Republic of the Philippines vs. Feliciano (GR No.

L-70853) F&'()*

a!ch "#$ "%87

". Pablo Feliciano o+ns a lan, +ith an a--!e-ate a!ea of "$3././"77 hecta!es$ +hich he bou-ht on a0 3"$ "%5# an, ha, the lan, su!ve0e, 1ul0 of "%5#. (he su!ve0 +as app!ove, b0 the 2i!ecto! of Lan,s on 3ctobe! #/$ "%5/ an, the 2ee, of &bsolute )ale +as e4ecute, on 3ctobe! 30$ "%5/ an, is consi,e!e, as his informacion posesoria5 possesso!0 info!6ation. #. 3n Nove6be! "$ "%5/$ P!esi,ent a-sa0sa0 issue, P!ocla6ation No. %0 !ese!vin- lan,s fo! settle6ent +hich happen to inclu,e Feliciano7s lan,. (he Lan, autho!it0 sta!te, to sub,ivi,e an, ,ist!ibute the lan, to the settle!s. 3. Feliciano$ as plaintiff$ file, a co6plaint in the 'ou!t of Fi!st 8nstance of 'a6a!ines )u! 9!anch :8 on 1anua!0 ##$ "%70 a-ainst the Republic of the Philippines$ p!a0in- that the title of o+ne!ship base, on the possesso!0 info!6ation be ,ecla!e, le-al an, that the ,efen,ant nullif0 the a+a!,s -iven to settle!s. (his +as ans+e!e, b0 the Republic of the Philippines$ !ep!esente, b0 the Lan, &utho!it0$ that the!e is lac; of sufficient cause of action an, p!esc!iption. 3n &u-ust #%$ "%70$ the lo+e! cou!t th!ou-h 1u,-e )ison$ !ule, in favo! of the plaintiff -!antin- hi6 the o+ne!ship of Lot No. " +ith an a!ea of 70".%0./ hecta!es an, ,ecla!in- Lot Nos. #$ 3$ an, / pa!t of the !ese!vation. /. (he above-state, case +as then !e-opene, to acco66o,ate 8. settle!s +ho file, a 6otion to inte!vene an, +as -!ante, the oppo!tunit0 to p!esent thei! case sche,ule, on &u-ust 30 an, 3"$ "%7"$ at the sa6e ti6e$ the plaintiff an, ,efen,ant +e!e allo+e, to file a,,itional evi,ence to be sub6itte, on 1ul0 3"$ "%70. (he inte!veno!s ,i, not sub6it thei! evi,ence on &u-ust 30 an, instea,$ sub6itte, a 6otion fo! postpone6ent$ !esettin- the hea!in- on &u-ust 3". (he cou!t ,enie, the 6otion fo! postpone6ent an, allo+e, the plaintiff to p!esent its a,,itional evi,ence an, afte! +hich the case is ,ee6e, sub6itte, fo! ,ecision. 3n the sa6e ,a0 (&u-ust 3")$ the cou!t th!ou-h 1u,-e )ison$ !eite!ate, the &u-ust #%$ "%70 ,ecision. 5. (he plaintiff file, fo! a 6otion fo! e4ecution +hich +as ,enie, b0 the sa6e cou!t th!ou-h 1u,-e Nava!o +ho !e-opene, the case an, allo+e, the inte!veno!s to p!esent thei! case. <nable to secu!e !econsi,e!ation$ the plaintiff +ent to the 8nte!6e,iate &ppellate 'ou!t on a petition fo! ce!tio!a!i but +as ,enie,. (he petitione!$ then$ b!ou-ht the 6atte! to the )up!e6e 'ou!t an, a-ain$ +as ,enie, an, the case +as !e6an,e, to the t!ial cou!t fo! fu!the! p!ocee,in-s. 8nte!veno!s$ on &u-ust 3"$ "%70$ file, a 6otion to ,is6iss on the -!oun, that the Republic of the Philippines cannot be sue, +ithout its consent$ +hich +as oppose, b0 the plaintiff. (he t!ial cou!t$ th!ou-h 1u,-e Lisin- issue, the =uestione, o!,e! an, ,is6isse, the case fo! lac; of >u!is,iction. (he !espon,ent 6ove, fo! !econsi,e!ation$ +hile the )olicito! Gene!al on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines$ file, its opposition$ 6aintainin- that the ,is6issal +as p!ope! on the -!oun, of non-suabilit0 of the )tate an, that the authenticit0 of the possesso!0 info!6ation +as not ,e6onst!ate, an, that it is not evi,ence of title fo! it has lost its efficac0 b0 p!esc!iption. (he !espon,ent$ ,enie, of his 6otion fo!

!econsi,e!ation$ +ent to the 8&' on petition fo! ce!tio!a!i. (he 8&'$ on &p!il 30$ "%85$ !en,e!e, its ,ecision !eve!sin- the o!,e! of 1u,-e Lisin-$ sen,in- bac; the case to the t!ial cou!t fo! fu!the! p!ocee,in-s. (he Republic of the Philippines petitione, the case to the )up!e6e 'ou!t. 8))<?)* ". @hethe! o! not the case file, a-ainst the Republic of the Philippines in personam$ p!ovi,e, that the action +hich is to !ecla6ation of o+ne!ship$ evi,ence, b0 possesso!0 info!6ation$ !e-a!,in- a pa!cel of lan, +hich +as !eve!te, bac; to the public ,o6ain$ coul, p!ocee,. 2?'8)83N* (he 'ou!t !en,e!e, its ,ecision$ !eve!sin- an, settin- asi,e the appellate cou!t7s ,ecision an, affi!6in- the o!,e! of the t!ial cou!t ,ate, &u-ust #"$ "%80$ ,is6issin- the co6plaint file, b0 the plaintiff a-ainst the Republic of the Philippines. (he !easons a!e as follo+s* ". (hat the ,oct!ine of non-suabilit0 of the )tate is applicable in this case since the co6plaint file, b0 the plaintiff$ to !ecove! o+ne!ship an, possession of a pa!cel of lan, f!o6 the !ese!vation of the Republic of the Philippines$ is an action not a-ainst a sub>ect p!ope!t0 but is ,i!ecte, a-ainst a specific pa!t0. & suit a-ainst the )tate 6a0 be pe!6itte,$ p!ovi,e, that )tate consente, to be sue,. (his +aive! of i66unit0 is a ,e!o-ation of sove!ei-nt0 an, 6ust be const!ue, st!ictl0 fo! such +aive! can onl0 be 6a,e b0 an act of le-islation. (he +aive! of i66unit0 cannot be const!ue, f!o6 the lan-ua-e of P!ocla6ation No. %0 fo! it is not a le-islative act. 8n a,,ition$ the co6plaint faile, to alle-e the p!esence of a consent +aivinthe )tate7s i66unit0 to be sue, an, on this e!!o! alone the co6plaint shoul, have been ,is6isse,$ an, the failu!e of the petitione! to invo;e the ,efense of i66unit0 f!o6 suit is not fatal an, that it is no+ settle, that such ,efenses 6a0 be invo;e, b0 the cou!ts sua sponte o! at its o+n ,isposal at an0 sta-e of the p!ocee,in-s. #. (hat the insc!iption of the possesso!0 info!6ation 6a0 !ipen into a !eco!, of o+ne!ship$ in this case$ the!e is no p!oof that such possesso!0 info!6ation has been conve!te, into a !eco!, of o+ne!ship. 8n a,,ition$ fo! !econstitute, possesso!0 info!6ation to be vali,l0 6a,e the!e 6ust be a clea! sho+in- that the o!i-inal cop0 +as lost. (he possesso!0 info!6ation !e-iste!e, in the 3ffice of the Re-ist!0 of 2ee, of 'a6a!ines )u! +as !econstitute, f!o6 the ,uplicate p!esente, b0 the !espon,ent5 Feliciano +ithout the sub6ission of p!oof that the alle-e, ,uplicate +as authentic o! that the o!i-inal +as lost. (o a,, to the -!ave ,oubts a!isin- f!o6 the authenticit0 of the !espon,ents possesso!0 info!6ation is that possesso!0 info!6ation onl0 cove!s "00 hecta!es as oppose, to the !espon,ents clai6 of "$3././"77 hecta!es.