13 National Power Corp v Zabala

Case Digest: NPC vs. Spouses Zabala G.R. No. 173520 : January 30, 2013 NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, Pettoner, !. "PO#"E" RO$OL%O &A'ALA an( LILIA 'A)LON, Re*+on(ent*. FACTS: On October 27, !!", plainti#$appellant National Po%er Corporation &Napocor' (le) a co*plaint +or *inent Do*ain against )e+en)ants$appellees Sps. -. Zabala  /. 0a1lon, be+ore te -TC, 0alanga Cit1, 0ataan alleging tat Spouses Zabala an) 0a1lon o%n parcels o+ lan) locate) in 0alanga Cit1, 0ataan an) tat it urgentl1 nee)e) an ease*ent o+ rigt o+ %a1 over te a#ecte) areas +or its 234 56 /i*a1$er*osa Trans*ission /ines. Te Co**issioners sub*itte) teir -eport8 -eco**en)ation (9ing te ust co*pensation at P;4.44 per sune 2?, 244", te -TC ren)ere) its Partial Decision an) or)ere) Napocor to pa1 Pp;4.44 per s
co*pensation +or private propert1 ta=en +or public use is guarantee) no less b1 our Constitution an) is inclu)e) in te 0ill o+ -igts. As suc, no legislative enact*ents or e9ecutive issuances can prevent te courts +ro* )eter*ining %eter te rigt o+ te propert1 o%ners to ust co*pensation as been violate). t is a  u)icial +unction +unction tat cannot cannot be usurpe) usurpe) b1 an1 an1 oter branc branc or oBcial o+ te govern*ent. Statutes an) e9ecutive issuances (9ing or provi)ing +or te *eto) o+ co*puting ust co*pensation are not bin)ing on courts an), at best, are treate) as *ere gui)elines in ascertaining te a*ount tereo+.  Te Supre*e Supre*e Court as el) in a long line o+ cases tat tat since te ig$ tension electric current passing troug te trans*ission lines %ill perpetuall1 )eprive te propert1 o%ners o+ te nor*al use o+ teir lan), it is onl1 ust an) proper to reust co*pensation cannot be arrive) at arbitraril1. Several +actors *ust be consi)ere), suc as, but not li*ite) to, ac
CON"TIT#TIONAL LAW: 6u*t o+en*aton

/astl1, it soul) be borne in *in) tat ust co*pensation soul) be co*pute) base) on te +air value o+ te subect propert1 at te ti*e o+ its ta=ing or te (ling o+ te co*plaint, %icever ca*e (rst. Since in tis case te (ling o+ te e*inent )o*ain case ca*e aea) o+ te ta=ing, ust co*pensation soul) be base) on te +air *ar=et value o+ spouses Zabalas propert1 at te ti*e o+ te (ling o+ Napocors Co*plaint on October 27, !!" or tereabouts.

Sec. 3A o+ -A No. @3!; cannot restrict te constitutional po%er o+ te courts to )eter*ine ust co*pensation. Te pa1*ent o+ ust

Petton * PARTIALL) GRANTE$. Ca*e * RE;AN$E$ to te RTC or te +ro+er (eternaton o 6u*t o+en*aton.

EL$: Te +etton * +arta44y ertorou*.