al Decrees in force at t!e ti"e of t!e supposed ac%uisition, no one could ac%uire public land in e+cess of -,000 !ectares. T!us, t!e Ro#al Decrees of $o&e"ber 4,
-<<0 and ctober /, -<<-, pro!ibited an# grant of public land in e+cess of one t!ousand )-,000* !ectares
Also under Spanis! la, in order t!at an infor"acion posesoria "a# be considered as title of oners!ip, it "ust be pro&en t!at t!e !older t!ereof !as co"plied it! t!e pro&isions of Article ;; of t!e Spanis! Mortgage La.
t cannot be clai"ed t!at t!e registration of possession !as been legall# con&erted into a registration of oners!ip because Melecio Padilla !ad not co"plied it! t!e re%uire"ents of Article ;; of t!e Spanis! Mortgage La, to it: 1t!at t!e applicant !as been in open possession of t!e landK t!at an application to t!is effect be filed after t!e e+piration of 0 #ears fro" t!e date of suc! registrationK t!at suc! con&ersion be announced b# "eans of a procla"ation in a proper official bulletinK t!at t!e Court order t!e con&ersion of t!e registration of possession into a record of oners!ipK and t!at t!e Registrar "a@e t!e proper record t!ereof in t!e Registr#.1
2&identl#, Melecio Padilla, !a&ing died on ebruar# , -00, barel# fi&e )4* #ears after t!e inscription of t!e infor"acion posesoria, could not !a&e con&erted t!e sa"e into a record of oners!ip tent# )0* #ears after suc! inscription, pursuant to Article ;; of t!e Spanis! Mortgage La.
t see"s ob&ious, on t!e basis of t!e facts in t!e record, t!at neit!er applicant Paraa%ue n&est"ent and De&elop"ent Corporation nor Alipio Alinsunurin nor t!e latter6s predecessorsH inHinterest !a&e been 1in open, continuous, e+clusi&e, and notorious possession and occupation1 of t!e propert# in %uestion, 1under a bona fide clai" of ac%uisition or oners!ip, for at least t!irt# #ears i""ediatel# preceding t!e filing of t!e application for confir"ation of title.1
A "ere casual culti&ation of portions of t!e land b# t!e clai"ant, and t!e raising t!ereon of cattle, do not constitute possession under clai" of oners!ip. n t!at sense, possession is not e+clusi&e and notorious so as to gi&e rise to a presu"pti&e grant fro" t!e State. 7!ile graEing li&estoc@ o&er land is of course to be considered it! ot!er acts of do"inion to s!o possession, t!e "ere occupanc# of land b# graEing li&estoc@ upon it, it!out substantial inclosures or ot!er per"anent i"pro&e"ents, is not sufficient to support a clai" of title t!ru ac%uisiti&e prescription. T!e possession of public land, !oe&er long t!e period "a# !a&e e+tended, ne&er confers title t!ereto upon t!e possessor because t!e statute of li"itations it! regard to public land does not operate against t!e State, unless t!e occupant can pro&e possession and occupation of t!e sa"e under clai" of oners!ip for t!e re%uired nu"ber of #ears to constitute a grant fro" t!e State.
DIRECTOR OF LANDS -S TESALONA
GR No. /1 Se!tem;er @ /002
FACTS4
n June ;, -?-, sabel, Consuelo and Serapia Tesalona filed an application for registration of fi&e )4* parcels of land it! t!e C of IueEon, u"aca ranc!. T!e# alleged t!at t!e# ac%uired t!e lands t!roug! succession fro" t!eir "ot!er Magdalena.T!e# said t!at t!eir great grand "ot!er Maria Rosita LorenEo ac%uired ?.>;>; !ectares of land located in IueEon under a
possessor# infor"ation title dated Ma# 0, -</ under t!e Ro#al Decree of ebruar# -;, -<>.
T!e Director of Lands t!roug! t!e Assistant Pro&incial iscal of IueEon filed !is opposition to t!e application alleging t!at neit!er t!e applicants nor t!eir predecessorsHinHinterest !ad sufficient title of t!e land applied for nor !ad t!e# been in possession t!ereof for a period of at least t!irt# );0* #ears i""ediatel# preceding t!e filing of t!e application and t!at t!e sa"e is public land.
Constancio dela Pena Tan li@eise filed an opposition e&en as !e supported t!e go&ern"ent6s contention t!at t!e lands applied for are part of t!e public do"ain. Tan a&erred t!at !e !ad possessed t!e land as lessee for a period of "ore t!an t!irt# fi&e );4* #ears. S!e said t!at t!e lands ere con&erted into fis!ponds and !ad been subject of a sales application so"eti"e in -/;. -- T!e application to purc!ase filed b# Constancio is still pending before t!e ureau of Lands.
Loer court decision: After !earing, t!e trial court rendered judg"ent adjudicating Lot $os. ;, > and 4 in fa&or of t!e applicants and declaring Lot $os. - and as oned b# t!e go&ern"ent subject to t!e rig!ts of t!e lessee, Constancio dela Pena Tan, pending t!e appro&al of !is sales application.
T!e CA ruled t!at lots -H4 s!ould be registered under t!e na"es of Tesalona's siblings.
T!e Director of lands filed t!e instant petition.
ISS3E4
7!et!er or not t!e !eirs !a&e rig!ts o&er lots - . )$*HELD
: Sub"ission of tracing clot! plan is "andator# !ic! t!e Tesalonas ere not able to co"pl#. To begin it!, t!e original tracing clot! plan of t!e land applied for as not sub"itted in e&idence b# pri&ate respondents. Suc! o"ission is fatal to t!eir application as t!e sub"ission of t!e original tracing clot! plan is a statutor# re%uire"ent of "andator# c!aracter.7!ile a blue print of sur&e# Plan Psu -4;< as sur&e #ed for t!e (eirs of Magdalena LiEada as presented before t!e trial court, t!e sa"e falls s!ort of t!e "andator# re%uire"ent of la.
T!e original tracing clot! plan, toget!er it! t!e duplicate cop# of t!eir application for registration of land title ere under t!e custod# of t!e Land Registration Co""ission )LRC* at t!at ti"e. ut suc! does not relie&e t!e pri&ate respondents of t!eir dut# to retrie&e t!e said tracing clot! plan and s ub"it it before t!e court. n t!e case of Director of Lands &. Re#es, t!is Court clearl# declared t!at if t!e original tracing plan as forarded to t!e LRC, 1t!e applicants "a# easil# retrie&e t!e sa"e t!erefro" and sub"it t!e sa"e in e&idence.1 T!is as not done. Assu"ing t!at t!e sa"e as in t!eir possession during t!e trial, pri&ate respondents s!ould !a&e "ade it a&ailable to t!e trial court for &erification.
T!e proofs presented b# Tesalona's ere %uestionable and t!e basis of t!e clai" of t!e (eirs of Tesalona, !erein pri&ate respondents, is a Spanis! title, a possessor# infor"ation title issued on Ma# 0, -</ to Maria Rosita LorenEo pursuant to t!e Ro#al Decree of ebruar# -;, -<> for -.0><- !ectares. ut pri&ate respondents did not sub"it t!e original of t!e possessor#
infor"ation title. 7!at as sub"itted as an unclear, illegible cop# of a Spanis! docu"ent purporting to be t!e title e&idencing t!e land grant of -</.
)Also t!is part of t!e Court's decision is "ore connected it! t!e topic of C2$P*
Lot Nos. / %nd =ere &%ssi"ied %s s=%m!y %re% %nd =ere
%s e%r&y %s /0@ "i&&ed =it# m%ngro)e trees.
T!is belies t!e contention of !erein pri&ate respondents t!at said lots ere planted to coconuts in -0 and, t!ereafter, to pala# and ot!er seasonal crops. eing sa"p# area co&ered b# "angro&e trees and t!e li@e, t!ese lots "a# &er# ell be considered and classified as forest lands. n t!e case of 9eirs of :ose +m!nate0!i &. Director of #orestr" e declared t!at:
FA forested area classified as forest land of t!e public do"ain does not lose suc! classification si"pl# because loggers or settlers "a# !a&e stripped it of its forest co&er. Parcels of land classified as forest land "a# actuall# be co&ered it! grass or planted to crops b# @aingin culti&ators or ot!er far"ers. 1orest lands1 do not !a&e to be on "ountains or in out of t!e a# place. Swamp" areas co&ere b" man0ro&e trees, nipa palms, an other trees 0rowin0 in bracish or sea water ma" also be classifie as forest lan . T!e classification is descripti&e of its legal nature or status and does not !a&e to be descripti&e of !at t!e land actuall# loo@s li@e. =nless and until t!e land classified as 1forest1 is released in an official procla"ation to t!at effect so t!at it "a# for" part of t!e disposable agricultural lands of t!e public do"ain, t!e rules on confir"ation of i"perfect title do not appl#.G
Moreo&er, ellHentrenc!ed is t!e rule t!at possession of forest lands, no "atter !o long, cannot ripen into pri&ate oners!ip. ts inclusion in a title, !et!er t!e title be issued during t!e Spanis! regi"e or under t!e Torrens S#ste", nullifies t!e title.