G.R. No. 146586
January 26, 2005
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CUTURE an! "PORT" vs. JUIA DE RO"ARIO, RO"ARIO, MARIA DE RO"ARIO, PACENCIA DE RO"ARIO, an! #EIR" OF "ANTO" DE RO"ARIO CARPIO, J.: FACTS: On 14 February 1992, respondents Julia Del Rosario, aria Del Rosario, !a"en"ia Del Rosario and t#e $eirs o% Santos Del Rosario &'respondents'( )led be%ore t#e trial "ourt a "o*plaint %or Re"o+ery o% !ossession aainst petitioner Depart*ent o% -du"ation, Culture and Sports &'D-CS'(. Respondents alleed t#at t#ey on a par"el o% land #i"# t#e /aypo*bo !ri*ary S"#ool Anne0 is o""upyin and t#at t#e sa*e re%uses to +a"ate despite de*and. n its Anser, D-CS "ountered t#at /!!Ss o""upation o% a portion o% t#e !roperty as it# t#e e0press "onsent and appro+al o% respondents %at#er. D-CS "lai*ed t#at so*e ti*e in 1939 saias donated a portion &'Donated Site'( o% t#e !roperty to t#e uni"ipality o% Sta. aria &'uni"ipality'( %or s"#ool site purposes. Atty. -ly ati+idad, no a reional trial "ourt 5ude &'Jude ati+idad'(, prepared t#e deed o% donation and t#e a""eptan"e. Durin t#e pre6trial "on%eren"e #eld on 7 Septe*ber 1992, D-CS ad*itted t#e e0isten"e and e0e"ution o% TCT o. T6222472 &-0#ibit 'A'(, Ta0 De"laration o. 871 &-0#ibit ''(, and t#e ta0 re"eipts in respondents na*es %or t#e years 1991 and 1992 &-0#ibits '61' and '62'(. On t#e ot#er #and, respondents ad*itted t#e e0isten"e o% Jude ati+idads a;da+it t#at #e prepared prepared t#e deed o% donation &-0#ibit '1'( and t#e ta0 de"laration %or 19<3 in t#e uni"ipalitys na*e &-0#ibit '2'(. Sin"e t#ere as no dispute t#at t#e !roperty as reistered in respondents na*es, t#e parties areed to a re+erse trial it# D-CS presentin its e+iden"e )rst to pro+e t#at t#ere as a +alid donation to t#e uni"ipality. On = July 1997, t#e trial "ourt rendered 5ud*ent dis*issin respondents "o*plaint %or re"o+ery o% possession. T#e trial "ourt "ourt e0plained e0plained t#at t#e de%ense de%ense as able to pro+e t#e t#e due e0e"ution e0e"ution o% t#e deed o% donation and its a""eptan"e, as ell as t#e loss o% t#e sa*e, in a""ordan"e it# Rule 17>,? Se". 4. t is re"alled t#at Jude -li ati+idad, t#en a *uni"ipal "oun"ilor o% Sta. aria, testi)ed t#at #e as t#e person #o prepared t#e deed o% donation and later notari@ed t#e sa*e, and t#at said deed as duly e0e"uted and sined be%ore #i* and in #is presen"e. iBeise, #e a;r*ed t#at t#e *uni"ipal board o% Sta. aria, ula"an, passed a resolution a""eptin t#e deed o% donation in %a+or o% t#e said *uni"ipality. Sin"e t#e loss o% t#e deed sub5e"t *atter o% t#is "ase as liBeise duly pro+ed by t#e de%ense, e0ertin t#e best possible eorts to lo"ate or se"ure a "opy o% t#e sa*e and it#out bad %ait# on its part, t#is Court is bent to i+e a reater ei#t to t#e se"ondary e+iden"e addu"ed by t#e de%ense.
$oe+er, said de"ision as re+ersed by t#e Court o% Appeals.
I""UE$ $-T$-R T$- COERT OF A!!-AS RAG-H -RR-D $OD T$AT !-TTO-R FA-D TO !ROG- T$- DE- -I-CETO OR -IST-C- OF T$D--D OF DOATO AD T$- R-SOETO OF T$- EC!A COEC ACC-!T T$- DOATO, AS - AS T$- OSS OF T$- DOCE-TS AS T$- CAES- OF T$-R EAGAATH.11 RUING$ o. #at *ainly *ilitates aainst D-CS "lai* is, as t#e Court o% Appeals %ound, inadeuate proo% t#at D-CS or t#e uni"ipality *ade a dilient sear"# in t#e pla"es #ere t#e deed o% donation *ay liBely be %ound and t#at t#e sear"# as unsu""ess%ul. !rior to t#e introdu"tion o% se"ondary e+iden"e, a party *ust establis# t#e e0isten"e and due e0e"ution o% t#e instru*ent. A%ter a party establis#es t#e e0isten"e and due e0e"ution o% t#e do"u*ent, #e *ust pro+e t#at t#e do"u*ent as lost or destroyed. 1< T#e destru"tion o% t#e instru*ent K *ay be pro+ed by any person Bnoin t#e %a"t. T#e loss *ay be s#on by any person #o Bne t#e %a"t o% its loss, or by any one #o #ad *ade, on t#e 5ud*ent o% t#e "ourt, a su;"ient e0a*ination in t#e pla"e >or? pla"es #ere t#e do"u*ent or papers o% si*ilar "#ara"ter are usually Bept by t#e person in #ose "ustody t#e do"u*ent lost as, and #as been unable to )nd itL or #o #as *ade any ot#er in+estiation #i"# is su;"ient to satis%y t#e "ourt t#at t#e instru*ent is indeed lost.19 $ere, D-CS alleedly *ade a sear"# in t#e *uni"ipal buildin and in t#e D-CS Di+ision O;"e in ula"an. T#e "opies o% t#e deed o% donation %urnis#ed t#ese o;"es ere purportedly 'lost' #en t#ese o;"es trans%erred to ne lo"ations. $oe+er, as t#e Court o% Appeals "orre"tly pointed out, Jude ati+idad #o "lai*ed to #a+e notari@ed t#e deed o% donation %ailed to a""ount %or ot#er "opies o% t#e deed, #i"# t#e la stri"tly en5oins #i* to re"ord, and %urnis# to ot#er desinated o+ern*ent o;"es. T#e otarial a is e0pli"it on t#e obliations and duties o% a notary publi". T#e la reuires #i* to Beep a notarial reister #ere #e s#all re"ord all #is o;"ial a"ts as notary publi". T#e la spe"i)es t#e in%or*ation t#at t#e notary publi" *ust enter in t#e notarial reister. Failure to per%or* t#is duty results in t#e re+o"ation o% #is "o**ission as notary publi". e uote t#e pro+isions o% t#e otarial a pertinent to t#e "ase: S-CTO 243. Notarial register . 6 -+ery notary publi" s#all Beep a reister to be Bnon as t#e notarial reister, #erein re"ord s#all be *ade o% all #is o;"ial a"ts as notaryL and #e s#all supply a "erti)ed "opy o% su"# re"ord, or any part t#ereo%, to any person applyin %or it and payin t#e leal %ees t#ere%or. 1ªvvphi1.nét Su"# reister s#all be Bept in booBs to be %urnis#ed by t#e Attorney6eneral &Soli"itor6eneral( to any notary publi" upon reuest and upon pay*ent o% t#e
a"tual "ost t#ereo%, but o;"ers e0er"isin t#e %un"tions o% notaries publi" ex ofcio s#all be supplied it# t#e reister at o+ern*ent e0pense. T#e reister s#all be duly paed, and on t#e )rst pae, t#e Attorney6eneral &Soli"itor6eneral( s#all "erti%y t#e nu*ber o% paes o% #i"# t#e booB "onsist>s?. S-CTO 248. Matters to be entered therein . 6 T#e notary publi" s#all enter in su"# reister, in "#ronoloi"al order, t#e nature o% ea"# instru*ent e0e"uted, sorn to, or a"Bnoleded be%ore #i*, t#e person e0e"utin, searin to, or a"Bnoledin t#e instru*ent, t#e itnesses, i% any, to t#e sinature, t#e date o% t#e e0e"ution, oat#, or a"Bnoled*ent or t#e instru*ent, t#e %ees "olle"ted by #i* %or #is ser+i"es as notary in "onne"tion t#ereit#, andL %&'n (&' )n*(ru+'n( )* on(ra(, &' *&a-- ''/ a orr'( o/y (&'r'o a* /ar( o &)* r'or!* , and s#all liBeise enter in said re"ords a brie% des"ription o% t#e substan"e t#ereo%, and s#all i+e to ea"# entry a "onse"uti+e nu*ber, beinnin it# nu*ber one in ea"# "alendar year. T#e notary s#all i+e to ea"# instru*ent e0e"uted, sorn to, or a"Bnoleded be%ore #i* a nu*ber "orrespondin to t#e one in #is reister, and s#all also state on t#e instru*ent t#e pae or paes o% #is reister on #i"# t#e sa*e is re"orded. o blanB line s#all be le%t beteen entries. 000 At t#e end o% ea"# eeB t#e notary s#all "erti%y in #is reister t#e nu*ber o% instru*ents e0e"uted, sorn to, a"Bnoleded, or protested be%ore #i*L or i% none, su"# "erti)"ate s#all s#o t#is %a"t.
A 'r()'! o/y o 'a& +on(&* 'n(r)'* a* !'*r)3'! )n (&)* *'()on an! a 'r()'! o/y o any )n*(ru+'n( ano%-'!'! 3'or' (&'+ *&a-- %)(&)n (&' r*( ('n !ay* o (&' +on(& n'( o--o%)n 3' or%ar!'! 3y (&' no(ar)'* /u3-) (o (&' -'r o (&' Cour( o F)r*( In*(an' o (&' /ro)n' and s#all be )led under t#e responsibility o% su"# o;"erL !ro+ided, t#at i% t#ere is no entry to "erti%y %or t#e *ont#, t#e notary s#all %orard a state*ent to t#is ee"t in lieu o% t#e "erti)ed "opies #erein reuired. &As a*ended by C.A. =2, Se". 1.( S-CTO 24=. Disposition o notarial register . 6 I++'!)a('-y u/on &)* no(ar)ar')*('r 3')n --'!, an! a-*o %)(&)n (''n !ay* a('r (&' '/)ra()on o &)* o++)**)on, un-'** r'a//o)n('!, (&' no(ary /u3-) *&a-- or%ar! &)* no(ar)a- r')*('r (o (&' -'r o (&' Cour( o F)r*( In*(an' o (&' /ro)n' or o (&' C)(y o Man)-a , as t#e "ase *ay be, #erein #e e0er"ises #is o;"e, #o s#all e0a*ine t#e sa*e and report t#ereon to t#e 5ude o% t#e Court o% First nstan"e. % t#e 5ude )nds t#at no irreularity #as been "o**itted in t#e Beepin o% t#e reister, &' *&a-- or%ar! (&' *a+' (o (&' &)' o (&' !))*)on o ar&)'*, /a('n(*, o/yr)&(*, an! (ra!'7+ar* . n "ase t#e 5ude )nds t#at irreularities #a+e been "o**itted in t#e Beepin o% t#e reister, #e s#all re%er t#e *atter to t#e )s"al o% t#e pro+in"e 6 and in t#e City o% anila, to t#e )s"al o% t#e "ity 6 %or a"tion and t#e sendin o% t#e reister to t#e "#ie% o% t#e di+ision o% ar"#i+es, patents, "opyri#ts, and trade6*arBs s#all be de%erred until t#e ter*ination o% t#e "ase aainst t#e notary publi". &-*p#asis and unders"orin supplied(
T#e otarial a *andates a notary publi" to re"ord in #is notarial reister t#e ne"essary in%or*ation reardin t#e instru*ent a"Bnoleded be%ore #i*. T#e otarial a also *andates t#e notary publi" to r'(a)n a "opy o% t#e instru*ent a"Bnoleded be%ore #i* #en it is a "ontra"t. 2 T#e notarial reister is a re"ord o% t#e notary publi"s o;"ial a"ts. A"Bnoleded instru*ents re"orded in t#e notarial reister are publi" do"u*ents. 21 % t#e instru*ent is not re"orded in t#e notarial reister and t#ere is no "opy in t#e notarial re"ords, t#e presu*ption arises t#at t#e do"u*ent as not notari@ed and is not a publi" do"u*ent. 22 D-CS s#ould #a+e produ"ed at t#e trial t#e notarial reister #ere Jude ati+idad as t#e notary publi" s#ould #a+e re"orded t#e deed o% donation. Alternati+ely, D-CS s#ould #a+e e0plained t#e una+ailability o% t#e notarial reister. Jude ati+idad "ould #a+e also e0plained #y #e did not retain a "opy o% t#e deed o% donation as reuired by la. As t#e Court o% Appeals "orre"tly obser+ed, t#ere as no e+iden"e s#oin t#at D-CS looBed %or a "opy %ro* t#e ClerB o% Court "on"erned or %ro* t#e ational Ar"#i+es. All told, t#ese "ir"u*stan"es pre"lude a )ndin t#at D-CS or t#e uni"ipality *ade a dilient sear"# to obtain a "opy o% t#e deed o% donation.
