1oday |s 1hursday, lovombor 22, 2012

lopub||c ot tho lh|||pp|nos

5uPRENE COuR1
Van||a
|ll31 0lvl3lOl
C.R. No. L-01047 Octobor 12, 1084
REPuBL|C OF 1EE PE|L|PP|NE5 (D|REC1OR OF LAND5), pot|t|onor,
vs.
1EE EON. COuR1 OF APPEAL5, BENJAN|N 1ANC|NCO, AZuCENA1ANC|NCO REYE5, NAR|NA1ANC|NCO
|NPER|AL and NAR|O C. 1ANC|NCO, rospondonts.
7bo 5o|lcltor Ooooro| or potltlooor.
Vortlo B. Looroo or rospooooots.

Cu1|ERREZ, JR., J.:+. ' w phI 1
1h|s |s a pot|t|on tor cort|orar| to sot as|do tho doc|s|on ot tho rospondont Court ot Appoa|s (now lntormod|ato
Appo||ato Court) att|rm|ng tho doc|s|on ot tho Court ot ||rst lnstanco ot 3u|acan, ||tth 1ud|c|a| 0|str|ct, 3ranch vlll,
wh|ch tound that lots 1 and 2 ot l|an lsu-181802 aro accrot|on to tho |and covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o
lo. 80700 and ordorod tho|r rog|strat|on |n tho namos ot tho pr|vato rospondonts.
lospondonts 3onjam|n 1anc|nco, Azucona 1anc|nco loyos, Var|na (shou|d bo Var|a) 1anc|nco lmpor|a| and
Var|o C. 1anc|nco aro rog|storod ownors ot a parco| ot |and covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o lo. 1-80700
s|tuatod at 3arr|o Ub|han, Voycauayan, 3u|acan bordor|ng on tho Voycauayan and 3ocauo r|vors.
On 1uno 24, 1078, tho pr|vato rospondonts t||od an app||cat|on tor tho rog|strat|on ot throo |ots adjacont to tho|r
t|shpond proporty and part|cu|ar|y doscr|bod as to||ows: t o. bqw
lot 1-lsu-181802
(Var|a C. 1anc|nco)
A parco| ot |and (|ot 1 as shown on p|an lsu-181802), s|tuatod |n tho 3arr|o ot Ub|han, Vun|c|pa||ty ot
Voycauayan, lrov|nco ot 3u|acan. 3oundod on tho lE., a|ong ||no 1-2, by lot 8 ot p|an lsu-181802,
on tho 3E., a|ong ||nos 2-8-4, by Voycauayan l|vor, on tho 3.W., a|ong t|nos 4-b-0-7-8-0, by 3ocauo
l|vor, on tho lE., a|ong ||no 0-10, by proporty ot 1oaqu|na 3ant|ago, on tho E., lE., and lW., a|ong
||nos 10-11-12-1, by proporty ot Var|ano 1anc|nco (lot 2, lsu-111877). ... conta|n|ng an aroa ot
1|ll1Y 1|lEE 1|OU3Al0 lllE |Ul0lE0 1|ll1Y 3EvEl (88,087) 3OUAlE VE1El3. ...
lot 2-lsu-181802
(Var|a C. 1anc|nco)
A parco| ot |and (lot 2 as shown on p|an lsu-181802), s|tuatod |n tho 3arr|o ot Ub|han, Vun|c|pa||ty ot
Voycauayan, lrov|nco ot 3u|acan. 3oundod on tho E., a|ong ||no 1-2, by proporty ot latao| 3|ngson,
on tho 3., a|ong ||no 2-8, by Voycauayan l|vor, on tho 3W., a|ong ||no 8-4, by lot 8 ot p|an lsu-
181802, and on tho l., a|ong ||no 4-1, by proporty ot Var|ano 1anc|nco (lot 1, lsu-111877). ...
conta|n|ng an aroa ot |lvE 1|OU3Al0 |OUl |Ul0lE0 |l|1Y 1|lEE (b,4b8) 3OUAlE VE1El3.
...
lot 8-lsu-181802
(Var|a C. 1anc|nco)
A parco| ot |and (lot 8 as shown on p|an lsu-181802), s|tuatod |n tho 3arr|o ot Ub|han, Vun|c|pa||ty ot
Voycauayan, lrov|nco ot 3u|acan. 3oundod on tho lE., a|ong ||no 1-2, by proporty ot Var|ano
1anc|nco (lot 1, lsu-111877), and a|ong ||no 2-8, by lot 2 ot p|an lsu-181802, on tho 3., a|ong ||no
8-4, by Voycauayan l|vor, on tho 3W., a|ong ||no 4-b, by lot 1 ot p|an lsu-181802, and a|ong ||no b-
0 by proporty ot Var|ano 1anc|nco (lot 2, lsu-111877), and on tho lW., a|ong ||no 0-1, by proporty ot
1oaqu|na 3ant|ago. ... conta|n|ng an aroa ot OlE 1|OU3Al0 lllE |Ul0lE0 ElG|1Y |lvE (1,08b)
3OUAlE VE1El3. ...
On Apr|| b, 1074, Ass|stant lrov|nc|a| ||sca| Amando C. v|conto, |n roprosontat|on ot tho 3uroau ot lands t||od a
wr|tton oppos|t|on to tho app||cat|on tor rog|strat|on.
On Varch 0, 107b, tho pr|vato rospondonts t||od a part|a| w|thdrawa| ot tho app||cat|on tor rog|strat|on w|th rospoct
to lot 8 ot l|an lsu-181802 |n ||no w|th tho rocommondat|on ot tho Comm|ss|onor appo|ntod by tho Court.
On Varch 7, 107b, lot 8 was ordorod w|thdrawn trom tho app||cat|on and tr|a| procoodod on|y w|th rospoct to lots
1 and 2 covorod by l|an lsu-181802.
On 1uno 20, 1070, tho |owor court rondorod a doc|s|on grant|ng tho app||cat|on on tho t|nd|ng that tho |ands |n
quost|on aro accrot|ons to tho pr|vato rospondonts' t|shponds covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o lo. 80700.
1ho d|spos|t|vo port|on ot tho doc|s|on roads: t o. bqw
W|ElE|OlE, |t appoar|ng that lots 1 8 2 ot p|an lsu-181802 (Exh. |) aro accrot|ons to tho |and
covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o lo. 80700 ot tho log|stor ot 0oods ot 3u|acan, thoy bo|ong to
|awph||
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tho ownor ot sa|d proporty. 1ho Court, thorotoro, ordors tho rog|strat|on ot |ots 1 8 2 s|tuatod |n tho
barr|o ot Ub|han, mun|c|pa||ty ot Voycauayan, prov|nco ot 3u|acan, and moro part|cu|ar|y doscr|bod |n
p|an lsu-181802 (Exh. |) and tho|r accompany|ng tochn|ca| doscr|pt|ons (Exhs. E, E-1) |n tavor ot
3onjam|n 1anc|nco, marr|od to A|ma |ornandoz and ros|d|ng at 8002 |oathordown, 1o|odo, Oh|o
48014 U.3.A., Azucona 1anc|nco loyos, marr|od to A|ox loyos, 1r., ros|d|ng at 4th 3t., low Van||a,
Ouozon C|ty, Var|na 1anc|nco lmpor|a|, marr|od to 1uan lmpor|a|, ros|d|ng at lasay load, 0asmar|as
v|||ago, Vakat|, l|za|, and Var|o C. 1anc|nco, marr|od to lot|c|a log|dor, ros|d|ng at 1010 Cypross 3t.,
0asmar|as v|||ago, Vakat|, l|za|, a|| ot |oga| ago, a|| ||||p|no c|t|zons.
On 1u|y 80, 1070, tho pot|t|onor lopub||c appoa|od to tho rospondont Court ot Appoa|s.
On August, 10, 1082, tho rospondont Court rondorod a doc|s|on att|rm|ng lo toto tho doc|s|on ot tho |owor court.
1ho d|spos|t|vo port|on ot tho doc|s|on roads: t o. bqw
0A|ll 0l1O, ang hato| na |n|akyat ay s|nasangayunan at p|nagt|t|bay sa kanyang kabuuan nang
wa|ang bayad.
1ho ru|o that tho t|nd|ngs ot tact ot tho tr|a| court and tho Court ot Appoa|s aro b|nd|ng upon th|s Court adm|ts ot
corta|n oxcopt|ons. 1hus |n Coro|loo looostrlos loc. v. CV5 5tock Brokorogo, loc. (07 3ClA 784) wo ho|d that th|s
Court rota|ns tho powor to rov|ow and roct|ty tho t|nd|ngs ot tact ot sa|d courts whon (1) tho conc|us|on |s a t|nd|ng
groundod ont|ro|y on spocu|at|ons, surm|sos and conjocturos, (2) whon tho |ntoronco mado |s man|tost|y m|stakon,
absurd, and |mposs|b|o, (8) whoro thoro |s gravo abuso ot d|scrot|on, (4) whon tho judgmont |s basod on a
m|sapprohons|on ot tacts, and (b) whon tho court, |n mak|ng |ts t|nd|ngs, wont boyond tho |ssuos ot tho caso and
tho samo aro contrary to tho adm|ss|ons ot both appo||ant and appo||oo.
1horo aro tacts and c|rcumstancos |n tho rocord wh|ch rondor untonab|o tho t|nd|ngs ot tho tr|a| court and tho
Court ot Appoa|s that tho |ands |n quost|on aro accrot|ons to tho pr|vato rospondonts' t|shponds.
1ho pot|t|onor subm|ts that thoro |s no accrot|on to spoak ot undor Art|c|o 4b7 ot tho low C|v|| Codo bocauso what
actua||y happonod |s that tho pr|vato rospondonts s|mp|y transtorrod tho|r d|kos turthor down tho r|vor bod ot tho
Voycauayan l|vor, and thus, |t thoro |s any accrot|on to spoak ot, |t |s man-mado and art|t|c|a| and not tho rosu|t ot
tho gradua| and |mporcopt|b|o sod|montat|on by tho wators ot tho r|vor.
On tho othor hand, tho pr|vato rospondonts ro|y on tho tost|mony ot Vrs. v|rg|n|a Acua to tho ottoct that: t o. bqw
xxx xxx xxx
... whon w|tnoss t|rst saw tho |and, namo|y, lots 1 8 2, thoy woro a|roady dry a|most at tho |ovo| ot tho
l||ap|| ot tho proporty ot 0r. 1anc|nco, and that trom tho boundar|os ot tho |ots, tor about two (2) arms
|ongth tho |and was st||| dry up to tho odgo ot tho r|vor, that somot|mo |n 10b1, a now l||ap|| was
ostab||shod on tho boundar|os ot lots 1 8 2 and so|| trom tho o|d l||ap|| was transtorrod to tho now
l||ap|| and th|s was dono somot|mo |n 10b1, that tho now |ots woro thon convortod |nto t|shpond, and
wator |n th|s t|shpond was two (2) motors doop on tho s|do ot tho l||ap|| tac|ng tho t|shpond ... .
1ho pr|vato rospondonts subm|t that tho torogo|ng ov|donco ostab||shos tho tact ot accrot|on w|thout human
|ntorvont|on bocauso tho transtor ot tho d|ko occurrod attor tho accrot|on was comp|oto.
Wo agroo w|th tho pot|t|onor.
Art|c|o 4b7 ot tho low C|v|| Codo prov|dos: t o. bqw
1o tho ownors ot |ands adjo|n|ng tho banks ot r|vors bo|ong tho accrot|on wh|ch thoy gradua||y roco|vo
trom tho ottocts ot tho curront ot tho wators.
1ho abovo-quotod art|c|o roqu|ros tho concurronco ot throo roqu|s|tos botoro an accrot|on covorod by th|s
part|cu|ar prov|s|on |s sa|d to havo takon p|aco. 1hoy aro (1) that tho dopos|t bo gradua| and |mporcopt|b|o, (2)
that |t bo mado through tho ottocts ot tho curront ot tho wator, and (8) that tho |and whoro accrot|on takos p|aco |s
adjacont to tho banks ot r|vors.
1ho roqu|romont that tho dopos|t shou|d bo duo to tho ottoct ot tho curront ot tho r|vor |s |nd|sponsab|o. 1h|s
oxc|udos trom Art. 4b7 ot tho low C|v|| Codo a|| dopos|ts causod by human |ntorvont|on. A||uv|on must bo tho
oxc|us|vo work ot naturo. ln tho |nstant caso, thoro |s no ov|donco whatsoovor to provo that tho add|t|on to tho sa|d
proporty was mado gradua||y through tho ottocts ot tho curront ot tho Voycauayan and 3ocauo r|vors. Wo agroo
w|th tho obsorvat|on ot tho 3o||c|tor Gonora| that |t |s propostorous to bo||ovo that a|most tour (4) hoctaros ot |and
camo |nto bo|ng bocauso ot tho ottocts ot tho Voycauayan and 3ocauo r|vors. 1ho |ono w|tnoss ot tho pr|vato
rospondonts who happons to bo tho|r ovorsoor and whoso husband was t|rst cous|n ot tho|r tathor not|cod tho tour
hoctaro accrot|on to tho two|vo hoctaro t|shpond on|y |n 1080. 1ho rospondonts c|a|m that at th|s po|nt |n t|mo,
accrot|on had a|roady takon p|aco. lt so, tho|r w|tnoss was |ncompotont to tost|ty to a gradua| and |mporcopt|b|o
|ncroaso to tho|r |and |n tho yoars botoro 1080. |owovor, tho w|tnoss tost|t|od that lo tbot yoor, sho obsorvoo an
|ncroaso |n tho aroa ot tho or|g|na| t|shpond wh|ch |s now tho |and |n quost|on. lt sho was to|||ng tho truth, tho
accrot|on was suddon. |owovor, thoro |s ov|donco that tho a||ogod a||uv|a| dopos|ts woro art|t|c|a| and man-mado
and not tho oxc|us|vo rosu|t ot tho curront ot tho Voycauayan and 3ocauo r|vors. 1ho a||ogod a||uv|a| dopos|ts
camo |nto bo|ng not bocauso ot tho so|o ottoct ot tho curront ot tho r|vors but as a rosu|t ot tho transtor ot tho d|ko
towards tho r|vor and oncroach|ng upon |t. 1ho |and sought to bo rog|storod |s not ovon dry |and cast
|mporcopt|b|y and gradua||y by tho r|vor's curront on tho t|shpond adjo|n|ng |t. lt |s undor two motors ot wator. 1ho
pr|vato rospondonts' own ov|donco shows that tho wator |n tho t|shpond |s two motors doop on tho s|do ot tho
p||ap|| tac|ng tho t|shpond and on|y ono motor doop on tho s|do ot tho p||ap|| tac|ng tho r|vor
1ho roason boh|nd tho |aw g|v|ng tho r|par|an ownor tho r|ght to any |and or a||uv|on dopos|tod by a r|vor |s to
componsato h|m tor tho dangor ot |oss that ho suttors bocauso ot tho |ocat|on ot h|s |and. lt ostatos bordor|ng on
r|vors aro oxposod to t|oods and othor ov||s producod by tho dostruct|vo torco ot tho wators and |t by v|rtuo ot
|awtu| prov|s|ons, sa|d ostatos aro subjoct to |ncumbrancos and var|ous k|nds ot oasomonts, |t |s propor that tho
r|sk or dangor wh|ch may projud|co tho ownors thoroot shou|d bo componsatod by tho r|ght ot accrot|on. (Cortos v.
C|ty ot Van||a, 10 lh||. b07). |onco, tho r|par|an ownor doos not acqu|ro tho add|t|ons to h|s |and causod by
spoc|a| works oxpross|y |ntondod or dos|gnod to br|ng about accrot|on. Whon tho pr|vato rospondonts transtorrod
tho|r d|kos towards tho r|vor bod, tho d|kos woro moant tor roc|amat|on purposos and not to protoct tho|r proporty
trom tho dostruct|vo torco ot tho wators ot tho r|vor.
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Wo agroo w|th tho subm|ss|on ot tho 3o||c|tor Gonora| that tho tost|mony ot tho pr|vato rospondonts' |ono w|tnoss
to tho ottoct that as oar|y as 1080 thoro a|roady ox|stod such a||ogod a||uv|a| dopos|ts, dosorvos no mor|t. lt shou|d
bo notod that tho |ots |n quost|on woro not |nc|udod |n tho survoy ot tho|r adjacont proporty conductod on Vay 10,
1040 and |n tho Cadastra| 3urvoy ot tho ont|ro Vun|c|pa||ty ot Voycauayan conductod botwoon tho yoars 10b8 to
1000. 1ho a||ogod accrot|on was doc|arod tor taxat|on purposos on|y |n 1072 or 88 yoars attor |t had supposod|y
pormanont|y tormod. 1ho on|y va||d conc|us|on thorotoro |s that tho sa|d aroas cou|d not havo boon thoro |n 1080.
1hoy ox|stod on|y attor tho pr|vato rospondonts transtorrod tho|r d|kos towards tho bod ot tho Voycauayan r|vor |n
10b1. What pr|vato rospondonts c|a|m as accrot|on |s roa||y an oncroachmont ot a port|on ot tho Voycauayan r|vor
by roc|amat|on.
1ho |owor court cannot va||d|y ordor tho rog|strat|on ot lots 1 8 2 |n tho namos ot tho pr|vato rospondonts. 1hoso
|ots woro port|ons ot tho bod ot tho Voycauayan r|vor and aro thorotoro c|ass|t|od as proporty ot tho pub||c doma|n
undor Art|c|o 420 paragraph 1 and Art|c|o b02, paragraph 1 ot tho C|v|| Codo ot tho lh|||pp|nos. 1hoy aro not opon
to rog|strat|on undor tho land log|strat|on Act. 1ho adjud|cat|on ot tho |ands |n quost|on as pr|vato proporty |n tho
namos ot tho pr|vato rospondonts |s nu|| and vo|d.
W|ElE|OlE, tho |nstant pot|t|on |s GlAl1E0. 1ho doc|s|on appoa|od trom |s horoby lEvEl3E0 and 3E1
A3l0E. 1ho pr|vato rospondonts aro ordorod to movo back tho d|kos ot tho|r t|shponds to tho|r or|g|na| |ocat|on
and roturn tho d|sputod proporty to tho r|vor to wh|ch |t bo|ongs.
3O Ol0ElE0.1wpb 1. t
7oobookoo, Actg. C.1., Vo|ooclo-lorroro, P|ooo, Ro|ovo ooo Lo |o loooto, 11., coocor.
1ho lawph|| lrojoct - Aro||ano law |oundat|on
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