Re publ i cv .He i r sofJ ua nFa bi o GRNo.159589 ,23Dec emb mber2008 DOC OCTRI NES: •
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Un de rt h e Re ga l i a nd oc t r i n ee mb mb od i e di no urCo ns t i t u t i o n,l a nd t h ath a sn otb e en a cq ui r e df r o mt h ego v er n me me nt ,e i t h erb yp ur c h as e,g r a nto ra n yo t h ermo der e co gn i z ed byl aw,bel ongst ot heSt at easpar toft hepubl i cdomai n UnderSec t i on6oft hePubl i cLandAc t ,t hepr er ogat i v eofc l as s i f y i ngorr ec l as s i f y i ng l a nd so ft h ep ub l i cd oma i nb el o ng st ot h e Pr e s i d en t ,Th e Pr e s i d en t ,t h r o ug ha pr es i dent i alpr oc l amat i on ore x ec ut i v e or der ,c a nc l as s i f yorr ec l as s i f ya l and t o be i n c l u de do re x c l u de df r o m t h ep ub l i cd oma i n ;T he De pa r t me nto fEn v i r o nme nta nd Na t u r a lRe so ur c es( DENR)Se cr e t a r yi st h eo nl yot h erp ubl i coffic i a le mpo mp wer edb yl a w t oappr o v eal andc l as s i fi c at i onanddec l ar es uc hl andasal i enabl eanddi s pos abl e Wel l ent r enc hedi st her ul et hatunl es sal andi sr ec l as s i fi edanddec l ar edal i enabl eand di s pos abl e,oc c upat i oni nt heconc eptofano wner ,nomat t erhowl ong,c annotr i peni nt o o wner s hi pandber egi s t er edasat i t l e;publ i cl andsno ts ho wnt oha v ebeenc l as s i fi edas al i enabl eanddi s pos abl el andr emai npar toft hei nal i enabl epubl i cdomai n.
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On2 1No v e mb mb er1 99 6,r e s p on de nt s ,wh oa r et h eh ei r so fJ u a nF ab i o ,r e pr e s en t e db y Angel i t aF .Es t ei bar( Es t ei bar )ast hei rAt t or ney i nFac t ,fi l edwi t ht heRegi onal T r i al Cour t ofNai c ,Cav i t e,anappl i c at i onf orr egi s t r at i onoft i t l et oal o t .Ther es pondent ssoughtt he r egi s t r at i onoft i t l eundert hepr o vi s i onsofAc tNo.496ort heLandRegi s t r at i onAc t ,as a me me nd edbyPr e s i d en t i a lDe c r e eNo .1 52 9( PD1 52 9) . I nt heappl i c at i on,r es pondent sal l egedt hatt heyar et heowner soft heLot ,i nc l udi ngal l t h ei mp r o v e m me e nt s ,h a vi n ga c qu i r e dt h es a met me h r o ug ha bon l a i mo fo wn er s hi p . afi d ec The ydec l ar ed t ha tt he yand t hei rp r edec es s or s i ni nt er es twer ei n open,c ont i nuous , e x c l us i v eandno t or i ouspos s es s i onoft heLo ti nt hec onc eptofano wnerf ormor et han 1 00 y e a r s .Th e yh a v ea l s os u b mi mi t t e ds e v e r a ld o c u m me e nt st os u p po r tt h ei rc l a i m o f o wner s hi p.RTC r ender edadec i s i onor der i ngt her egi s t r at i onoft hel o ti nt henameo f J ua nFa bi o . Uponappealt ot heCA,t heRepubl i coni t spar t ,c l ai medt hatt het r i alc our ter r edi n r ul i ngt hatr es pondent sha v eac qui r edav es t edr i ghto vert hel ot .Ac cor di ngt ooneoft he wi t nes s esi nt het r i al ,t hes ur v eypl ans ubmi t t edbyt her es pondent sc ont ai nedanot at i on whi c hs t at est hat“ t hi ss ur v e yf al l swi t hi nt heCal umpangPoi ntNa v alRes er v a t i onand di s pos i t i onher eofs hal l bes ubj ec tt ot hefi naldel i mi t at i ont her eofasperPr oc .No.1582Ad at e dSe pt e mb mb er6 ,1 97 6. ” ,h owe v e r ,t h eCA s t i l la ffir me dt h ed ec i s i o no ft h e RT C. Henc e,t hi spet i t i on.
I SSUE+RULI NG Whet hert her espondent shaveacqui r edar i ghtovert heLot . •
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hel et t er c er t i fi cat i ons ubmi t t edbyt her es pondent ss t at i ngt hatt hes ubj ec tl andi s NO,t al i enabl eanddi s pos abl ei si ns uffic i ent .Conl ui smer el yal andi n v es t i gat oroft heDENR. I ti sno te nought hatheal ones houl dc er t i f yt hatt heLoti swi t hi nt heal i enabl eand di s pos abl ez one.UnderSec t i on6oft hePubl i cLandAc t ,t hepr er ogat i v eofc l as s i f y i ng orr ec l as s i f y i ng l andsoft he publ i cdomai n bel ongst ot he Pr es i dent .The Pr es i dent , t hr oughapr es i dent i al pr oc l amat i onorex ec ut i v eor der ,c anc l as si f yorr ec l as si f yal andt o b ei n c l u de do re x c l u de df r o mt h ep ub l i cdo ma i n .Th eDENR Se c r e t a r yi st h eo nl yot h er p ubl i coffic i a le mp ower e db yl a wt oa pp r o v eal a ndc l a ss i fi c at i o na ndd ec l a r es u chl a nd asal i enabl eanddi s pos abl e. Con s equ en t l y ,r e sp on de nt sc ou l dn oth av eoc c upi e dt h eL oti nt h ec o nc ep to fa no wn er i n19 47an ds u bs eq ue nty e ar swh enr e sp on de nt sd ec l a r edt h eL otf o rt a x at i o np ur p os e s, ore v enear l i erwhenr es ponden t s ’pr edec es s or s i n-i nt er es tpos s es s edt heLo t ,bec aus e t h eL otwa sc on s i d er e di n al i e na bl ef r o m t h et i me o fi t sd ec l a r a t i o na s a mi l i t a r y r es er v at i on i n 1904.Ther ef or e,r es pondent sf ai l ed t opr o v e,b yc l eara nd c on vi nc i ng ev i denc e,t hatt heLoti sal i enabl eanddi s pos abl e. I nv i ew oft hel ac kofs uffic i ente vi denc es ho wi ngt hatt heLo twasal r eadyc l as s i fi edas al i enabl eanddi s pos abl e,t heLo ta ppl i edf orbyr es pondent si si nal i enabl el andoft he publ i cdomai n,no ts ubj ec tt or egi s t r at i onunderSec t i on14( 1)ofPD 1529andSec t i on 4 8( b )o fCA1 41 ,a same nd edb yPD1 07 3.He nc e ,t h er ei sn on e edt od i s c u s st h eo t h e r r equi s i t esdeal i ngwi t hr es pondent s ’oc c upat i onandpos s es s i onoft heLo ti nt hec onc ept o fa no wn er .
