Good fruit from a bad root

A LAW EACH DAY (Keeps Trouble Away) By Jose C. Sison The hilippine S!ar "#$%&$'""(

)o one *ay en+oy !he ,rui!s o, ,rau-. This is !he -o.!rine sou/h! !o be in0o1e- in !his .ase a/ains! 2orio anhis .hil-ren as well as !heir su..essors in in!eres!. The .ase in0ol0e- !wo par.els o, lan- (lo! %34% an- %34') .on!ainin/ an a//re/a!e area o, %&.( he.!ares o0er whi.h 2orio ob!aine- a 5ree a!en! on January %&6 %7(# an- an 8ri/inal Cer!i,i.a!e o, Ti!le (8CT) )o. 94:'' on 5ebruary (6 %7(#. Apparen!ly6 be,ore !he pa!en! an- !i!le were issue-6 or as early as 8.!ober '46 %7("6 lo! %34% wi!h an area o, abou! %: he.!ares was suppose-ly a-+u-i.a!e- as a pri0a!e lo! in !he na*e o, E*ilio pursuan! !o a -e.ision o, !he Cour! o, 5irs! ;ns!an.e (C5;). Bu! !he 5ree a!en! an- Ti!le were ne0er!heless issue- in ,a0or o, 2orio a,!er !he ubli. Lan-s ;nspe.!or o, !he Bureau o, Lan-s *a-e a repor! an- a .er!i,i.a!ion -a!e- 5ebruary '&6 %7(( !ha! .er!ain .lai*an!s o, !hese lo!s6 %34% ,or E*ilio an- %34' ,or Ana .oul- no! be lo.a!e- in !he lo.ali!y an- !ha! !he lo!s were alrea-y aban-one- by !he* so !ha! in !he year %74% 2orio !oo1 possession o, !he lan-s !hru his !enan!s. 8n <ar.h %"6 %7(# howe0er6 !he heirs o, E*ilio represen!e- by <ina .ause- !he anno!a!ion o, an a-0erse .lai* on 8CT 94:'' par!i.ularly !he por!ion .o0ere- by lo! %34%. The heirs ne0er pursue- !his .lai* un!il ei/h! years la!er or on July 3"6 %7#: when <ina ,ile- a ,or*al pro!es! wi!h !he Bureau o, Lan-s (BL) alle/in/ !ha! sai- lo! %34% is i-en!i.al !o !he lan-s alrea-y a-+u-i.a!e- as pri0a!e proper!y in !ha! 8.!. '46 %7(" -e.ision o, !he C5;. A.!in/ on !his pro!es!6 !he BL le/al -i0ision .on-u.!e- an in0es!i/a!ion an- o.ular inspe.!ion on <ay 36 %7#( where i! was as.er!aine- !ha! 2orio=s 5ree a!en! an- 8CT were in-eei*properly an- ,rau-ulen!ly issue-. )o a.!ion was howe0er !a1en on !his repor! un!il <ay %"6 %7&& when !he Le/al Di0ision Chie, o, !he BL re.o**en-e- !he ,ilin/ o, !he .our! a.!ion ,or !he .an.ella!ion o, 2orio=s 5ree a!en! an- 8CT. The re.o**en-a!ion s!e**e- ,ro* ano!her in0es!i/a!ion .on-u.!e- on 5ebruary %:6 %7&& by !he BL=s 2eo-e!i. En/ineer .on,ir*in/ !he earlier ,in-in/s o, !he BL le/al -i0ision. rior !o !his re.o**en-e- a.!ion howe0er an- in !he *ean!i*e6 lo!s %34% an- %34' were e>!ra9+u-i.ially -i0i-e- an- sol- by 2orio an- his .hil-ren !o Juan on July 3%6 %7#76 a,!er 2orio=s wi,e -ie-. So 8CT 94:'' was .an.elle- an- TCT )o. )T %(('#% was issue- in !he na*e o, Juan. The ne>! -ay6 Juan sol- 3 he.!ares o, lo! %34% !o Ti!o an- !he en!ire lo! %34' !o ?ir/ie. 8n <ay %'6 %7&"6 !he a-0erse .lai* o, E*ilio=s heirs on 8CT 94:'' was .an.elle- by !he @e/is!er o, Dee-s. Therea,!er6 Juan ,ur!her sub-i0i-e- !he por!ion o, lo! %34% while lo! %34' was sol- by ?ir/ie !o Josie who la!er on sub-i0i-e- i! in!o %3 lo!s. An- ,or abou! hal, a -e.a-e6 ownership o0er !he proper!ies !rans,erreei!her by sale ,ro* one buyer !o ano!her or ,ore.losure o, *or!/a/e by !he *or!/a/ee. The las! owners !hereo, were a rural ban1 an- !he spouses E-war- an- Ana. ;! was only on <ay '46 %77"6 when !he @epubli. o, !he hilippines (@ ) ,ile- !he a.!ion in Cour! a/ains! 2orio an- his .hil-ren ,or .an.ella!ion o, 5ree a!en! an- 8CT ,or bein/ alle/e-ly issue- ,rau-ulen!ly6 as well as !he subseAuen! TCTs e*ana!in/ !here,ro* whi.h by !ha! !i*e were alrea-y in !he na*es o, !he rural ban1 an- !he spouses E-war- an- Ana who were !hus li1ewise in.lu-e- in !he sui!. @ .i!e-6 a*on/ o!hers6 !he -o.!rine !ha! no a*oun! o, le/al !e.hni.ali!y *ay ser0e as a soli- ,oun-a!ion ,or !he en+oy*en! o, !he ,rui!s o, ,rau-. Was @ .orre.!B )o. Asi-e ,ro* !he ,a.! !ha! @ is no! !he real par!y in !his .ase be.ause !he lo!s in -ispu!e are no lon/er par! o, !he publi. -o*ain6 !here are nu*erous !hir-6 ,our!h6 ,i,!h an- *ore par!ies hol-in/ Torrens !i!les in !heir ,a0or an- en+oyin/ !he presu*p!ion o, /oo- ,ai!h in !his .ase. The -o.!rine .i!e- by @ is appli.able only when !he lan- .o0ere- by !he pa!en! an- !i!le a.Auire- !hrou/h ,rau- or *isrepresen!a!ion is ei!her a non9-isposable lan- o, !he publi. -o*ain li1e a ,ores! or !he pa!en! an- !he !i!le are s!ill in !he na*e o, !he person who .o**i!!e- !he ,rau- or *isrepresen!a!ion6 an- in ei!her ins!an.e6 !here were ye! no inno.en! !hir- par!ies in !he way. Wi!h !he ,un.!ionin/ o, !he Torrens sys!e* o, re/is!ra!ion6 !he -o.!rine !o ,ollow is !ha! a ,or/e- or ,rau-ulen! -o.u*en! o, sale *ay be.o*e !he roo! o, a 0ali- !i!le i, !he .er!i,i.a!e o, !i!le has alrea-y been !rans,erre- ,ro* !he na*e o, !he !rue owner !o !he na*e o, !he ,or/er or !he na*e in-i.a!e- by !he ,or/er. ;! is e0en worse in !his .ase be.ause here6 !here is no ,or/er !o spea1 o,. The .er!i,i.a!ion o, !he Lan;nspe.!or on 5ebruary '&6 %7(( abou! !he aban-on*en! o, !he lo!s by E*ilio an- Ana .anno!6 by i!sel,6 be ,rau-ulen!. ;! *ay e0en !urn ou! !o be !he !ru!h. Wha! @ per.ei0es as ,rau- *ay be no!hin/ *ore !han !he -i,,eren.es o, opinions be!ween !he sai- lan- inspe.!or an- !he /eo-e!i. en/ineer who .on-u.!e- a

0eri,i.a!ion sur0ey '' years a,!er !he ,irs! inspe.!ion repor!. Bu! re/ar-less o, who be!ween !he !wo is .orre.!6 !he har- reali!y is !ha! !he proper!ies in Aues!ion are no lon/er ,loa!in/ ob+e.!s on a sprin/ !ha! .anno! rise hi/her !han i!s sour.e6 as !hey are now 0ery *u.h ashore an- ,ir*ly s!an-in/ on hi/h soli/roun- o, !he Torrens sys!e* o, lan- re/is!ra!ion (Republic vs. Agunoy, Sr. G.R. 155394. February 17, 2 5!