1oday |s Wodnosday, lovombor 21, 2012

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

5uPRENE COuR1
Van||a
1|ll0 0lvl3lOl
C.R. No. 180488 Novombor 11, 2004
1EOF|LO C. V|LLAR|CO, pot|t|onor,
vs.
V|VENC|O 5ARN|EN1O, 5POu5E5 BE55|E 5ARN|EN1O-DEL NuNDO & BE1E DEL NuNDO, ANDOK'5
L|15ON CORPORA1|ON and NAR|1E5' CAR|NDER|A, rospondonts.
0 E C l 3 l O l
5ANDOVAL-Cu1|ERREZ, .:
3otoro us |s a pot|t|on tor rov|ow on cort|orar| ot tho 0oc|s|on
1
ot tho Court ot Appoa|s datod 0ocombor 7, 1008 |n
CA-G.l. Cv lo. b4888, att|rm|ng |n toto tho 0oc|s|on
2
ot tho log|ona| 1r|a| Court (l1C) ot laraaquo C|ty,
3ranch 2b0, datod lovombor 14, 1000, |n C|v|| Caso lo. 0b-044.
1ho tacts ot th|s caso, as g|oanod trom tho t|nd|ngs ot tho Court ot Appoa|s, aro:
1oot||o C. v|||ar|co, pot|t|onor, |s tho ownor ot a |ot |n la |uorta, laraaquo C|ty, Votro Van||a w|th an aroa ot s|xty-
s|x (00) squaro motors and covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o (1.C.1.) lo. 0b4b8 |ssuod by tho log|stry ot
0oods, samo c|ty.
lot|t|onor's |ot |s soparatod trom tho l|noy Aqu|no Avonuo (h|ghway) by a str|p ot |and bo|ong|ng to tho
govornmont. As th|s h|ghway was o|ovatod by tour (4) motors and thorotoro h|ghor than tho adjo|n|ng aroas, tho
0opartmont ot lub||c Works and ||ghways (0lW|) constructod sta|rways at sovora| port|ons ot th|s str|p ot pub||c
|and to onab|o tho poop|o to havo accoss to tho h|ghway.
3omot|mo |n 1001, v|vonc|o 3arm|onto, h|s daughtor 3oss|o 3arm|onto and hor husband 3oth 0o| Vundo,
rospondonts horo|n, had a bu||d|ng constructod on a port|on ot sa|d govornmont |and. ln lovombor that samo
yoar, a part thoroot was occup|od by Andok's l|tson Corporat|on and Var|tos' Car|ndor|a, a|so |mp|oadod as
rospondonts.
ln 1008, by moans ot a 0ood ot Exchango ot loa| lroporty, pot|t|onor acqu|rod a 74.80 squaro motor port|on ot
tho samo aroa ownod by tho govornmont. 1ho proporty was rog|storod |n h|s namo as 1.C.1. lo. 74480 |n tho
log|stry ot 0oods ot laraaquo C|ty.
ln 100b, pot|t|onor t||od w|th tho l1C, 3ranch 2b0, laraaquo C|ty, a comp|a|nt tor acc|on pub||c|ana aga|nst
rospondonts, dockotod as C|v|| Caso lo. 0b-044. |o a||ogod |ntor a||a that rospondonts' structuros on tho
govornmont |and c|osod h|s r|ght ot way to tho l|noy Aqu|no Avonuo, and oncroachod on a port|on ot h|s |ot
covorod by 1.C.1. lo. 74480.
lospondonts, |n tho|r answor, spoc|t|ca||y don|od pot|t|onor's a||ogat|ons, c|a|m|ng that thoy havo boon |ssuod
||consos and porm|ts by laraaquo C|ty to construct tho|r bu||d|ngs on tho aroa, and that pot|t|onor has no r|ght
ovor tho subjoct proporty as |t bo|ongs to tho govornmont.
Attor tr|a|, tho l1C rondorod |ts 0oc|s|on, tho d|spos|t|vo port|on ot wh|ch roads:
W|ElE|OlE, prom|sos cons|dorod, judgmont |s horoby rondorod:
1. 0oc|ar|ng tho dotondants to havo a bottor r|ght ot possoss|on ovor tho subjoct |and oxcopt tho
port|on thoroot covorod by 1ranstor Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o lo. 74480 ot tho log|stor ot 0oods ot
laraaquo,
2. Ordor|ng tho dotondants to vacato tho port|on ot tho subjoct prom|sos doscr|bod |n 1ranstor
Cort|t|cato ot 1|t|o lo. 74480 and g|vos |ts possoss|on to p|a|nt|tt, and
8. 0|sm|ss|ng tho c|a|m tor damagos ot tho p|a|nt|tt aga|nst tho dotondants, and ||kow|so d|sm|ss|ng
tho c|a|m tor attornoy's toos ot tho |attor aga|nst tho tormor.
W|thout pronouncomont as to costs.
3O Ol0ElE0.
8
1ho tr|a| court tound that pot|t|onor has novor boon |n possoss|on ot any port|on ot tho pub||c |and |n quost|on. On
tho contrary, tho dotondants aro tho onos who havo boon |n actua| possoss|on ot tho aroa. Accord|ng to tho tr|a|
court, pot|t|onor was not dopr|vod ot h|s r|ght ot way as ho cou|d uso tho Kap|tan 1|noy 3troot as passagoway to
tho h|ghway.
On appoa| by pot|t|onor, tho Court ot Appoa|s |ssuod |ts 0oc|s|on att|rm|ng tho tr|a| court's 0oc|s|on |n toto, thus:
|awph||
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W|ElE|OlE, tho judgmont horoby appoa|od trom |s horoby A||llVE0 |n toto, w|th costs aga|nst tho
p|a|nt|tt-appo||ant.
3O Ol0ElE0.
4
ln th|s pot|t|on, pot|t|onor ascr|bos to tho Court ot Appoa|s tho to||ow|ng ass|gnmonts ot orror:
l
1|E |ll0llG3 O| |AC1 O| 1|E |Ol. COUl1 O| AllEAl3 COl1AllE0 A COlClU3lOl Wl1|OU1
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W|E1|El Ol lO1 1|E llAll1l||-AllEllAl1 |A3 ACOUllE0 A llG|1 O| WAY OvEl 1|E lAl0 O|
1|E GOvEllVEl1 W|lC| l3 3E1WEEl |l3 llOlEl1Y Al0 1|E lllOY AOUllO AvElUE.
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ln tho|r commont, rospondonts ma|nta|n that tho Court ot Appoa|s d|d not orr |n ru||ng that pot|t|onor's act|on tor
acc|on pub||c|ana |s not tho propor romody |n assort|ng h|s r|ght ot way on a |ot ownod by tho govornmont.
|oro, pot|t|onor c|a|ms that rospondonts, by construct|ng tho|r bu||d|ngs on tho |ot |n quost|on, havo dopr|vod h|m
ot h|s r|ght ot way and h|s r|ght ot possoss|on ovor a cons|dorab|o port|on ot tho samo |ot, wh|ch port|on |s
covorod by h|s 1.C.1. lo. 74480 ho acqu|rod by moans ot oxchango ot roa| proporty.
lt |s not d|sputod that tho |ot on wh|ch pot|t|onor's a||ogod r|ght ot way ox|sts bo|ongs to tho stato or proporty ot
pub||c dom|n|on. lroporty ot pub||c dom|n|on |s dot|nod by Art|c|o 420 ot tho C|v|| Codo as to||ows:
Al1. 420. 1ho to||ow|ng th|ngs aro proporty ot pub||c dom|n|on:
(1) 1hoso |ntondod tor pub||c uso such as roads, cana|s, r|vors, torronts, ports and br|dgos constructod by
tho 3tato, banks, shoros, roadstoads, and othor ot s|m||ar charactor.
(2) 1hoso wh|ch bo|ong to tho 3tato, w|thout bo|ng tor pub||c uso, and aro |ntondod tor somo pub||c sorv|co
or tor tho dovo|opmont ot tho nat|ona| woa|th.
lub||c uso |s uso that |s not cont|nod to pr|v||ogod |nd|v|dua|s, but |s opon to tho |ndot|n|to pub||c.
0
locords show
that tho |ot on wh|ch tho sta|rways woro bu||t |s tor tho uso ot tho poop|o as passagoway to tho h|ghway.
Consoquont|y, |t |s a proporty ot pub||c dom|n|on.
lroporty ot pub||c dom|n|on |s outs|do tho commorco ot man and honco |t: (1) cannot bo a||onatod or |oasod or
othorw|so bo tho subjoct mattor ot contracts, (2) cannot bo acqu|rod by proscr|pt|on aga|nst tho 3tato, (8) |s not
subjoct to attachmont and oxocut|on, and (4) cannot bo burdonod by any vo|untary oasomont.
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Cons|dor|ng that tho |ot on wh|ch tho sta|rways woro constructod |s a proporty ot pub||c dom|n|on, |t can not bo
burdonod by a vo|untary oasomont ot r|ght ot way |n tavor ot horo|n pot|t|onor. ln tact, |ts uso by tho pub||c |s by
moro to|oranco ot tho govornmont through tho 0lW|. lot|t|onor cannot appropr|ato |t tor h|mso|t. vor||y, ho can
not c|a|m any r|ght ot possoss|on ovor |t. 1h|s |s c|oar trom Art|c|o b80 ot tho C|v|| Codo wh|ch prov|dos:
Al1. b80. On|y th|ngs and r|ghts wh|ch aro suscopt|b|o ot bo|ng appropr|atod may bo tho objoct ot
possoss|on.
Accord|ng|y, both tho tr|a| court and tho Court ot Appoa|s orrod |n ru||ng that rospondonts havo bottor r|ght ot
possoss|on ovor tho subjoct |ot.
|owovor, tho tr|a| court and tho Court ot Appoa|s tound that dotondants' bu||d|ngs woro constructod on tho port|on
ot tho samo |ot now covorod by 1.C.1. lo. 74480 |n pot|t|onor's namo. 3o|ng |ts ownor, ho |s ont|t|od to |ts
possoss|on.
W|ElE|OlE, tho pot|t|on |s 0EllE0. 1ho assa||od 0oc|s|on ot tho Court ot Appoa|s datod 0ocombor 7, 1008 |n
CA-G.l. Cv lo. b4888 |s A||llVE0 w|th VO0l|lCA1lOl |n tho sonso that no|thor pot|t|onor nor rospondonts
havo a r|ght ot possoss|on ovor tho d|sputod |ot whoro tho sta|rways woro bu||t as |t |s a proporty ot pub||c
dom|n|on. Costs aga|nst pot|t|onor.
3O Ol0ElE0.
Poogoolboo, (Cbolrmoo), Corplo Voro|os ooo Oorclo, 11., concur.
Corooo, 1., on |oavo.
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Footnotoa
1
CA lo||o, pp. 81-8b. lonnod by Assoc|ato 1ust|co |octor l. |ot||oa (rot.) and concurrod |n by Assoc|ato
1ust|cos 1orgo 3. lmpor|a| (now docoasod) and Omar U. Am|n (rot.).
2
ld. at 4b-b0.
8
ld. at 40-b0.
4
ld. at 84.
b
lo||o at 10.
0
U3 vs. 1an l|aco, 40 lh||. 8b8, 8b0 (1020).
7
1o|ont|no ll, C|v|| Codo (1002 od.), 81-82.
1ho lawph|| lrojoct - Aro||ano law |oundat|on
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