Republic vs. Heirs of Lachica-Sin 26 March 2014FAC S!

he Heirs of Ma"i#a Lachica-Sin clai# $ha$ a

41%2&1-s'uare #e$er-por$ion of $he proper$( $he( inheri$e) ha) been usurpe) b( A*lan +a$ional Colle,e
of Fisheries% crea$in, a clou) of )oub$ i$h respec$ $o $heir o nership over $he parcel of lan) $he(
ish $o re#ove fro# $he A+CF reserva$ion. he A+CF Superin$en)en$ coun$ere) $ha$ $he parcel of lan)
bein, clai#e) b( $he Heirs as $he sub ec$ of /rocla#a$ion +o. 20 4 of $hen /resi)en$ Fer)inan) .
Marcos alloca$in, 24.0 1 hec$ares of lan) i$hin $hearea% hich inclu)e) sai) por$ion of $he
Heirs3 alle,e) proper$(% as civil reserva$ion for e)uca$ional purposesof A+CF. he A+CF Superin$en)en$
fur$her#ore asser$ $ha$ $he lan) is $i#berlan) an) $herefore no$ suscep$ible of priva$e o nership.
he Heirs asser$ $ha$ $he( ere previousl( in open an) con$inuous possession of $he lan) as o ners.
he( presen$e) several a" )eclara$ions% $he earlies$ of hich as in $he (ear 1 4 . Since $he area
as )eclare) $i#berlan) onl( on 5ece#ber 22% 1 60% $he( also alle,e $ha$ $his lan) is an alienable an)
)isposable lan) of $he public )o#ain. Ma"i#a Lachica-Sin bou,h$ $he proper$( in 1 &2% 2 (ears before
i$3s classifica$ion as i#berlan). Ho ever% A+CF alle,es $ha$ un)er $he

Regalian Doctrine,

all lan)s of $he public )o#ain belon, $o $he S$a$e an) $ha$ lan)s no$ appearin, $o be clearl( i$hin
priva$e o nership are presu#e) $o belon, $o $he S$a$e.7SS8 !9he$her $he lan) of $he Heirs is public
an) alienable lan).H L5! +:.8n)er $he

Regalian doctrine,

hich is e#bo)ie) in our Cons$i$u$ion% all lan)s of $he public )o#ain belon, $o $he S$a$e% hich is
$he source of an( asser$e) ri,h$ $o an( o nership of lan). All lan)s no$ appearin, $o be clearl( i$hin
priva$e o nership are presu#e) $o belon, $o $he S$a$e. Accor)in,l(%

public lands not shown to have been reclassified or released as alienable agricultural land or alienated to
a private person by the State remain part of the inalienable public domain

. 8nless public lan) is sho n $o have been reclassifie) as alienable or )isposable $o a priva$e person b(
$he S$a$e% i$ re#ains par$ of $he inalienable public )o#ain.

Property of the public domain is beyond the commerce of man and not susceptible of private
appropriation and acquisitive prescription. Occupation thereof in the concept of owner no matter how
long cannot ripen into ownership and be registered as a title.
 he bur)en of proof in overco#in, $he presu#p$ion of S$a$e o nership of $he lan)s of $he public
)o#ain is on $he person appl(in, for re,is$ra$ion ;or clai#in, o nership<% ho #us$ prove $ha$ $he
lan) sub ec$ of $he applica$ion is alienable or )isposable. o overco#e $his presu#p$ion%
incon$rover$ible evi)ence #us$ be es$ablishe) $ha$ $he lan) sub ec$ of $he applica$ion ;or clai#< is
alienable or )isposable.

There must be a positive act declaring landof the public domain as alienable and disposable.

his can be prove) b( a procla#a$ion or cer$ifica$e fro# $he ,overn#en$ $ha$ $he lan) is alienable an)
)isposable. he Heirs presen$e) no evi)ence b( ,overn#en$ procla#a$ion or cer$ifica$ion $ha$ $he lan)
$he( possess as alienable an) )isposable. herefore% $he lan) is no$ open $o be occupie) b( $he#.
he lan) as onl( classifie) as $i#berlan) in $he (ear 1 60 bu$ $his )oes no$ #ean $ha$ $he lan) as
alienable before $ha$ (ear. he presu#p$ion is $ha$ unclassifie) lan)s are inalienable public lan)s.